Submitted photo – Eureka’s Kayla Bonomini signs a letter of commitment to play at Simpson University this coming season.

By Ray Hamill — After two big years playing basketball at Shasta College, Eureka’s Kayla Bonomini has decided to take her talents to Simpson University.

It wasn’t, however, a decision she was expecting to make, admitting that Simpson wasn’t really on her radar despite the opportunity being extended, and that she wasn’t expecting to play collegiately this winter.

That was until a conversation with someone at work changed the former Shasta player’s mind.

“They said to me, ‘you know Kayla, the people who take risks usually don’t regret it,’” Bonomini explained. “‘Maybe you should give Simpson a shot.’”

The conversation changed her mind and Bonomini decided to join the Division-III NCAA program, signing a letter of commitment late last month and immediately joining up with her teammates for some preseason practice.

So far, it’s been a fun introduction, although the former Loggers star admits she’s still settling in.

“I’m a little nervous,” she said. “I’m jumping into a new school and a new program and a new coach, and everything is new. But I’m expecting to push through.”

Judging by what she achieved at Shasta, Bonomini should fit right in at the D-III level.

As a sophomore playing for the Knights last season Bonomini led her team in scoring with 14.5 points a game, which was fifth best in the Golden Valley Conference, and was a dangerous 3-point threat, nailing 34.5 percent of her shots from downtown.

Bonomini was also fifth overall in the state with 76 3-pointers and was named to the GVC all-conference first team.

The 2017 Eureka graduate joins a Simpson team that was 18-12 last winter, and one that is coached by long-time head coach Derrick Pringle Jr., who has been with the program for 12 years.

And so far so good for the Biology major.

“So far I’m enjoying all of my teammates,” Bonomini said “We’re healthy competitors. We are a team, we understand that and we support each other.”