SPOKANE, Wash. - The Idaho men finished fourth in the 8K at the Whitworth Frank Knott XC Classic, while the women obtained some strong 6K times.

HEAR FROM COACH
"It was another great result for the Vandals up in Spokane today. We are showing improvement in al areas and I'm excited to see our teams continue to grow. I thought Mary had a nice race this morning as she continues to improve. I also thought that Malia was bolder in her race approach today. On the men's side, the highlight was Luca Wagner. As this was his first ever XC meet and he showed as he was our #4 today. He really moved up throughout the race and finished well. I also thought Jaysen Rodriguex had a nice race as he continues to improve. We now reset and get ready fro next opportunity in Eugene, Oregon next Friday at the Dellinger Invite - one of the top meets in teh nation! This will be a great challenge with our groups and I know we will be ready."

WHAT HAPPENED
Today was a stand-out performance for the Vandal men. Freshman Miles Lechtenberg ran an 8K time of 24:15.8, securing both a top ten finish and a new personal best run. Sophomore Evan Jones finished close behind him in 18th with a best time of 24:38.7. Both these men have stayed very strong this season and have done nothing except carry that momentum into each weekend. Multiple other athletes also performed season and personal bests, helping the men earn their top five team score. This includes junior James Hodgson and sophomore Jaysen Rodriquez.

While the Idaho women did not have enough runners to qualify for a team score, they still had a few powerful performances in the 6K. Senior Mary Nakamura was the first Vandal to finish, obtaining a season best time of 22.25.1. Junior Malia Chipouras finished next with a new personal best of 22:46.7.

UP NEXT
Idaho Cross Country will head to Eugene, Oregon in less than a week for the Bill Dellinger Invitational on October 9.

FOLLOW THE VANDALS
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