By BSU Alumni & Foundation
Published 3:23 pm on March 4, 2026
Did you know Bemidji State once fielded varsity cross country skiing teams? The programs only lasted six winters, but the student-athletes were mighty successful.
Here's a little history of the men's and women's programs:
The BSU Cross Country Ski Club was formed in the late 1970s as a part of the Outdoor Program Center in the Hobson Union. During its status as a club, the women participated in AIAW National Championships and the men participated in the National Collegiate Ski Association Championships.
In 1986, cross country skiing became a varsity sport for both men and women, with Dr. Muriel Gilman the coach. During this time, both the men and the women participated in the National Collegiate Ski Association events. Both the men's and women's teams successfully qualified for the national meet most years and also captured conference championships. The highlight for the men's team was in 1991 , when they were third at the national meet in Bend, Oregon. The women's highlight came the next year, in 1992, when they placed third at the national meet in Lake Placid, New York.
Gilman coached 15 athletes to the NCSA All-American teams or the NCSA Academic All-American teams during the six years the varsity team was in existence. Of these athletes, the most outstanding scholar-athlete was Margaret (Borchers) Adelsman, who was named three times as the Outstanding Academic All-American and a second team All-American.
The men's and women's cross country skiing teams are the shortest-lived programs in Bemidji State history, lasting only six seasons from 1986-92. But because of the student-athletes who passionately competed during that window of opportunity, those legacies live on.
