CHENEY, Wash.-- Idaho's men finished second in the season-opening Clash of the Inland Northwest, just behind the number eight team in the USTFCCCA West Region poll, Gonzaga. The Vandal women took home third, seven points behind hosts Eastern Washington. 

HEAR FROM COACH
"I was really happy with how our teams performed today. It was the first meet of the year and you always kind of have mixed emotions of where we are at, but I felt like we got some good experience, we got some young kids that got an opportunity to race in an Idaho uniform, which is a really special thing. Our program is always predicated on what we do in championship time. Everything is built toward Big Sky Championships." 

WHAT HAPPENED
Alex Terry was the first non-Gonzaga woman to cross the line, running a personal-best 14:31.9 and finishing sixth. Mary Nakamura and Hannah Ward had strong performances in their Vandal debuts, with Nakamura finishing the 4K course in 14:58 and Ward following with a time of 15:11.9.
Zac Knapp and Miles Ferguson led the way for the men, with under five seconds separating the two. Freshman Jens Knutsen began his career in Black and Gold with a 6K time of 19:30.9. Not only was this the Boise native's first college race, but also his first ever competitive race at this distance. 

UP NEXT
The Vandals have three weeks off from competition before getting back into action on September 19 at the University of Montana's Montana Invite. 

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