The first track and field championships were held in Missoula at
Montana State University in 1904-for boys only. This sport was the
flagship for what was called State Interscholastics for the next 60 plus
years and those events were always in Missoula each spring.
Interscholastic included track and field, golf, tennis, thespians and
journalism. There was but one class until 1939 when A and B champions
were named, 1954 when AA, A and B champions were crowned; finally four
classes were the same as basketball in 1956. Girls' competition was
added in 1969 with A and B divided. In 1972 the classes were the same as
boys'. The events are now identical for both genders except for the
hurdle races. Montana was one of the first states to triple jump with
both genders and the same was true in the pole vault.
