Above, Newberry senior guard Taylor Bryant signed her letter of intent Thursday to play basketball at Lake Superior State next season. Seated from from left to right: Heather Bryant (mother), Arianna Bryant (sister), Taylor Bryant, Makenna Bryant (sister) and Fred Bryant (father & coach) (Photo submitted). Right, Taylor Bryant , left, guards Munising's Marissa Immel during a game at Munising on Dec. 22, 2015. (Journal file photo)

NEWBERRY — Choosing which college to attend after high school can be a stressful task for any senior, but it can be even worse for an athlete.

However once that decision is made, it usually comes with a big sense of relief and that was the case for Newberry guard Taylor Bryant on Thursday.

After a series of workouts and some hard thinking, the 2016 UPSSA Class D Player of the Year and 2017 Dream Teamer decided to take her skills just an hour down the road to Lake Superior State and she’s glad the saga has come to an end.

“When they say it’s a weight off your shoulders, they’re not kidding,” she said with a laugh. “I feel so much better right now. I’m super excited.”

Bryant wasn’t the only one relieved as her dad, Newberry head coach Fred Bryant, was also involved in the long process and it took its toll on him as well.

“It’s been a really cool process, but a pretty stressful one at the same time,” he said chuckling.

“I’m glad she made her decision and that she’s happy with her choice. You could tell just by her body language and the tone of her voice. Even the way she was walking, it looked she had gained two or three inches. She was just so relieved that it was finally taken care of. I really think that she’s going to do good things next year.”

Bryant had gotten some interest from various mid-major Division I programs with UW-Milwaukee showing the most. However, the Panthers ultimately went with someone else and Bryant narrowed her list down to three before picking Lake State.

“I had actually narrowed it down to Michigan Tech, Lake State and Grand Valley State,” she said.

“Within this last week, I went to a tryout with all three of them. I went out to Tech and it was a great facility, then I went to Grand Valley and it was huge. I didn’t know how big it was. When I went to Lake State though, it just felt right. I knew the campus before because it’s only an hour away. Also, the team’s chemistry is so good, so I just couldn’t say no. It just felt perfect.”

Lake State also has the program Bryant wants to go into as she hopes to become a physical therapist. She said if she finishes in the top of her class after her four years at LSSU, she’ll automatically get into the program at Central Michigan down in Mount Pleasant.

However, Bryant’s big focus will be on the basketball court and she’ll have a chance to contribute right away for the Lakers. Lake State struggled badly last season finishing with a 5-23 record and a point guard of Bryant’s caliber, one that can slash her way to the basket and dish out passes with ease, could provide a much-needed boost to the Lakers offense.

That doesn’t mean that Bryant has a spot locked up though and she will be focusing a lot on her jump shot this summer.

“Coach (Kristen Rogers) said ‘You’re great at making it to the hoop and good at dishing the ball as well. With a little work on that jumper, you can be even better’,” Bryant said. “I’m excited to put in some work this offseason with coach and see where it goes.”

Not surprisingly, Bryant has the community behind her as she takes the next step in her career and she’s looking forward to representing the town and having people come up and watch her.

“It’s so funny,” she said laughing. “The community is blowing up my phone right now because they’re so excited. They’re already ready to take a bus up to watch me. They’re almost as happy as I am right now. I’m just so excited to see what the future holds for me next season.”

Based on the skills Bryant has showcased over the years and the support she’s received, it looks like her career is going to be a good one.

Ryan Stieg can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 252. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.