SAN FRANCISCO – Continuing its preparations for the upcoming 2023 campaign, Academy of Art women's soccer has announced the latest member of its Fall 2023 recruiting class as joining the Urban Knights in August will be freshman goalkeeper Breanna Bernardson (Elk River, Minn./Elk River High School). 

"I chose ART U because it's the best of both worlds," Bernardson said. "I get to play soccer at the highest level, as well as go to the school of my dreams. I get to do what I'm passionate about."

Bernardson will enter Academy of Art as a true freshman, as she is currently attending and will graduate from her hometown Elk River High School in Elk River, Minn. where she was a dual-sport athlete where she earned five varsity letters in soccer and one in football. On the pitch the goalkeeper was not only a team captain, she was named All-Conference Honorable Mention once in her career while also helping the squad to a Section Championship in the 2021 season with an overall record of 11-6-3, making 60 saves across 1,474 minutes in 20 total games with a .723 save percentage and 1.25 goals against average. Meanwhile in her final season, Bernardson boosted her saves total to 73 on the year while also posting a .853 save percentage and 0.64 goals against average in 1,492 minutes across 18 matches. 

Taking her soccer talents to the gridiron, Bernardson was part of the Elk River football team that won the Class Five State Championship in 2022 over Mankato West High School. Bernardson served as the team's starting placekicker, going 14-for-15 (93.3 percent) on her PAT's, and she is believed to be the first female to ever score a point in the 131-year history of Elk River High School football. Overall she averaged 1.8 PAT's per game, and blasted eight kickoffs for over 250 combined yards with a season-long of 40 yards.

"ART U allows you to do what you love and make a career out of it," Bernardson said. "I'm so excited to attend Academy of Art."

Bernardson will enroll in the School of Interior Architectural Design upon her arrival at ART U with the goals of one day becoming an interior and architectural designer. She joins Kayla Hampton and Jorryn Echeverria as a part of the 2023 recuriting class.