SPOKANE, Wash. â€" The Gonzaga women's and men's cross country programs start the 2017 season at the Clash of the Inland Northwest in Missoula, Mont., Friday.

The annual meet has been a season-opener for the Zags, Washington State, Idaho and Eastern Washington. Other teams that will be racing Lewis-Clark State, Whitman, Montana, and Whitworth. The meet rotates a host site each year around the Inland Northwest.

Gonzaga's Jordan Thurston and Troy Fraley took the individual titles at last year's event in Moscow, Idaho. Thurston broke the program's 4,000-meter course record with a time of 13:40.6, while Fraley, running unattached, finished the 6,000-meter men's course at 18:23.9.

Max Kaderabek led the Zag men to the team title with a second place finish at 18:36.9. The GU men placed three runners in the top 10 and totaled 27 points in the win. The Bulldog men have had a second place finisher in each of the past four Clash of the Inland Northwest meets.

Last year, Thurston claimed the Montana Invitational individual crown on the same course. Kaderabek placed second at the event.

The women's 4k race begins at 5 p.m. MT, followed by the men's 6k race at 5:45 p.m. Results will be available on GoZags.com after the event.