TALLAHASSEE – By winning the Class 2A girls individual state cross country championship for the second consecutive year Saturday, Pine Crest’s Julia Montgomery put herself in elite status and set herself up to make history the next two years.

If Montgomery can also win the state title as a junior and senior, she’d tie four other girls runners in FHSAA history, including Wellington’s Ashley Brasovan (2005-08), for the most career individual titles (four).

This was at times an up-and-down season for Montgomery as she admittedly adjusted to running with a target on her back as the defending state champ. But she was at her best when it counted the most, again foiling rival Daesha Rogers’ hopes for a title just one week after losing to Rogers at regional.