The Eastern Washington University cross country men’s and women’s cross country teams will join several other local colleges to kickoff the 2019 season in Cheney for the Clash of the Inland Northwest on Saturday.
Eastern will host Gonzaga, Idaho, Montana, Lewis-Clark State, Whitman and Whitworth in the annual event that has rotated locations in recent years.
The competition takes place on the practice fields to the west of the EWU Sports and Recreation Center, beginning with the women’s 4 kilometer race at 10 a.m., followed by the men’s 6K at approximately 10:30 a.m.
The Eastern men’s team has seven returning letterwinners this year, plus two non-lettering squad members and three newcomers. The women return five letterwinners from last year’s team and has six newcomers. Both teams are still dominated by underclassmen – the women’s team has no juniors or seniors on its 11-person roster, while just three of 12 men’s competitors are upperclassmen.
In the Big Sky Conference preseason coaches’ polls announced recently, the men were picked to finish ninth in the league this year and the women 10th. A year ago with teams comprised mostly of newcomers, both squads were 11th at the league championships under head coach Sam Read, who was in his first year at the helm.
The 2019 Big Sky men’s and women’s championships will be held Nov. 2 in Greeley, Colo., and hosted by the University of Northern Colorado. The NCAA West Regionals take place on Nov. 15 at the Colfax Golf Club in Colfax.
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