Few prep athletes advance to the college ranks, so Lorenzo Salazar-Tedin isn’t about to take his opportunity for granted.

The Basalt High School senior was the star of a small signing ceremony on Monday where he inked to continue his soccer career at William Penn University.

“Someone said it’s a big honor to be able to sign to a school and keep playing your respective sport,” he said. “It has always been my goal since I was little. I’ve always wanted to keep pursuing soccer as long as I can.”

William Penn is located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, which is roughly an hour southeast of Des Moines. The Statesmen compete out of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, or NAIA, which is a step below the NCAA level.

The Statesmen’s soccer program is currently a powerhouse, having gone 21-3-2 this past fall en route to the NAIA championship game, where they finished as national runner-up to Dalton State.

“It’s obviously a good look for their program if they are national championship runners-up,” Salazar-Tedin said. “I’m excited. A little nerve-wracking, though, because I’ll be an 18-year-old freshman going up against a bunch of older players. It’s more of just taking time to adjust to it. But I’m excited. It’s going to be fun.”

He said William Penn had reached out to him after seeing some of his film posted online. He made a visit to Oskaloosa and liked what he saw and decided to pull the trigger on joining the program.

He said he’ll play center back with the Statesmen, sticking with a primarily defensive role, just as he did during his time with the Longhorns.

“I like the school; I like the little town they are in and the team morale and the energy they have,” he said. “The connection between coaches and teammates really stood out for me. It was a really nice thing to see.”

Salazar-Tedin plans to pursue nursing in college and particularly liked the academic program William Penn offered. He’ll get to Iowa in August after a summer of training — he’s also currently on the BHS track and field team — and will step right into playing collegiate athletics.

“It’s exciting,” he said. “It’s a big step ahead, I guess, and not everyone gets the opportunity to continue playing.”

acolbert@aspentimes.com