Reilly Nelson, a senior at Bonney Lake High School, will be taking his lacrosse talents to Colorado Mesa University.

Nelson, a defenseman, made a verbal commitment to the NCAA Division II Mavericks last week and anticipates signing a letter-of-intent at a later date.

Aside from playing on the Bonney Lake High squad, Nelson plays for the Seattle Starz club team.

“Reilly has been an absolute beast for me the past two years and someone I can always count on in the biggest games,” said Lewis Ratcliff, high school director for the Starz. “Reilly is a pleasure to coach and does many of the little things that most players are not willing to do; he is someone that every championship calibre team needs.”

Nelson started his collegiate search while a Panther sophomore, taking the initiative by sending letters and highlight video to five colleges he was interested in. Things progressed in 2014 when he was attending a team camp in Denver with the Starz and caught the eye of Colorado Mesa coach Vince Smith.

As a member of the Seattle Starz, Nelson has played in tournaments all across the nation. Those tourneys are often attended by college recruiters looking for talent.

Nelson didn’t disappoint, earning all-star honors at camps in Denver, Delaware and twice in San Diego.

Eventually, Nelson had phone interviews with the University of Delaware, University of Tampa, Rutgers University, Adams State University and Lehigh University.

Last spring, Colorado Mesa University won the inaugural Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament, finished the season with a 12-4 record and was ranked No. 12 in the nation by Lacrosse Magazine.

Colorado Mesa University, formerly known as Mesa State College, is a public institution in Grand Junction, Colo.