A finalist in Minnesota’s Class AA state singles tournament the past three seasons, this year’s state champion, Niltooli Wilkins, has signed a National Letter of Intent to join coach Tyler Thomson and the University of Minnesota women’s tennis team.

Wilkins, who was undefeated this past season for Burnsville (Minn.) High School, won the state singles championship in a third-set tiebreaker after dropping her first set all season. Wilkins lost only two matches the past three years with both coming in state championship matches in 2005 and 2006.

Listed as a five-star recruit by tennisrecruiting.net, Wilkins is ranked 70th nationally by the website and 49th on its RPI rating. She has posted a career record of 23-12 against five-star and four-star competition over the past year and competed in all four national junior tournaments, winning seven matches.

“We’re thrilled that Niltooli chose to stay home and be a Golden Gopher,” Thomson said. “She’s the highest ranked American to commit to Minnesota in many years. I’m optimistic she’ll have a great career at Minnesota.”

Wilkins’ brother Sion played for the Gophers from 2004-07. She joins a Minnesota program that finished 12-11 overall last season after a 5-18 record in 2006. The Gophers placed seventh in the Big Ten in 2007.