Michigan City’s Ellenwood commits to Arkansas to play soccer

• Reprints

Updated: February 27, 2012 9:56AM

The verbal commitment to Arkansas reduced Ashleigh Ellenwood’s stress level in terms of choosing a college.

And the process will be complete for the Michigan City senior when she signs her national letter of intent on Wednesday, the start of the signing period, to play soccer for the Razorbacks.

“I just really could see myself going there,” said Ellenwood, who also considered schools such as Northwestern, as well as Valparaiso and Ball State, and plans to major in biochemistry as part of a pre-med program. “They’re really focused on athletics, but the coaches there have a serious focus on academics too.”

Ellenwood starred as a midfielder at Michigan City for two seasons, including posting 29 goals and 14 assists as a sophomore in 2009, before opting to play club ball in the fall. She plays forward for Eclipse Select, based in Libertyville, Ill., the position she expects to play at Arkansas, which went 4-14-0 in 2011, including 2-9-0 in the Southeastern Conference, with Colby Hale announced as the Razorbacks new coach on Dec. 21.

As has become tradition for the club, the players, along with the coach, are scheduled to meet on Wednesday to sign their letters together, with other destinations including Colorado, Akron, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Morehead State, Ball State and Indiana State.

“You can go anywhere you want if you earn it,” said Ellenwood, who also has been a standout tennis player for the Wolves, playing doubles with 2011 graduate Lauren Palmer for three seasons, including reaching the individual state quarterfinals last season.