Chelsea Eades' toughest choice wasn't which school to attend -- it was which sport to play.

Eades, a senior at Kelly Walsh, chose soccer over basketball. Once she made that choice, it was easy to pick her college.

Eades signed to play soccer at Laramie County Community College on Thursday, joining a program that has finished third and fifth at the national junior-college tournament the past two years.

"I'm not going into a team that doesn't know what they're doing," said Eades, who chose the Golden Eagles over a chance to play basketball at Casper College.

Eades said that decision was tough.

"Everybody would ask, 'Which sport do you like the best?' They're two different sports, you can't choose between the two," she said.

Eades toured the LCCC campus in Cheyenne about three weeks ago, and said she was impressed with the players and with the coaching staff. She said that helped her make her decision easier.

KW coach Jerry Realing said Eades, a four-year letterwinner who was a first-team all-state choice this spring, should assimilate quickly to the college game.

"It's a really intense, really competitive program, and that's a perfect fit for her," he said. "I think she'll make an immediate impact at LCCC, just like she did at KW."

Contact high school sports coordinator Patrick Schmiedt at (307) 266-0615 or patrick.schmiedt@casperstartribune.net