2018 collegiate cross country season opens with trio of meets in Moscow, Colfax & Tacoma...

This weekend marks the official start of the 2018 collegiate cross country season, as Gonzaga and Eastern Washington open the season Friday at the Clash of the Inland Northwest meet in Moscow, hosted by the University of Idaho.

Friday’s meet marks the debut of new Gonzaga women’s coach Jake Stewart (above/photo courtesy University of Illinois), who comes to the Zags from the University of Illinois, and Eastern Washington cross country coach Sam Read, who comes from Montana State.

For Gonzaga, this meet will also mark the debut of freshman James Mwaura from Lincoln/Tacoma, who is the highest profile athlete recruited into the program since 11th year head coach and Zag program director Pat Tyson has taken command of the Bulldogs.

Division III Whitworth and Whitman are also expected to field teams at the Clash of the Inland Northwest.

The women’s 4k race begins at 6 pm, with the men’s 6k starting at 6:30 pm.

Just eight miles away from Moscow, Washington State opens the season Friday with the WSU Alumni Open, featuring five runners who ran for the Cougs at last year’s NCAA championship meet in Louisville, led by Chandler Teigen.

The Cougars go into the meet ranked #13 in the USTFCCCA men's pre-season coaches poll.

The men’s 8k starts at 5:15 pm, with the women’s 6k at 5:45 pm.

Despite the loss of Michael Williams to graduation, Washington State appears on paper to have a stronger squad, with the addition of mid-season transfer Colton Johnsen, who was a 8:57.98 steeplechaser for the Cougs after moving over from Eastern Washington.

On the women’s side, the Cougs return cross country All-American Vallery Korir, along with NCAA 1500m qualifier Kaili Keefe, who, like Johnsen, transferred to WSU in January from Eastern Washington.

The only other Washington NCAA Division I or II school in action on the opening weekend is Saint Martin’s, who makes the drive up to Tacoma for the Puget Sound Invitational.

SeattleU and Washington open their season on September 8th, as the Huskies host the Sundodger Invitational at Lincoln Park. 

With Washington not hosting an open or high school section of the Sundodger, Division II schools Seattle Pacific, Western Washington, and Central Washington will open their season on September 15th with the Central Washington Invitational in Ellensburg.