Deedra Irwin

Former Michigan Tech student-athlete Deedra Irwin has been named to the 2022 U.S. Olympic Biathlon Team. Irwin skied and ran for the Huskies on the Nordic ski, cross country, and track and field teams from 2010-15 while earning her bachelor of science in exercise science with a coaching minor.

Irwin, a 29-year old from Pulaski, Wisconsin, has turned in the top three performances of her career this season on the IBU World Cup circuit, topped by a 36th-place finish in last month's sprint in Hochfilzen, Austria. She is also fresh off a 15th-place finish in the 110-woman field in Sunday's 7.5km sprint at the IBU Cup. Irwin made the switch to biathlon after attending a U.S. Biathlon talent ID camp in Lake Placid in 2017.

After leaving Houghton, Irwin moved to Ketchum, Idaho, to train with and compete for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation's XC Gold Team. She raced for two seasons before trying biathlon in Lake Placid, NY at the 2017 Talent ID Camp. She then switched to biathlon and has been training and competing full time with USBA since then. After last season she earned a spot on the USBA X-team, which is a development team based in Lake Placid.

For the 2019-20 season Irwin changed things up by joining the Vermont Army National Guard in order to serve her country and help in her Olympic Dreams in Biathlon. She was named the 2021 Vermont Soldier of the Year.

While at Tech, Irwin skied for Team USA at the 2015 World Junior Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She was the top classic skier in the Central Region in 2015 and participated at the NCAA Championships while being named All-CCSA and All-Region. In track, Irwin broke school records in the 800, 1500, 5,000 and 10,000 meters and was on a school-record 4x400 relay squad. She was All-GLIAC in the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase and honorable mention All-GLIAC in the 800. She was also the top runner for the Huskies' cross country team and was named the GLIAC Women's Cross Country Freshman of the Year in 2011.

While at Pulaski High School, Irwin was All-State in 2008 and the Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association 2008 District 4 Girls Runner of the Year. As a Nordic Skier for the Ashwaubenon Nordic Ski Team, she was the 2010 Wisconsin Nordic State Champion and 2010 Wisconsin Sprint Nordic Ski Champion.

Olympic biathlon events include men's and women's individual, sprint, relay, and pursuit races. In 2011 a mixed relay event was added to the schedule for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

Biathlon will compete on February 5-19 at the 2022 Beijing Olympics in the Zhangjiakou Zone.

Above story from Michigan Tech Athletics January 2022

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Below is a Q&A from the Michigan Tech Nordic Skiing Newsletter Summer 2020

In this Q&A alumni spotlight we feature Deedra Irwin, 2015 graduate of Michigan Tech where she earned a B.S. in Exercise Science. Deedra has continued her athletic career at the professional level as a Nordic skier and now a biathlete, and this spring was named to the 2020-21 U.S. Biathlon National A Team! As a student-athlete for the Nordic Huskies, Deedra represented Team USA at the 2015 U23 World Championships, was a two time NCAA Skiing Championships qualifier, and a three sport student-athlete for MTU also competing as a cross country and track & field student-athlete for five years as a Husky! After graduation Deedra moved to Sun Valley, ID where she competed for two years as a professional Nordic skier under the SVSEF Gold Team. Deedra then made the switch from Nordic to Biathlon, and has built an illustrious career as a biathlete, now one of only four women named to the 2021 U.S. Biathlon National A Team! As a member of both the Vermont Army National Guard, and U.S. Biathlon National A Team, she has an incredible story of perseverance, and self-made opportunity that has earned her status as a World Cup biathlete! We are honored to have Deedra as an ambassador of our Nordic Huskies, as she continues to be an inspirational role model for our team!

Q: Deedra, you had an outstanding 2019-20 biathlon season highlighted by a podium result in the IBU Cup in Osrblie, Slovakia that birthed your first individual World Cup start in Ruhpolding, Germany, and subsequently naming to the National A Team. What was it like to race in your first ever individual World Cup? What does it mean to you to be named to the 2020-21 US Biathlon National A Team?

A: Qualifying for and racing my first individual World Cup in Ruhpolding was so amazing. I had the honor of anchoring in the Women's relay the year prior in Ruhpolding so it was nice to come back and get an individual start in the sprint and then anchor the relay again this past season. The atmosphere at most World Cups is unbelievable! Even being one of the last people to start the fans are lining the course the whole way and screaming every time you come into the stadium to shoot or finish. I am humbled to be named to the 2020-21 US Biathlon National A Team. I have not been in this sport (biathlon) for long and to be able to race with this strong US Biathlon Women's Team and against the best in the world is something I only pictured in my dreams 3 years ago.

Q: How did your experience as a student-athlete at MTU lead you to your professional career as a biathlete?

A: I think being a student-athlete at MTU is a really challenging experience no matter what major or sport you are in. If you are able to make it through the class schedule and training/competition schedule of your sport you are going to be set up for many challenges that face you beyond college and college athletics. I learned a lot about managing my time and challenging myself inside and outside the classroom. I really enjoyed the Exercise Science department and major. I gained a lot of knowledge that I have been able to apply to my own athletic career and to coaching opportunities that I have been able to be a part of throughout my Nordic and biathlon journey.

Q: What was your favorite memory as a Nordic Husky?

A: There are so many!! Being named to the 2015 U23 World's Team and competing for the US was a truly unforgettable experience and it was a turning point for me in deciding to pursue professional skiing after college. Other than that I think my favorite memories are with my teammates. The time we spent together training, traveling, racing and just having fun! My teammates really were a huge part in pushing me and helping me succeed throughout my collegiate career.

Q: What are your future goals for biathlon?

A: My goals for this upcoming season (20-21) are to qualify for and consistently compete on the World Cup circuit. I would like to gain as much experience at that level before the 2022 Winter Olympics. I also think our World Cup Women's relay team is very strong and I would like to help get us on the podium! My goal for the 21-22 season is to qualify for and compete at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China.