Beavers sign two-sport athlete Trista Bilden for women’s golf, track and field

On November 10th, a new Bemidji State signee from Northwood, N.D. named Trista Bilden has committed to join the Beavers for not one, but two different sports for the 2024-25 season. She has signed to BSU’s women’s golf and track and field teams, showcasing her exceptional athleticism in both categories.

Bilden has displayed impressive results at the state level in both sports, qualifying for state in the shot put, discus, and javelin. She currently holds the third-ranking position in the shot put in North Dakota for 2023, and achieved a fifth-place finish in the shot put during the same year.

Not only does Bilden shine on the track, but she also excels on the golf course. In 2023, she secured a fourth-place finish at the North Dakota State Golf Championships, following a 13th place finish in 2022.

According to track and field assistant coach Benjamin Baird, “Trista Bilden is an exceptional athlete. Primarily a golfer in her early high school career, she only began throwing a couple years ago, but made great progress in those events last year. While still learning the technical aspects of the throws, she has shown a lot of potential, throwing the shot put over 41 feet and over 116 feet in the discus and the javelin. I am looking forward to working with her in the future, including balancing her training between both golf and track and field here at Bemidji State.”

Women’s golf head coach Erica Gartner also expressed her excitement, stating, “We are lucky to have Trista join us next year for the women’s golf team along with the track and field squad. She just capped off a strong senior season on the course, and I can’t wait to see how it translates next fall.”