FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota State University women's track & field program has started off its 2019 recruiting class with four high school athletes, head coach Stevie Keller announced Friday.
 
Ashley Hokanson, a pole vaulter from Perham, Minn.; Sofia Naranjo Mata, a sprinter from River Falls, Wis.; Caitlin Covington, a distance runner from Perham, Minn.; and Hayley Schmidt, a javelin thrower from Stanley, N.D., will continue their education and compete at North Dakota State.
 
Hokanson (Perham HS) won the Minnesota Class A state title in the pole vault as a junior in 2018, clearing a school record 11 feet, 7 inches at the state meet. She placed third at state in the pole vault as a sophomore, and ran on Perham's fourth-place 4x800m relay team.
 
Naranjo Mata (River Falls HS) was a regional and sectional champion in the 100m dash as a junior in 2018, running 12.22 seconds for 10th place at the Wisconsin state meet. She also clocked 26.16 in the 200m dash last season and was a state meet qualifier in the triple jump and 4x100m relay.
 
Covington (Perham HS) has been a Minnesota state meet qualifier in the 1600m, 3200m and 4x800m relay in track, as well helping to lead Perham to multiple state championships in cross country. She has run 5:25 for the 1600m and 11:56 for the 3200m. Covington placed in the top 30 for each of the past four years at the state cross country meet, finishing 16th as a senior earlier this month.
 
Schmidt (Stanley/Powers Lake HS) is a four-time North Dakota state meet qualifier in the javelin, finishing as high as eighth twice. She also captured a regional javelin title as a junior and has run on sprint relays at the state meet for the Blue Jays.
 
The Bison women have won all 22 Summit League indoor and outdoor team titles since joining the league in 2008.