In which sport has Jefferson High won the most state titles? That would be cross country, for which the Panthers have notched 10 boys’ championships and nine girls’ crowns.
Boys’ high school cross country in Montana goes back to 1964, while the girls’ competition was approved by the Montana High School Association in 1971. It’s one of the few sports that started out in life with the modern configuration of four classifications, with the Panthers in Class B.
In the early years, teams ran a two-mile course. That was then increased to 2.5 miles, and now both boys and girls run a three-mile course. Most races are held on golf courses — but in Boulder, athletes run a unique course that starts at Veterans Park, goes up Main Street to near the Town Pump, wraps around the hill where the city water tank sits, then goes by the cemetery and finishes back at Veterans Park. The course has been altered over the years to adjust for the distance changes but for the most part has stayed thes same.
