The University of Idaho cross country teams wrapped up their season Friday at the NCAA Division I West Regional Championships, with both squads showing improvement and several athletes recording personal records.
The women’s team finished 16th overall in the 6-kilometer race, placing in the top half of the regional field. The men’s squad took 20th, improving on its finish from the 2025 regional championships.
Senior Constanze Paoli led the way for the Vandals, earning NCAA All-West Region honors after finishing 18th in the women’s race. Paoli crossed the finish line in 19 minutes, 56.3 seconds, setting a new personal record by 18 seconds. Her performance marked Idaho’s highest individual regional finish in four years.
Paoli continued to provide a strong presence for the women’s team throughout the season, and her performance helped lead the Vandals to a 16th-place team finish.
Junior Jesse Redding and junior Alex Terry also delivered career-best performances in the women’s 6K. The two stayed close together through the opening portions of the course before Redding separated during the later stages of the race.
Redding finished 37th overall with a time of 20:20.1, while Terry crossed in 78th at 21:09.1. Both runners recorded their fastest collegiate times in the event.
Junior Pia Kircher and senior Mary Nakamura followed to complete Idaho’s scoring lineup. Freshman Micah Redding, the only freshman who traveled with the women’s team, finished with a personal-best time of 23:03.8. Junior Malia Chipouras rounded out the Vandal competitors.
Idaho also finished ahead of several programs from across the region, including Arizona State, which placed 17th, and Santa Clara, which finished 18th.
On the men’s side, senior Ralston Graves paced Idaho with a time of 31:25.8. Graves’ performance helped guide the Vandals to a 20th-place finish, an improvement from their previous regional appearance.
Sophomore Conor Thompson followed closely behind, recording a personal-best time of 31:31.4. Both Graves and Thompson made their NCAA West Regional debuts.
Fifth year student, Zac Knapp and senior James Hodgson finished near one another, taking 132nd and 134th, respectively. Freshman Miles Lechtenberg followed in 144th place. Like the women’s team, the men brought one freshman to the regional meet, with Lechtenberg representing Idaho in his first appearance at the competition.
Fifth year student, Luca Wagner also made his regional debut, finishing with a time of 32:30.0, while fellow fifth year student, Tyler Graff completed the men’s lineup for the Vandals.
The results reflected the progress both teams made throughout the season, with personal records and improved regional placements highlighting Idaho’s final competition.
Idaho head coach praised both squads for their development and viewed the regional championships as another step in building the program.
“It was a great finish for both teams at the NCAA West Regionals,” the coach said. “Both teams showed great improvement this year and it was exciting to see them finish well today.”
The coach also emphasized the importance of continuing to develop the program, pointing to the regional performances as a positive sign for its future.
With the NCAA West Regional Championships complete, the Vandals have concluded their cross country season, finishing with improved team results and several individual milestones to carry into next year.