By Ray Hamill — After an impressive four-year career at St. Bernard’s, Eliana Sellars had multiple offers to continue playing soccer at the collegiate level.

But after visiting Forest Grove, Ore., it was an easy decision where to take her talents.

On Friday afternoon, in front of friends and family at St. Bernard’s, the senior standout signed her letter of intent to play for the Pacific University Boxers after graduation later this year.

And she says she choose the Division-III program for multiple reasons, including the fact that her mother Hollie went there.

“I kind of leaned towards it because it was mom’s school,” Sellars said. “I also have cousins there, and so I got to stay the night and it seemed like a home away from home. It was very welcoming. They have really good food there and the coaches were really friendly too.”

Those coaches are looking forward to bringing the 2025 Little 4 co-MVP on board.

“We’re very excited about Eliana,” Pacific head coach Kellan McNamara said. “She’s a talented little winger and I think she’s got a lot of technical skills.”

Anyone who watched the St. Bernard’s senior play over the past few years won’t argue that assessment.

Sellars was one of the most dangerous players in the Little 4 with the ball at her feet and a technically gifted player who continually caused opposing defenses problems with her dribbling ability.

Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

“She’s a dynamic winger, she likes to dribble and she likes to take people on with the ball at her feet,” McNamara added. “We’re just excited. She’s a great kid and we’re looking forward to what she can do.”

Sellars also has enjoyed plenty of success during her time with the Crusaders.

As a four-year varsity player, she was a part of two league title winning teams (2022 and 2023), and played in three NCS finals, including winning two of them (2022 and 2024).

“She’s a player who sets the tone every single day with her work ethic and competitiveness, as well as her commitment to getting better,” her father and St. Bernard’s head coach Jeff Sellars said after Eliana was named co-MVP of the Little 4 in the fall. “On the technical side, her foot skills are exceptional and she really sees the field very well.

“Beyond the technical side, she holds herself to a standard of improving every day.”

Sellars is looking forward to taking her talents to the collegiate fields and beginning an exciting new chapter in her life.

“I’m excited to play at Pacific,” she said, adding that she immediately liked the area after visiting the campus. “It was really pretty … There’s also beaches probably 45 minutes away and I do like the beach, and I just think that the weather’s really good too.”

Soccer has been Sellars’ favorite sport ever since she first kicked a ball at age “five or six,” she said.

After joining the Crusaders, she also quickly adapted to the high school level, earning three straight all-league awards.

Asked what she will remember the most from her time as a Crusader, the SB senior says winning an NCS championship was particularly memorable, but that was far from the only thing she’ll take from her time at the school.

“I think I’ll remember the (NCS) championship game (as a freshman),” she said. “The team was just so welcoming. I loved everyone’s energy. I think I’m just going to miss all the friendships I made.”

Sellars, who honed her soccer skills while playing travel ball for Sequoia FC and Mendocino, says she wants to major in something in the engineering or biology fields.

As for what her role will be with her new team, McNamara says he’ll see when she comes to camp because he likes her versatility as a player, although she’ll most likely feature out wide.