MOSCOW, Idaho– Idaho Cross Country begins its season for the fourth straight year in Cheney, WA, at the Clash of the Inland Northwest. The women's 4K begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by the men's 6K at 9 a.m. 

HEAR FROM COACH
"As we open up the 2025 cross country season, we are cautiously optimistic with our team goals and team success.  We are a young program and are adjusting to the new training structure very well. Ultimately, our success is measured by how we perform during championship season and everything is set up towards that. Tomorrow's meet in Cheney is simply an opportunity to see where we are at as a program and build from there."

MEET THE VANDALS
Senior Miles Ferguson and redshirt junior Zac Knapp headline Idaho's returners, coming off a season where the two were the second and third Vandals to cross the line at last November's conference meet. Ferguson is the lone senior on this year's team. The Lawrenceville, Ga. native set a personal best in all three distances he competed in last season, cutting over 30 seconds off his previous best in the 6K. 

New additions Conor Thompson and Jaysen Rodriquez are two of the six Vandal men making their college debuts Friday. Thompson took home second at the OSAA 4A state meet last fall, and Rodriquez finished seventh at the 2024 WIAA 3A meet and competed at December's Foot Locker West Regional Championships. 

On the women's side, Constanze Paoli, Pia Kircher, and Jesse Redding return after top-30 finishes at the 2024 Big Sky Championship. Paoli qualified for the 2025 NCAA West Regional in the steeplechase and was named an all-conference qualifier in the event. In the fall, Paoli set a personal best in the 6K at the West Regional in Colfax, WA, at a time of 21:14.5. 

Mary Nakamura and Hannah Ward will compete in their first meets for the Black and Gold in Cheney. Neither are new to Spokane County, with Nakamura joining the Vandals after two successful seasons as a Spokane Community College Sasquatch and Ward arriving in Moscow after graduating from Cheney High School. 

UP NEXT
Next on Idaho's calendar is a trip to Missoula, Montana, for the Montana Invite on September 19th. 

FOLLOW THE VANDALS
To stay up to date with Idaho Cross Country, follow the team on Instagram(IdahoTrack), X(IdahoTFXC), and visit govandals.com.