MOSCOW, Idaho - Idaho Cross Country begins its 2026 season in Spokane, Washington for the Clash of the Inland Northwest this Friday, September 4. The women's 6K is set to commence at 8:30 A.M. PST, while the men's 8K will start at 9:15 A.M. PST.

HEAR FROM COACH
"Super excited for the upcoming competition, and it is always good to get an idea of where our teams are at this time of the year. Training has gone well and we have a good mix of upper class athletes and newcomers. I'm excited to see the team compete on Friday and the journey ahead."

WHAT TO EXPECT
Six Idaho returners will compete for the men's team this weekend, including seniors Zac Knapp and Tyler Graff. After solidifying an 8K personal best of 24.25.0 last October, Knapp is expected to headline the Vandals as they take on Spokane. Also hanging with the upperclassmen, junior James Hodgson is coming off an outdoor TF season full of PRs, ready to take that same momentum into this Fall.

Newcomers Mitchell Rietze, Miles Lechtenberg, and Koda VanDahlen will all be making their collegiate debuts for the Black & Gold this weekend, all  of which are athletes who represented their high schools in state meets last fall.

The women will have one senior and five junior returners competing this Friday. Among them, Sara Casebolt, Jesse Redding, Alex Terry, and Mary Nakamura all raced for the Vandals in the 6K last November at the 2025 NCAA DI West Regional XC Championships. Additionally, Terry was honored with a Big Sky Athlete of the Week recognition after her strong performance in Lewiston last year.

As for newcomers, the out-of-state freshmen Kadence Holso and Micah Redding are ready for a strong start to their collegiate seasons in Spokane.

UP NEXT
The Vandals will travel to Missoula for the Montana Invite on September 18.

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