North Dakota State Women’s Track & Field Signs Seven

North Dakota State head women's track & field coach Ryun Godfrey announced Wednesday, Feb. 6, that seven student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their education at NDSU and compete for the Bison.

Morgan Milbrath, a sprinter from Minot, N.D.; Christina Bruenjes, a jumper from Fargo, N.D.; Jenny Guibert, a mid-distance runner from Rochester, Minn.; Rose Jackson, a sprinter and long jumper from Willmar, Minn.; Taylor Janssen, a distance runner from Moorhead, Minn.; Courtney Pasiowitz, a thrower from Coon Rapids, Minn.; and Jordyn Thornton, a thrower from Burnsville, Minn., will join the five-time defending Summit League champions in the fall of 2013.

"We are excited to announce our 2013 recruiting class," said Godfrey. "We have seven student-athletes signing - two from North Dakota and five from Minnesota. They are very accomplished athletes, having earned numerous state titles and all-state honors among them. All seven are also honor students."

"I believe this class will help us continue a winning tradition and potentially elevate our status on a national level," Godfrey said.

Milbrath (Minot HS) is widely regarded as one of the best sprinters in North Dakota high school history. She is the reigning North Dakota Gatorade Athlete of the Year and a nine-time Class A individual state champion, including four state titles in both her sophomore and junior seasons in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 300m hurdles. Her personal-best times of 53.31 in the 400m and 24.32 in the 200m are the second-fastest performances ever by a North Dakota high school prep, behind only Laura Roesler who has become an NCAA champion and nine-time All-American at Oregon.

As a freshman in 2010, Milbrath defeated Roesler in the 100m dash at the North Dakota high school state championships, becoming the only girl to ever accomplish that feat. Her 100m personal-best of 11.97 seconds and her 300m hurdles personal-best of 44.14 rank third and seventh, respectively, all-time in North Dakota high school history. Milbrath, the daughter of Chad and Dawn Milbrath, also participates in volleyball and basketball and is an honor student.

Bruenjes (West Fargo HS) has won three consecutive North Dakota Class A state championships in the triple jump, winning as a freshman in 2010, sophomore in 2011 and junior in 2012. Her personal-best triple jump mark of 37-08.00 is the sixth-best ever by a North Dakota Class A girl. Bruenjes is also a three-time state meet placewinner and school record holder in the long jump, finishing as high as third as a sophomore in 2011. An honor student, she was also an all-state performer on the West Fargo volleyball team that advanced to the state semifinals in 2012. She is the daughter of Don and Jackie Bruenjes.

Guibert (Rochester Century HS) is a three-time placewinner in the 800m at the Minnesota high school Class AA state championships, taking fifth as a freshman, fourth as a sophomore and seventh as a junior. In 2011, she was a member of the Century HS team that claimed the Class AA state title in the 4x800m relay. Guibert's personal-best 800m time is 2:14.96, and she also participated in soccer and is an honor student. She is the daughter of Chris and Jackie Guibert.

Jackson (Willmar HS) placed seventh in the 100m and 200m at the Minnesota Class AA state meet in 2012. As a sophomore in 2011, she was seventh in the 200m, eighth in the long jump, ninth in the 4x200m relay, and 12th in the 100m. She owns the Willmar school record of 18-05.75 in the long jump. Jackson, also an honor student and swimmer, is the daughter of Linda Jackson.

Janssen (Moorhead HS) is a three-time Minnesota Class AA all-state performer in cross country, finishing in the top 20 at the state meet in each of her first three seasons. On the track, she has run 11:06.88 in the 3200m. She anchored Moorhead HS to a seventh-place finish in the 4x800m relay at the 2012 Minnesota state meet and was eighth in the 1600m as a sophomore in 2011. Her parents are Kurt and Kristi Janssen.

Pasiowitz (Coon Rapids HS) was the runner-up in the shot put at the 2012 Class AA state meet in Minnesota. As a sophomore, she placed seventh at the state championships in the shot put, and she owns a personal-best effort of 43-3 in the event. Pasiowitz is the daughter of Steve and Colleen Przezdziecki and is also an honor student and all-conference volleyball and basketball player for Coon Rapids HS.

Thornton (Lakeville South HS) was the Minnesota Class AA runner-up in the discus and the third-place finisher in the shot put in 2012. She placed seventh at the state meet in the discus as a sophomore and also qualified in both throwing events as a freshman in 2010, taking seventh in the shot put. Thornton's personal record in the discus is 149-01. The daughter of Craig and Jennifer Thornton, Thornton is also a goalkeeper in soccer, a competitive weightlifter, and an honor student.

The North Dakota State women's track & field team is the five-time defending Summit League champion indoor and outdoor.