Cross-country opened at home and ran away with a win on the women’s side and second place on the men’s at the Clash of the Inland Northwest Friday (Aug. 31) at the UI Golf Course.
Idaho finished as the top Big Sky school in the meet, defeating Big Sky foes Montana and Eastern Washington.
Senior Andrea Condie took the first-place title in the women’s 4k with a time of 13:50.3. She led the pack by almost 12 seconds. Condie took the same title in the meet last year, her first collegiate win of her career.
Junior Kara Story grabbed second place with a time of 14:02.1, followed closely by senior Erin Hagen in third with a 14:14.8. Junior Krista Story claimed fourth with a 15:15.0. Sophomore Malania Thacker finished in fifth with a 14:25.3 to round out the Idaho’s perfect top-5 finish.
The men’s squad took second behind Gonzaga with a total 60 points.
Senior Skylar Ovnicek was the men’s front runner, nabbing ninth place with a time of 17:27.9 in the men’s 6k. Freshman Ben Shaw finished close behind with a 17:28.1, good for 10th place.
Junior Fabian Cardenas grabbed 15th (17:40.3) and freshman Michael McCausland in 28th (18:05.4). Sophomore Caleb Seely capped off the Idaho men’s scorers with a 32nd finish with a time of 18:14.1.
Idaho will resume the season with a hop across the border for the Cougar Classic Sept. 14 in Pullman.
Meredith Spelbring can be reached at [email protected]