SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis senior defender Ryanne Brust has committed to play lacrosse and attend Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., next year.

“I am so beyond excited,” said Brust. “It seems unreal.”

Brust, who took up the game as a sophomore, was first seen at a tournament over the summer and recruited by the Fort Lewis coaching staff.

“I started playing as a sophomore so I never thought playing in college would be an option for me,” said Brust. “I went to a showcase in Colorado with over 100 college recruiters and got noticed.”

Fort Lewis is a Division II school that plays in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

“Fort Lewis contacted me,” said Brust. “I thought it was very cool and rewarding. I went on a visit and I loved the campus. It was snowing when I was on campus, so it was very different than here. The team was nice and it felt like home walking on the campus.”

Brust has not taken the field this season after being sidelined after an appendectomy. She expects to be back in the next couple weeks.

“It is really hard to watch especially during my senior year,” said Brust. “But I am still trying to help my team from the sideline.”

Head Coach Kristy Wilson says Brust is a key part of the part of the team and hopes to get her back soon.

“She is a very strong defender with a lot of leadership skills,” said Wilson. “She is very loud and talkative. She is definitely a big one-on-one defender. She is very quick and physical. When we get her back, it is really going to bolster our defense.”

Brust is the 26th Troubadour to have made a commitment or to have signed during the previous National Letter of Intent signing periods to continue their athletic careers next year at the collegiate level.

 “Hopefully I will bring a lot of intensity,” said Brust about what she will bring to the field when she returns. “I am so ready to play.”

The third and final NLI Signing date is April 16. St. Francis will hold a celebration to recognize all the spring collegiate signees on April 30.