‘Such a cool experience’: Lewis and Clark grad competes in NCAA Nordic skiing championships

For as long as she could remember, it was Bridget Burns’ dream to compete in college athletics.

In what sport, though, was not clear to her – not until she began competitively racing in Nordic skiing in sixth grade. Then it clicked.

“I really loved it,” Burns said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, this is the sport I want to do.’ ”

It was all downhill – and flat and uphill, too – from there as Burns, a Lewis and Clark High School graduate, continued to work and improve at the endurance sport during Spokane winters.

Earlier this month, Burns, a sophomore at Michigan Technology University, competed in the prestigious NCAA Nordic skiing championships in Hanover, New Hampshire.

“It was such a cool experience,” Burns said. “The NCAAs, it’s a super high level of competition. Some of my competitors will probably be racing in the Olympics next year in Italy. It’s pretty legit.”

Burns competed with 39 other women from 20 schools, all of whom had to earn points throughout the season to qualify.

While an accomplishment in itself to qualify for the championships, the competition did not go exactly as planned for Burns and her Michigan Tech Husky teammates, as many on the men’s and women’s teams were fighting a sickness come race day.

On the morning of the first race, Burns described feeling zapped of energy and struggling to get comfortable during an especially warm New Hampshire day.

In the 7.5-kilometer individual start classic race, Burns finished 39th. Her teammates came in 28th and 40th.

Two days later came the 20K mass start race, which Burns said is her preferred format.

“I woke up that race morning not feeling great, but I was just like, ‘This is the last race of the season, I have to rally,’ ” Burns said. “I was gaslighting myself like, ‘You’re not sick. You can do this.’ ”

Burns fought through it and finished 30th. Her teammates crossed the line at 25th and 38th.

“I was having a lot of fun skiing with other girls,” she said of the second race. “We kind of packed it up and took turns sharing the lead and pushing one another.

“Also, my coaches really nailed it with the wax that day. My skis were super-duper fast. I was gliding past my competitors on every downhill.”

Burns reflects fondly on a season of ups and downs. She points to a highlight of competing on the Huskies’ home course last month, where she finished first and second in the two events.

“Honestly, the NCAAs, I didn’t even think it was in the cards for me this season,” Burns said. “But after that race, I was like, ‘OK, I have some good results. This might be a possibility.’ ”

Following the podium finishes, Burns was another good weekend away from securing a spot in the championships.

After an anxious week leading up to the race, Burns overcame the pressure and performed again.

“That was just good enough to qualify me for NCAAs,” Burns said. “That whole entire week, I was so nervous. I knew I had to bring it.”

Nordic Kids

Burns remembers spending many hours in the winter up at Mount Spokane State Park growing up, where her love for Nordic skiing was crafted.

It all started with Nordic Kids, a volunteer-led, seven-week program at the mountain for developing skills, safety and enjoyment in Nordic skiing with kids and their parents.

Burns’ parents, Mike and Kate Burns, were both coaches in the program.

“It’s basically getting kids to be outside and resourceful and the biggest key is having fun,” Mike Burns, who works in alpine ski patrol at Mount Spokane, said of Nordic Kids. “Letting them understand that you’re out in the mountain environment, and it can be dangerous, but your abilities will get you through, and just learning how to have fun on skis. That’s what we did for a lot of years.”

Mike Burns said he and his wife first got into Nordic skiing in Alaska in the late 1990s.

“That’s how you stay active in the dark, dark doldrums of wintertime,” he said.

One of Burns’ younger sisters, Annika Burns, competed in the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Cross Country Nationals this week.

After Nordic Kids, Burns went through the developmental program and into competitive racing, learning under esteemed local Nordic skiing coach George Bryant.

“We have a small community up at Mount Spokane, but it’s very tight knit,” Burns said. “All the people up there are super awesome and I’ve made a lot of friends and connections through it.”

Easy decision

All while competitively skiing on the side, Burns excelled in cross country, track and field and band at Lewis and Clark. Her academics never suffered for it, as she earned high honors for hard work in the classroom.

When looking at colleges and skiing at the next level, Burns considered a couple of factors.

She wanted to compete for a respected skiing program, without going into large amounts of student debt.

She wanted to find a strong engineering program. The possibility of being a dual-sport athlete and continuing to run cross country was also enticing to her.

Burns, who studies environmental engineering, said it became the easy choice.

“I really love it here,” she said. “My teammates are my best friends and everyone is so fun and supportive. We have such a great coaching staff. I have so many great things to say about them.”

Burns has her eyes set on building on her successful season to get stronger in the offseason and qualify for the NCAA championships again next year.

“I think there is still a lot of room for improvement in my skiing,” she said. “Technique is always a big thing that us Nordic skiers focus on. Just making small refinements can lead to a massive increase in speed in terms of technique. I will need to rest, but I’m also looking forward to putting in a lot of hours and getting super fit this summer.”

Burns, a dual citizen in New Zealand, also has an admittedly half-baked long-term aspiration in Nordic skiing.

“In the back of my mind, I think it would be super cool if I could ski for team New Zealand,” she said. “I don’t really know at this point. I don’t know how that would work. I’ll have to gauge and see where I’m at in two years time and how I’m feeling. Hopefully, I still love skiing.

“I love it now, I think more than I ever have.”