Big Country has conquered Sanders County; now it is time for Cody Burk to move on to the state of Montana and beyond.

A multi-sports star during his time at Thompson Falls High School – Burk, nicknamed "Big Country" early on in his high school career, was named first team Western Conference and All-State B in football and second team District 7B All-conference in basketball this school year – the soon-to-be graduate has decided that track and field is his first love, and has signed a national letter of intent to keep on competing in the sport while attending college at Montana Tech in Butte.

Burk said that the scholarship offer from Tech includes academic and athletic stimulus funds for his college education, which will center around automotive technology and business studies. He is a current member in good standing with the TFHS National Honor Society and carries a cumulative grade point average of about 3.85.

A few schools inquired about Burk perhaps playing football in college – after all he is about 6 foot, 5 inches and maybe a little north of 240 pounds – but he decided early that track and field was the sport he wanted to pursue most.

At Tech, Burk will be part of the first Oredigger track and field team in many years as the school just announced starting the program back in January. The Diggers will begin competing in NAIA track and field in 2022, Burk's freshman year in Butte.

Denied his junior year of track and field due to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, Burk looks to make his senior season at Thompson Falls a memorable one before heading to the Mining City for his college education. His marks in the shot put and discus, and to a lesser extent, the javelin, stand up well to marks posted around the state so far this spring.

He plans to continue throwing all three implements at Tech.

"My goal is to do well at the State B meet later this spring," he said. "We have been working on my technique in practice, hopefully all the hard work will pay off in the end."

The son of Ryan and Joanne Burk (both Thompson Falls alumni themselves), Cody has been coached by Jake Susic, who specializes in the throws, and Trenna Ferris, the last few years at Thompson Falls. In Butte, Burk will be working for head coach Zach Kughn.

Already the head cross country coach, Kughn was also awarded the head track and field job when the program was announced in January.