Just as with the Hawkeyes, the Iowa State interviews is starting with the team captain. Mike Pokorney came to Ames from Chaska, Minnesota after graduating from high school in 2006. He started playing on the school's club lax team his senior year. At that time, players and parents ran the show, but the team has now become officially recognized by the school.
As a long pole defender, Pokorney is a fan of Nicky Polanco. By extension, the Long Island Lizards is his favorite Major League Lacrosse team. As a Minnesota native, Pokorney also follows the Swarm in the National Lacrosse League. He attributes the fast play of the NLL to the Swarm's ability to draw fans in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. As a field player, he enjoys the differences that the indoor game provides. What can I say? The man has good taste...
How did number 18 get interested in lacrosse? "I played football and baseball throughout highschool. My senior year I decided I had had enough baseball and was going to try out for either the golf team or lacrosse. I figured in lacrosse I get to hit people so I decided to play." He still follows both sports. Being a wide receiver no doubt provided the athleticism needed to be a quality lax defender.Growing the game is important to Pokorney whose hometown youth program was just getting started when he was a boy but "has grown ten fold in last few years." While not making any firm commitments at this time, Pokorney is interested in helping the game spread in Des Moines. Maybe he will even decide to participate in the proposed summer league.
In closing, he offered this advice: "Give it a chance. People always say it is a great mixture of many sports, but it it is truly a sport unlike any other. If you like big hits, scoring and just a fast paced game lacrosse is for you!"
