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Home > Bison Media Zone > Bison add another Twin Cities standout in Wayzata's Sophie Hawkinson
Podcast: Bison Media Zone
Episode:

Bison add another Twin Cities standout in Wayzata's Sophie Hawkinson
Category: Sports & Recreation
Duration: 00:00:00
Publish Date: 2024-03-04 14:00:00
Description: FARGO The Twin Cities connection for the North Dakota State women’s basketball roster continues to strengthen as the program improves.

Wayzata (MN) junior guard Sophie Hawkinson announced her commitment to the Bison Sunday afternoon. Hawkinson is a 5-foot-8 combo guard that had an offer from St. Thomas, along with interest from Marquette and Creighton.



“NDSU was my first offer and that sparked my interest in them. I felt like I connected with not just Jory (Collins) but the entire coaching staff so well which separated them from other schools.” Hawkinson said.



https://twitter.com/sophiehawkinson/status/1764353767091085625

Hawkinson will be the second Wayzata commit in the last three classes for the Bison women’s basketball team. Current freshman guard Abby Krzewinski signed with NDSU in November of 2022.



Krzewinski has started all but three games this season for the Bison averaging 7 points and 3 rebounds a game as NDSU finished second in the Summit League, winning 13 conference games for the first time in its D-I history.




Krzewinski and Hawkinson were teammates at Wayzata and that relationship was another key piece in the recruiting process.



“I am close with Abby from when we played together so watching her make an immediate impact & talking to her helped me make my decision.”



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Hawkinson averages 14 points per game for Wayzata, who will face perennial power Hopkins in the Section 6AAAA final Thursday night.



There’s another local connection to Fargo and North Dakota, Hawkinson’s high school coach is Julie Stewart, the former Minot Bishop Ryan head coach, who led the Lions to three straight North Dakota girls Class B championships from 2013-15. Her top assistant is former West Fargo girls head coach Barb Metcalf, who led the Packers for nine years.



Hawkinson plays for North Tartan in the offseason, one of the best AAU programs in the country. Her teammates this past summer, includes Minot’s Maggie Fricke, who has an offer from the Bison and West Fargo Horace’s Jaiden Haile, who has offers from NDSU, Gonzaga and Iowa State among others.



Hawkinson said she made several visits to NDSU and being close to her family was one of the final check marks she had in committing to the Bison.



“I have been to Fargo multiple times whether it’s for camps or football games so I had gotten a good feel for the program and campus. All the coaches have also been very supportive & patient with me through the recruiting process.”



Hawkinson is the second commit for the Class of 2025 for NDSU, joining Iowa native Karrington Asp, who committed last summer.



Collins figures to be a busy man whenever the Bison season ends, with three departures during the season, NDSU has just ten scholarship players on its current roster. Heaven Hamling is graduating, meaning the Bison will have up to six available scholarships to use.



Collins has said recently he won’t fill the NCAA maximum of 15 scholarships for next season, leaving himself some roster flexibility.



With Hawkinson’s commitment, this brings the total of Twin Cities players on the Bison roster to five.



Maple Grove’s Abby Schulte will be returning for a fifth season next year, along with Krzewinksi and two incoming recruits for the Class of 2024; Claire Stern from Maple Grove and Marisa Frost from Centennial.



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