COLFAX, Wash. – The Eastern Washington University cross country teams continued their 2025 season on Friday, traveling to Colfax, Wash., for the WSU Cougar Classic Invitational. The meet featured a competitive regional field that included Washington State, Central Washington, Montana, Seattle University, Whitworth, Lewis & Clark, Spokane Community College, and the Eagles.

"First 6k and 8k of the year," said Director of Track and Field / Cross Country Erin Tucker. "I think in the first race we went out too hard, and this time we were too conservative. Watch what happens when we put it together."

The Eagles delivered strong performances, with the women earning a runner-up finish and the men placing fifth against a deep field.

"The women killed it today, and I'm happy with their effort," Tucker added. "I see that only getting better, which is great."

The women's 6K opened the day, with 81 runners lining up on the Cougars' course. Eastern scored 77 points to take second, trailing only host WSU, who dominated with 15 points. Senior Nattie Ruzauskas paced the Eagles with an 11th-place finish in 21:47.2. Fellow seniors Rylee Brandon (22:03.0) and Rhiannon Davies (22:06.1) followed close behind in 14th and 15th, giving EWU a strong top-three presence.

On the men's side, Tucker noted improvement in team tactics.

"The men packed up better this week than last time, but again probably too conservative—and they all recognized it. Our young guys had unbelievable races and looked strong. We held a few guys out that would have made a difference in the team score, but we are moving in the right direction. Everyone closed very well, and that is huge for us."

Eastern finished fifth in the men's 8K with 132 points, behind Central Washington (124), Montana (85), Gonzaga (34), and WSU (26). Junior Owen Higgins led the way with a 33rd-place finish (25:02.6), while freshman Grady Fournier impressed with a 36th-place showing (25:12.3).

"Now we get back to a good week of training and get ready for Riverside in two weeks. Go Eags!" Tucker said.

Looking Ahead
The Eagles will head to Riverside, Calif., on September 27 to compete in the UC Riverside Invitational.
 
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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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