SPOKANE, Wash. -- With two races on the docket for opening weekend, Gonzaga women's cross country is entering a fall season with heightened expectations and plenty of opportunities to test just how deep the Bulldogs are.

A markedly more challenging fall slate for the Zags includes appearances at the Nuttycombe Invitational in Madison, Wisc. and the Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis, Minn., two of the most prestigious non-NCAA races of the season. This fall will be the women's team's first appearance at the Nuttycombe, a considerable upgrade in competition for a team looking to keep building on potential shown last spring. Other races closer to home include the Cougar Classic in Colfax, Wash. Sep. 10 as well as  the Inland Empire Classic in Lewiston on Oct. 16 and the Downriver Classic in Spokane set for Oct. 22.

The Zags' postseason will begin with the 2021 West Coast Conference Championships in Concord, Calif., on Oct. 29., with this year's NCAA West Regionals are also set to take place in the state of California, beginning on Nov. 12 in Sacramento. This year's national championships are in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 20.

"It's just a continuation of the growth of the program since I've gotten here," said head coach Jake Stewart. "I think our schedule is really reflective of what our program goals are." 
The Bulldogs return seven of their top ten from the spring, and were ranked ninth in the West Region in the USTFCCA Preseason Poll -- a program record. GU was picked by coaches to finish fourth in the WCC this fall.
"Our preseason ranking is a nice reflection of the continual progress this program is making going forward," Stewart said. "Being ranked in the top 10 in one of the most competitive regions in the country is nice recognition for our team. Now the goal is to improve upon it by November."
Of those seven returners, perhaps none has more newfound expectations than Kristen Garcia, who reached historic heights in her first season since transferring to GU from Wisconsin.
Garcia became the first female Zag runner to qualify for Nationals as an individual since 2015 after finishing 12th at the WCC Championships, going on to finish 129th and crossing the finish line at 21:44.1. In track, she placed 40th in the NCAA West Region Preliminaries in the 5000 meters at 17:23.38., placing 21st in the second heat. 
"As someone who ran at the national meet last year as an individual, and then had the track season that she had, I think the expectation is that that will carry over to the fall," Stewart said of Garcia. "I'm proud of the program we've created where someone like Kristen can come in and then in one year be comfortable enough to lead the program."
Fellow All-WCC Preseason selection Lauren Haas also finished off the condensed track season with plenty of momentum, finishing 18th at WCC's to go with an impressive 36:15.60 10k on the track at the end of the spring that ranks No. 6 on the program's all-time list.
But behind those two are a litany of runners with breakthrough potential. 
Junior Liz Hogan was among the Zags' top five runners all spring, culminating in a 28th-place finish at WCC's and personal bests in the 5000m (17:01.84) and 3000m steeplechase (11:04.05) during track season. 
Second-year freshman Alicia Anderson recorded her season-best 6k time (21:45.6) at the WCC meet in Van Nuys, Calif. in her first season in a Zag uniform, putting her just 44 seconds short of the program's top ten all-time. 
For this weekend, half of the team will race in a 4k at Clash of the Inland Northwest on Friday, with another group set to run a six-kilometer race at the San Francisco Invitational on Saturday. The Zags are reigning champions of the Clash meet, having won its most recent iteration in 2019.
"Some of the ladies running at the clash meet, I have no doubts that they can be in that top group," Stewart said. "I think Clash just suits where they're at better with the 4k distance.
"A couple of those ladies, that's going to be their first collegiate cross country race. So it's a good opener for them."
The women's race at Clash of the Inland Northwest is set for 10 a.m., with the USF Invitational on Saturday getting underway at 10 a.m. Check GoZags.com for up-to-date results and performance lists after races conclude.