BENTONVILLE — It didn’t take long for Lauren Powers to learn enough about Hannibal-LaGrange University to know it was the place for her to extend her soccer career.
The Bentonville senior made an verbal commitment in August, then signed a national letter of intent Monday with the Christian school in Hannibal, Mo.
“You might think during the period I would be indecisive, whether I made the right decision,” Powers said of the wait between the commitment and the signing. “For me, I knew that was where I wanted to be.
“I was so ready to sign and make it official. I can’t wait to be up there.”
Powers, a senior midfielder, admitted she began 2012 with no knowledge of Hannibal-LaGrange, much less knowing where Hannibal was located. That all changed after she attended the Showcase of the South in Little Rock.
She was looking for a smaller Christian school to attend, and her father Craig was the one that brought Hannibal-LaGrange to her attention. Coaches were quick to come watch her play and arranged a campus visit, and she was hooked from that moment.
“I knew this was the place for me when I took my second visit,” Powers sad. “That’s when I made my commitment.”
Hannibal-LaGrange is an NAIA school and a member of the American Midwest Conference. The Lady Trojans were 8-9-2 during their 2012 fall campaign but finshed 5-2-1 in AMC play and reached the semifinals of the conference tournament.
“They’re getting a fantastic student-athlete,” Bentonville coach Kristina Henry said. “She definitely has her priorities right. She’s a good student and a good student of the game.
“She’s absolutely tireless. She’s going to work and work and work. She’ll bring such a great work pace to their game.”