Meadowdale High School seniors Jordan Tindall and Niko May and have signed National Letters of Intent to play NCAA Division II lacrosse at Mount Olive College in North Carolina.

Tindall and May, both All-Conference selections in 2013, signed with the North Carolina college during the recently concluded NCAA early signing period.

“It’s a great honor to play for Mount Olive,” said Tindall who led Meadowdale in scoring last spring with 45 points (25g, 20a) and was eighth among Washington state Division II players with 113 ground balls. “Being able to go to this great school with a great academic program is a surreal experience.”

Working towards an NCAA scholarship since learning the game as a third grader, Tindall knows the importance of focus not just on the field but also in the classroom and community.

Volunteering for Christmas House, which annually helps low-income families in Snohomish County provide toys, clothing and other gifts for some 10,000 kids during the holiday season is one of his passions. Another is teaching the game to the next generation of players, which he does every Monday and Wednesday afternoon at Lynndale Elementary School.

At Mount Olive, which finished 7-7-0 in 2013 – its first year of NCAA play, Tindall will have an opportunity to not just play at the NCAA level, but to run the field for the first time with older brother Alex Tindall, now a Mount Olive junior.

“Playing with my brother is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said the younger Tindall, who while a full class sequence behind his older brother, still jostles for bragging rights. “He always says that I would be better. But right now if you compared us, he would be better,” Tindall said. “We’ll see.”

For May who finished third last spring on the Meadowdale squad with 66 ground balls while notching a goal and an assist, signing with Mount Olive is proof that the defender belongs at the NCAA level.

“It’s overwhelmingly awesome to be invited to be a part of the Mount Olive family,” said May who expects to fit in with a team philosophy that lends itself to student-athletes that can run the ball and make opportunities happen.

“It allows me to play a transition game that I like to play. It’s a good match to go from a similar system,” he said. “We’re building a legacy at Mount Olive for years to come.”

Carrying a rigorous 10-credit college-level academic schedule at Edmonds Community College as a part of Meadowdale’s “Running Start” program, May also finds time to volunteer his time with the Washington Trail Association all while holding down a part-time job with the Seattle Event Co.

All-important steps in moving on to his next academic and life challenges at Mount Olive.

“I’m excited to meet the academic challenges,” May said. “I’m really excited about (Mount Olive’s) academic standards for freshmen. They have us do a ton of study hall,” he said. “It really set us up to succeed.”

On the North Carolina campus, Tindall and May will join a Mike Murphy-coached Trojans squad that is stacked with seven Washington state high school graduates including four from the North Sound.

“Coach Murphy is a great coach, I’m really excited to be working with him and have the ability to do great things with this team,” Tindall said.

Among the current Mount Olive lacrosse players from the North Sound are junior Alex Tindall (Lynnwood, Wash.), a 2010 graduate of Meadowdale High School, and sophomores Ryan Morris and Luke Morris (both of Snohomish, Wash.). Both graduates of Providence Classical Christian School in Lynnwood, Ryan graduated in 2011 while Luke graduate in 2012. Junior Jon Williams (Lynnwood, Wash.), a 2010 graduate of Lynnwood High School, is also playing for the Trojans.