Jeff Welsch
Jeff Welsch is the weekend and features managing editor for Cowboy State Daily.
Jeff has been a journalist across the West since 1979, most recently as editor-in-chief for the Bozeman (Mont.) Daily Chronicle and four other newspapers in southwest Montana. He also served as executive editor for Lee Newspapers’ five Montana papers after a stint as sports editor at the Billings Gazette, where he started and ran the popular statewide 406 MT Sports website for eight years.
Jeff spent the early years of his career covering sports, primarily college basketball and football. He has written six books and won numerous journalism awards, including first place in the national Associated Press Sports Editors contest for his coverage of the 2006 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska. He was 2023 Montana Sportswriter of the Year and his sports sections at the Daily Chronicle and Corvallis (Ore.) Gazette-Times were APSE top 10 honorees.
When he’s not editing stories or writing them, Jeff is often on his road bike or exploring the West with his wife, Sherry.
Latest from Jeff Welsch
Sheridan's Dane Steel Has Career Night In Defending Champ Montana State's Romp
Less than nine months after he helped propel Montana State to a national football championship, Sheridan's Dane Steele had a career night with eight catches for 174 yards in a 54-0 win. “I never had that many yards in high school,” he said afterward.
Jeff WelschAugust 31, 2026
Sheridan Golfers Finally Get To Play Toughest Place To Book A Tee Time In The U.S.
Two golfers from Sheridan won the lottery on New Year's Eve when they were selected to play at the toughest place to book a tee time in the U.S. All 11,000 tee times were booked in one hour and they played last week. "It's all awesome," Jared Stiver said.
Jeff WelschAugust 15, 2026
Getting Access To Float The Middle Fork Of The Salmon River Is Like Winning The Lottery
One of the most difficult rivers to gain access to float is the pristine Middle Fork of the Salmon River. The odds are 1 in 55, with 20,000 applicants vying for 350 slots each year. After trying for 40 years, Cowboy State Daily's Jeff Welsch won the lottery
Jeff WelschJuly 25, 2026
