In what is starting to feel like a recurring theme every cross country season in Minnesota, coaches and athletes will once again be navigating a change in venue for the MSHSL State Championships - the third time in four years.
From 1992 until 2022 the MSHSL State Championships were held at St. Olaf College. Following the 2022 season, there was a mutual parting of ways, kicking off the search for a new venue. In stepped the University of Minnesota's Les Bolstad Golf Course, rich with history and a former host. With this partnership, it felt to coaches, athletes, and fans likeour state championship meet had found a long-term home, with a venue and staff who wanted to host the meet.
Unfortunately, it would only take two years for this optimistic partnership to fall apart. The University of Minnesota stated their intentions to sell Les Bolstad Golf Course in May of 2025. Not only did this impact the venue for the 2026 MSHSL State Championships -- it also uprooted the Roy Griak Invitational (named after the long-time University of Minnesota coach) which had been contested at the Les Bolstad Golf Course for 39 years.
So again, the search was on for a new venue to host the MSHSL State Championships.(For states who have never had to deal with a conundrum such as this, consider yourselves fortunate - most suitable venues do not have the desire to host a large-scale cross country meet!) The 2025 season came and passed. The MSHSL State Championships were held at Les Bolstad. Yet no one knew what would happen the following season. There was hope that the University of Minnesota would continue to allow the MSHSL State Championships to be held at Les Bolstad, as long as the course had not been sold. But it became clear by the start of the track and field season we would need to find a new venue.
It was at this time the MSHSL sought out RFPs (request for proposals) to host the 2026 MSHSL State Championships. In the summer of 2025, seven or eight venues had expressed interest in hosting the meet. By the time the window for proposals had closed, five venues had submitted an RFP: Majestic Oaks GC (Ham Lake), Arrowwood GC and Conference Center (Alexandria), Pebble Creek GC (Becker), Benson Park (Mankato), and St. Olaf College (Northfield). After site visits and input from officials and coaches, it was narrowed down to Majestic Oaks Golf Course and St. Olaf College. Fast forward to August 4th and the MSHSL officially voted in favor of the 2026 MSHSL State Championships being hosted at Majestic Oaks Golf Course.
While the long-term future of the meet remains uncertain, coaches in Minnesota are grateful we have found a new home for our state championship meet, and are hopeful this becomes a more permanent home, stabilizing what has felt like a turbulent couple of years.
History of the Minnesota State Cross Country Meet
The first state championship cross country meet in Minnesota was run in 1943 at Northrop Field at the University of Minnesota. Starting in 1944, the meet was run at Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis and would stay at this venue until 1964. Between 1964 and 1990 the state meet was run at the University of Minnesota Golf Course (Les Bolstad).
In 1991 the state meet was run at Arrowwood Golf Course (due to issues with the University of Minnesota Golf Course the meet was moved at the last minute) in Alexandria; this move was only meant to be temporary, but marked the shift of the state meet venue away from the University of Minnesota for three decades.
From 1992 until 2022, the state meet was held at St. Olaf College in Northfield. In 2020, the state meet was not scheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In place of it, TC Running Company sponsored a club-style meet for all the top teams and individuals in Minnesota. The meet was held in Atwater at Island Pine Golf Course.
Beginning in 2023, the University of Minnesota Golf Course returned to hosting the state meet with a new 5000m course (not the same course used for the Roy Griak Invitational), unique to the state meet. Now, starting in 2026, Majestic Oaks Golf Course will host the state meet for the foreseeable future.
About Majestic Oaks Golf Course
Majestic Oaks GC is located 30 minutes north of the Twin Cities. It previously hosted the Blaine Invitational and Northwest Suburban Conference Championships on its executive nine-hole golf course. The course for the MSHSL State Championships will be an entirely new course, utilizing the championship courses.
In what is starting to feel like a recurring theme every cross country season in Minnesota, coaches and athletes will once again be navigating a change in venue for the MSHSL State Championships - the third time in four years.