Boys soccer: Libertyville's Wittenbrink commits to Indiana

Ryan Wittenbrink's lifelong soccer dream has been to compete at the collegiate level.

That dream will come true - at Indiana.

The Libertyville junior, an all-state selection and captain of the Daily Herald's Lake County all-area team last fall, made his decision on St. Patrick's Day with a verbal commitment to Indiana.

"It's been a dream all my life, and Indiana has a storied program," Wittenbrink said. "It's a top school for me and I knew it was a good school for soccer."

Wittenbrink said his decision came down to what he saw at Indiana.

"I think I have a pretty good relationship with the coaching staff," Wittenbrink said. "It felt really good and I believe it's a good fit."

He also considered Wisconsin, Xavier and Loyola before his final decision.

"It was a hard choice, but I feel happy with it," said Wittenbrink, who intends to study business. "I just though it was time, and I picked the school I wanted to go to."

Wittenbrink led Libertyville in scoring with 19 goals and 12 assists last fall. He had 11 goals as a sophomore, playing midfield and forward.

"He's definitely a D-I player," said Andy Bitta, who was Wittenbrink's coach the last few years before stepping down recently. "He's a goal-scorer - a very talented player. He can go right or left with the ball."

Wittenbrink led Libertyville to a Class 3A state championship in 2015, his sophomore year. He scored 2 goals against Quincy in the championship game and 1 against Morton in the semifinal. Wittenbrink also led the Wildcats to a successful run last fall.

"(Indiana) likes the way I can score," Wittenbrink said. "I'm versatile and can play a lot of positions."