CHENEY, Wash. – The Eastern Washington University cross country teams kicked off their 2025 season Friday morning by hosting the Clash of the Inland Northwest—the program's only home meet of the year. The event brought together a competitive field, including Gonzaga, Idaho, Whitworth, Whitman, Lewis-Clark State, Spokane Community College, and Walla Walla Community College.

Both Eagle squads delivered solid performances on the challenging course that winds through EWU's upper fields and ropes course area. The women's team secured a strong second-place finish, while the men placed third overall.

The women's 4K race began at 8:30 a.m., with 75 runners taking to the course. Eastern displayed strong team depth, placing all five scorers in the top 20 to tally 65 points—second only to Gonzaga (15) and narrowly ahead of Idaho (72).

Senior Rylee Brandon led the way for the Eagles, finishing 11th in 14:48.30. Fellow senior Nattie Ruzauskas followed closely behind, placing 13th with a time of 14:54.20.

"Hats off to the women for taking second behind Gonzaga," said Director of Track and Cross Country Erin Tucker. "Beating Idaho is a big confidence boost. They packed up really well, and that kind of depth will benefit us as the season progresses."

In the men's 6K, Eastern finished third with 83 points, trailing Gonzaga (15) and Idaho (68).

Senior Conner Wirth led the men's squad, placing 23rd in 19:22.90. He was followed closely by Charlie Ledwith, who took 24th with a time of 19:24.50.

"The men were third behind Idaho, but I can already see where we can improve—and that's in better pack running," Tucker said. "Our upperclassmen are showing great leadership, and this race gives us a clear starting point."

Looking Ahead
With the season opener behind them, Tucker emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum and continuing to build.

"Today was a great opportunity to shake off the rust," Tucker said. "I'm pleased with our opener—especially considering we don't have our full squad yet. The energy was high, the leadership was strong, and we know exactly what to focus on. This was a solid start, and we're looking forward to heading to Colfax in two weeks."
 
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ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.

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