Great Lakes Wire

Jenny Ryan, a coach for Northern Michigan's cross country and track & field teams, has been inducted into the Burnsville High School Hall of Fame. Ryan is one of six members in the class of 2024.

Ryan graduated from Burnsville High School (BHS) in Minnesota in 1984. During her time there, she earned letters in cross country, track and field, and cross country skiing. She was a three-time state championship qualifier in skiing with individual finishes of 16th, 23rd, and 6th place, along with a team finish at 3rd place. Additionally, she qualified twice for states in the mile run in track & field.

"I am incredibly honored to be selected to my high school Hall of Fame as an athlete and coach," said Ryan about the honor. "This achievement is not only because of the wonderful opportunities I have had during my athletic and coaching career but also because of all the people in my life. There are so many people that believed in me and supported me throughout my life which gave me the confidence to believe in myself and help others achieve their goals. Everything I have accomplished is because of my family, friends, teammates, coaches, coaching colleagues, administrators, staff, the communities I've lived in and the hundreds of student-athletes on my teams."

After graduating from BHS, Ryan participated in the U.S. Junior Olympics from 1984-86 as a three-time qualifier. She attended Montana State University where she achieved several accomplishments: three-year national qualifier in NCSA; member of a third-place relay team at nationals in 1987; fourth-place individual finish and All-America honors in the 10k skate event in 1988; and three years as an Academic All-American.

Ryan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics Education with a minor in Physical Education and Health from Montana State University. She trained with the U.S. Olympic Education Center group from 1992-94 and participated twice each at cross country skiing Olympic Trials (1992 and 1994) as well as biathlon Olympic Trials (1998). In addition to competing at these events, she won two gold medals along with a silver at the World Masters Championships held in Grindelwald, Switzerland (1999), claimed victory at Elite Sprints (1993), and became a two-time National Masters Champion (2004).

In her coaching career that began as a graduate assistant coach for Northern Michigan's cross country teams starting from 2000 while pursuing her Master's degree in Exercise Science—she advanced to full-time assistant roles by 2002 covering cross country skiing alongside track & field duties.

Since becoming head coach for Northern Michigan's cross-country program since 2008—and subsequently leading its track & field program starting from2014—her notable accolades include Midwest Region Cross Country Skiing Co-Coach recognition(2010), NMU Coach distinction(2016), GLIAC Track& Field Coach acknowledgment(2018). Overseeing nine NCAA Championship qualifying teams—with seven finishing within top ten nationally—Ryan guided sixty-eight All-Americans alongside producing one hundred seventy-five Academic All-Americans while seeing six NMU Hall-of-Famers emerge under her guidance across involved programs spanning Northern Michigan tenure duration till date.

The latest inductees into BHS' Hall-of-Fame will be officially recognized during free public ceremony slated on Friday October11 within Mraz Center Performing Arts venue located inside school's premises

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