The WSU cross country team starts their season Saturday as they travel to Spokane to compete in the Clash of the Inland Northwest meet.

“It’s a good meet,” WSU Cross Country Coach Tim Riley said in a press conference. “The distance is about right for this time of the season and has good competition.”

Schools competing in this meet include Idaho, Eastern Washington, Lewis and Clark State, Whitworth, Whitman, and Gonzaga University.

With this meet being the first of the season, Riley feels the expectations are not at a high level yet.

“It’s a low-key meet,” Riley said. “It’s a meet to see where people are at.”

The men’s cross country team includes six returning runners and three freshmen.

“I’m really excited about the freshmen that we have this year,”Riley said.”They’ve been looking great in workouts so far, which is kind of unexpected. I think they’re ballers.”

The men will run a 6000-meter race that will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

After having a mostly inexperienced team last year, this year the women’s team includes nine returning runners.

The freshmen women are a step above of what the team had last year, which gives them a chance to be competitive this season, Riley said.

The women will run a 4000-meter race at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.