FARGO – North Dakota State director of track and field and cross country Stevie Keller announced the signing of three women’s athletes to the 2021 recruiting class on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

Onnica Stansbury, a distance runner from West Fargo, Ellen Donat, a jumper and multi-event athlete from Fargo, and Axelina Johansson, a thrower from Hok, Sweden, signed National Letters of Intent to continue their education and compete at NDSU.

Stansbury, of West Fargo Sheyenne High School, went unbeaten for a majority of the 2020 cross country season, including an Eastern Dakota Conference title, before finishing third at the North Dakota state meet. As a junior, she placed ninth at the state cross country meet. Stansbury placed sixth in both the 1600m and 3200m at the North Dakota state track meet as a sophomore in 2019.

Donat, of Fargo Davies High School, won the North Dakota Class A state title in the long jump as a sophomore in 2019, as well as taking third at the state meet in the triple jump. Along with also claiming state championships in the 4x200m and 4x400m relays, Donat owns high school personal-bests of 18-11.50 in the long jump and 26.12 in the 200m dash.

Johansson owns personal-best marks of 57-04.75 (17.49m) in the shot put and 159-5 (48.60m) in the discus. She represented Sweden in the shot put at the World U20 Championships in 2018 and at the European U20 Championships in 2019. Johansson claimed a bronze medal at the Swedish Athletics Championships in 2020, and she ranks No. 2 among all Swedish women in the shot put since 2012.

The NDSU women’s track & field team has won 25 straight Summit League team titles; 13 indoor and 12 outdoor since joining the league in 2008.

NDSU Adds Sophie Olson to Recrui ting Class

North Dakota State women’s basketball head coach Jory Collins has announced another signing for the class of 2021.

The Bison have added Sophie Olson, a 5-10 guard/forward from El Dorado Hill, California, to the recruiting class. Olson will join her older sister, Marie, on the Bison roster next season. Last week, NDSU added Ellie Dague, a 5-10 guard from Henning, Minnesota, Katie Hildebrandt, a 6-2 forward from McFarland, Wisconsin, and Abbey Kubas, a 5-11 forward from Dickinson. All four will start at NDSU in the fall of 2021.

“Sophie is a physical guard/forward with the versatility to play multiple positions for us,” Collins said. She brings a level of toughness we’re continuing to add to our roster. Offensively, she already has an elite skill with her ability to shoot the three. She has deep range and a quick release. Sophie plays for both an excellent high school team at Oak Ridge High School, and an excellent travel team in the Cal Stars, that’s provided her great coaching and competition. Obviously, we’re also very happy to reunite her with her sister, Marie, and bring both the girls so close to where they grew up.”