PALMER — Kara Larson may have often been seen as Colony’s third option on offense, but Knights head coach Don Witzel knew there was more to the 5-foot-10 senior than scoring.

“She really is the glue,” Witzel said earlier in the year. “She does a lot of the little things that kept our team together.”

Those things may not be immediately recognized or measured statistically, but they are the reasons why Witzel believes Larson has so much upside.

ROBERT DeBERRY/Frontiersman Colony’s Kara Larson puts pressure on Chugiak’s Stephanie Seierup during the first half of the 2009 4A girls state title game. Larson will continue to play basketball at Regis University in Denver, Colo.

Next season, Larson will have the opportunity to show that potential at the college level. Earlier this spring, the Colony High forward signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Regis University women’s basketball squad.

Larson is the third member of a Colony Knights class of 2009 that followed a 2008 4A state championship with a runner-up finish in the 2009 state tourney to commit to a Division II basketball program this year. And of that group, which also includes all-state forwards Alex Coon (UAA) and Allie Grazulis (Colorado School of Mines), Witzel believes Larson could see the biggest improvement in her game.

“Kara has been such a good all-around athlete, participating in three sports throughout her career,” Witzel said of Larson, who is also a standout in volleyball and soccer at Colony High. “She hasn’t concentrated on any one sport. Now she’s made the decision to go play basketball. Focusing on that, she will find herself blossoming into a very good basketball player.”

Larson, a four-year varsity letterman and starter in both basketball and soccer who also lettered twice in volleyball, said she considered tackling multiple sports at the college level, but is excited about her decision to focus on basketball.

“I think it will be interesting to see what I can do when I devote all my time to one sport,” Larson said. “For the past six years, I’ve been splitting up my time during the year will all three sports. I think it’ll be cool to focus on one sport and devote all my energy to that.”

Larson was named the Northern Lights Conference Player of the Year in soccer as a junior and helped lead the Knights to an NLC title in volleyball, but said she felt her future in athletics is in basketball.

“Honestly, basketball was the easiest way to get money,” Larson said. “For me, there was just more opportunity to go out and look for basketball scholarships.”

In addition to her time with the Knights, Larson was a member of the Alaska Youth Basketball Association’s girls’ high school select team and with AYBA Larson had the chance to compete in tournaments throughout the Lower 48.

Larson considered a number of schools before signing with Regis — her final three also included the University of Hawaii-Hilo and the University of Pudget Sound in Tacoma, Wash. — but ultimately saw Regis as the right fit.

“(Regis) really has a solid program, Colorado is a nice area, it just was the best situation overall,” Larson said of the private school in Denver, Colo.

Regis offered the right academic programs — the 4.0 student plans to study biochemistry — and she liked the basketball program.

Larson said she expects to play in the paint for a Ranger squad which finished 14-14 overall last season and 11-8 in Rocky Mountain Conference play.

“I thought I’d play in the wing position, but as it turns out, I’ll be more inside,” Larson said. “It’ll be good. With the offense they have, they don’t need a big inside post.”

Considering quickness and experience playing in the paint at the prep level, Witzel said he is not surprised that Larson will be used in the paint at the Division II level.

“She’s got such a quick first step, with good size for Division II and that league,” Witzel said.

Another bonus, Witzel said, is Larson can use either her right or left hand when going to the basket, and she has the ability to step out and hit the outside shot.

“She’s actually got a pretty nice shot, she just didn’t take it that much,” Witzel said. “She could be an inside-outside threat.”

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.