CHENEY, Wash. – For the second straight season, Gonzaga men's and women's cross country swept the individual and team titles at the Clash of the Inland Northwest on Eastern Washington's campus. Opening their seasons Friday morning, the Zags were led by
Jade Rypkema and
Ryan Mitchell, both of whom captured the individual wins.
In the opening 4K race, the Gonzaga women took a commanding lead as the quintet of Rypkema,
Alexi Fogo,
Keira Saavedra,
Anna Grabowski, and
Kate Donaldson pushed ahead. They would hold that lead through the end and were joined by
Tate Beasley and
Camille Broadbent, totaling seven Zags who finished in the top ten.
The team total of 15 points edged their 2023 team score of 16 and secured them their fourth Clash title in five years. Rypkema's 13:36.09 finish earned Gonzaga's third individual title in four years and put herself into sixth in the Zags' all-time 4K list. Fogo's 13:41.53 is now ninth-fastest, and true freshman Saavedra's 13:46.18 sits just outside the top ten at 11th.
In the men's 6K race, Gonzaga was out to an early lead as a pack of nearly a dozen Bulldogs set the pace. By the 4K split, a solid group of seven remained near the front, led by Jeremiah Mackie,
Mason Kissell,
Nick Braz, and
Will Thorsett. Also among that pack was Mitchell, who found another gear in the final lap around the EWU campus to pull ahead and finish in front for the Zags.
For the second straight season, the GU men finished with a tie atop the Clash individual standings. Last year,
Wil Smith and
Bryce Cerkowniak tied for the win, but it was Mitchell and Mackie who earned the tie this season, each finishing in 18:12.04. Seven total Zags finished in the top ten behind Mitchell and Mackie: Kissell, Braz, Thorsett,
Jacob Alfonso,
Samy Anderson, and
Caleb Richardson.
The Zag men's wins marked their eighth straight team Clash title and their seventh straight individual title. Their seven individual wins have been earned by seven different runners dating back to 2017.
UP NEXT
Both teams are back in action on Sept. 13 at the Cougar Classic in Colfax, Wash. The Colfax Golf Club will host the Cougar Classic before welcoming the NCAA West Regionals later this season.
Full results of the Clash of the Inland Northwest can be found
HERE.
