Pocatello, Idaho - Following a season filled with competitive performances, the Idaho State Men's and Women's Cross Country teams are set to travel to Missoula, Montana to compete in the 2023 Big Sky Conference Championships on Friday, Oct. 27.
After an encouraging first showing at the UVU Invitational, The Bengals would continue to exceed expectations, holding their own against some of the top talent in loaded Big Sky, Mountain Region, and SEC conferences throughout the fall.
"When we went to Missouri, we threw them into an SEC meet and just said "go get 'em." It was hot, it was humid, and they really showed up." remarked Head Coach Nate Houle on the Gans Creek Classic.
The Bengal Men have consistently shown that they are able to compete with any team they race, ranging from a 1st-place team finish at the ISU Invitational to victories over Nebraska, Kansas, and Northern Iowa at the Gans Creek Classic.
The Men's team is currently coming off of a 2nd place team finish at the Color Country Invitational, with 6 Bengals finishing in the top 16 slots. In each race this season, the Bengals have finished above the preliminary projections, leaving plenty to be excited about for such a young team.
"Every one of those guys has been accountable to themselves. I had high expectations and they came in looking good and they've lived up to that" - continued Houle.
The Bengal Women have demonstrated incredible resilience throughout the season, being undeterred by adversity to put up impressive showings of their own. Despite Mother Nature frowning on Pocatello, the Bengals had a strong performance at the ISU Invite headlined by two top-4 finishers in Madi Kenyon and Cassandra Vasquez.
The Women would round out the non-conference season by finishing 8 slots above the projections at the Gans Creek Classic and four top-20 finishers at the Color Country Invitational in Vasquez, Sulette Ferreyra Serna, Alivia Johnson, and Kenyon.
"They never seem to show much fear at all. They just come off like they know what they're doing. There's a calmness about them that I think that's just their personal demeanor" said Houle
Racing for the Women's team will be Sulette Ferreyra Serna, Annabell Gossell, Olivia Kendall, Madi Kenyon, Allison Lemons, Lara Maccabee, Presley Timmons, and Cassandra Vasquez
The Men's team will feature Seth Babbel, Clark Baker, Eric Christen, Sunny Gunn, Gavin Pollock, Cade Smith, and Brandon Walker.
The meet will be live-streamed on ESPN+. Details are listed below. RACE INFORMATION
Where and When: University of Montana Golf Course, Missoula, MT
Women's 5K - 11:00 AM MT
Men's 8K - 12:00 PM MT
Live Results: Big Sky Conference Championships - Live Results | AthleticLIVE
Digital Program: 2023 Big Sky Cross Country Championships - University of Montana Athletics (gogriz.com)
ESPN+ Livestream: Big Sky Cross Country Championship (Championship) (10/27/23) - Live Stream - Watch ESPN
Big Sky Conference Preview: 2023 Big Sky Men's & Women's XC Championships - Big Sky Conference
