COLFAX, Wash. - The Washington State cross country team hosted its second event of the season, the WSU Cougar Classic at Colfax Golf Club, Friday evening. WSU freshmen Evans Kurui and Zenah Cheptoo each won their races, giving the Cougars a clean sweep of the 14-team race. Cheptoo and Kurui both won their races for the second consecutive event. Overall, the Cougar women's team finished in third place, while the men finished runner-up to Boise State. 

After her record setting Cougar debut in the WSU Alumni Open two weeks ago, freshman Zenah Cheptoo made another splash, finishing first place in the women's 6k. Cheptoo finished with a time of 20:03.98, and won it in the final stretch. Cheptoo and Gonzaga's Logan Hofstee went stride-for-stride through the first 5,000 meters, up until the last kilometer, when Cheptoo pulled away to secure the win. 

Two other Cougar women finished in the top 10 for Washington State. Graduate student Alaina Stone Boggs finished in seventh with a time of 20:46.46 and graduate student Neema Kimtai finished in eighth with a time of 20:46.90. 

In men's 8k action, Wazzu freshman Kurui took home first place in record-setting fashion, finishing with a time of 22:46.72. The previous record, held by Oregon's Edward Cheserek,  was set at the 2015 Pac-12 Championships. Kurui bested the time by 20 seconds and finished nearly 55 seconds ahead of the runner-up.  

Graduate student Brian Barsaiya finished in fifth place with a time of 23:43.60 and senior Leif Swanson ran a strong 24:11.84 to claim a spot in the top 10. 

The Cougars' next race at the Joe Piane Invitational at Notre Dame, October 4, in South Bend, Ill. 


Women's 6k – Team Results
1. Gonzaga, 39 points
2. Boise State, 49 points
3. Washington State, 50 points
4. UC San Diego, 121 points
5. Eastern Washington, 158 points
6. Idaho, 169 points
7. Seattle U, 172 points
8. Arizona, 264 points
9. Montana, 266 points
10. Northern Nazarene, 317 points
11. Whitworth, 317 points
12. Lewis-Clark, 330 points
13. Spokane CC, 380 points

Women's 6k – WSU Individuals
-Neema Cheptoo, 20:03.98, 1st
-Aliana Stone Boggs, 20:46.90, 7th
-Neena Kimtai, 20:46.90, 8th
-Nicole Bissell, 21:04.87, 12th
-Jessica Duran, 21:23.10, 22nd
-Kaleena Narus 21:33.88, 25th
-Lindsay Sibert 21:53.72, 37th
-Sabrina Colbert, 21:56.43, 39th
-Lauren Hoyt, 21:57.88, 43rd
-Maya Nichols, 22:18.70, 53rd
-Jaylyn Lehner, 22:35.02, 59th
-Kennedy Averill: 23:01.28, 80th
-Lily Herman: 23:14.87, 94th

Men's 8k – WSU Individuals
-Evans Kurui, 22:46.8, 1st
-Brian Barsaiya, 23:43, 5th
-Leif Swanson 24:11.9, 10th
-Kelvin Limo 24:23.8, 18th
-Grayson Wilcott, 24:39.0, 32nd
-Evan Bruce, 24.39.6, 33rd
-Leo Cook,24.47.4, 44th
-Eric Swedin, 25:03.2, 55th
-Jacob Easton, 25:07.6, 57th
-Micaiah Aiden, 25:08.9, 58th
-Ethan Werner, 25:25.0, 71st
-Ferran Verges, 25:37.2, 80th
- Alec Barran: 26:13.4, 104th 

Men's 8k – Team Results
1. Boise State, 60 points 
2. Washington State, 62 points 
3. Gonzaga, 64 points 
4. Arizona, 127 points 
5. Eastern Washington, 134 points 
6. Northwest Nazarene, 165 points 
7. Idaho, 182 points 
8. UC San Diego, 199 points 
9. Montana, 217 points 
10. Lewis-Clark, 231 points 
11. Whitworth, 301 points 
12. Seattle U, 352 points 
13. Spokane CC, 400 points 
14. Walla Walla, 458 points