Sustad, who received an academic scholarship, is a member of the National Honor Society and is taking a battery of higher-level courses. She said she plans to study education at Hartford.

Sustad’s brother, Kevin, is a pitcher at Quinnipiac University, and her other brother, Eric, is studying at SUNY Maritime College.

Sustad’s parents, Eric, an oil and gas pipeline operator, and Joanne, a speech and language pathologist, said they are happy to see their daughter sign with the University of Hartford. “It’s a great school athletically and academically,” Joanne said.

Kennedy sports on the rise

Craig Papach, Kennedy’s athletics director, said the school has seen a dramatic increase in the number of student-athletes who sign to play sports in college in recent years. In the past, he said, the school had no athletes or only a handful in any given year. Now, however, it has not been uncommon for the school to annually produce a half-dozen or more athletes who go on to play in college. Statistically, less than 4 percent of high school athletes continue their respective sports in college, according to National Collegiate Athletic Association.

“There are so many positives to playing sports. Why shouldn’t you continue if you can play?” Papach said.