Wetteland signing with Central Arkansas tops Bonney Lake’s Signing Day

It was a busy lunch day inside Bonney Lake High’s cafeteria Feb. 3 as several Panthers scratched out their college commitments amongst their peers.

By the end of the lunch periods, seven Panthers signed their commitments to continue their athletic careers at the next level.

Those who signed included: Alex Wetteland (Central Arkansas University), Danielle Lisk (Pacific Lutheran University), Makenzie Sjoden and Brooklyn Gratzer (Shoreline Community College) and Kelsey Lund, Melanie Torr and Madi Jone (Pierce College).

With several choices coming her way, Wetteland’s tough decision was made all the easier when the Bears came calling. Right off the bat, it was natural for Wetteland to move out and take her soccer talents to Conway, Arkansas next fall.

“I got scouted in Las Vegas. We were down there for a tournament, and when I got back I got got an offer from Montana State University,” Wetteland said. “(Central Arkansas) just called me and asked if I wanted to go down for a visit.”

That phone call and subsequent visit to the Arkansas campus was enough to convince Wetteland that she needed to be playing college soccer in Conway.

“It’s to get a change, to get a feel for a different environment,” Wetteland said.

For Sjoden and Gratzer, it was the ability to play soccer at Shoreline CC while also gaining new experiences in new places.

“My stepdad is working in Bothell, so my family is moving up north,” Grazter said. “I’ll get to live from home, and I was fortunate to find a good soccer team to play for, too.”

“I know the coach (Matt Dorman) really well … I like his coaching style and everything. I was really undecided if I wanted to play in college,” Sjoden said. “But I really like (Dorman) and I really like the program well.”

This story was originally published February 11, 2016 at 12:53 PM with the headline "Wetteland signing with Central Arkansas tops Bonney Lake’s Signing Day."