Three brothers compete for the lacrosse team and are among a surprising number of sibling student-athletes
CMU Men’s Lacrosse Team is all about family. “One of the strengths of our program is the family atmosphere that we cultivate and create as a program,” said Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Vince Smith. “While it’s easy to say that we’re family as a motto at the end of a huddle, we dive deeper.”
At CMU this deep dive includes dividing players into “family” groups across all grade levels to build relationships, encourage mentoring and provide positive outlets for socializing and fun competition.
And then there are the surprising number of siblings who compete for CMU in general. Since Smith joined the program seven years ago, these sibling competitors include the Foster brothers, Duresky brothers, Klossner brothers, Eickelman twins, two of three Ernst triplets (one on the men’s squad and one on the women’s), Watson brothers, Brummet brothers, and, notably, the three Plock brothers.
Graduates of Fruita Monument High School, the Plock brothers — Dick, Jayce and Hans — have a five-year span between them. Ordinarily, this would have made it difficult for the oldest and youngest to play together on a college team. But the brothers were determined to make it happen, especially after their mother, Keri, passed away in 2019.
Eldest brother Dick, a fifth-year senior midfielder, overcame injuries to return to the sport. Middle brother and defenseman, Jayce, had an offer to play out-of-state but chose CMU to maintain family ties. Hans, who plays goalie, came in strong as a true freshman.
Being able to share a year of college and the lacrosse pitch was meaningful to each brother in a unique way. While Dick acknowledged the challenges and responsibility he felt, he said it was also “a chance to see my brothers grow into and become people I never knew they could be.”
Jayce emphasized the family camaraderie. “The experience was unlike anything I have ever done before. Simply put, brothers do not let each other walk alone,” he said.
And while the family benefits were priceless, the synergy between the Plock brothers paid off for the team as well.
“Playing with your brothers at this level, although a higher level, still feels like playing in the backyard,” said Hans. “We can just look at each other and know what the other is thinking and do it before they say it.”
As for their father, Bill, a longtime junior lacrosse coach, he compared the pleasure and pride of watching his sons compete together to the anticipation and excitement of a child on Christmas Eve.
“When it finally arrives, it’s better than anything you could have imagined and you never want it to end.”