Grace Fahrney cross country running

Grace Fahrney

Freshman Grace Fahrney of Anchorage registered her first NCAA D1 top-10 performance for Gonzaga University and won her first collegiate sprint as well.

Fahrney, of Service High fame, finished seventh in the women’s 6-K race out of 91 runners after crossing the line in 21:47.9 as the top freshman in the field at the Cougar Classic in Colfax, Washington.

She edged Idaho’s Kelsey Swenson in a photo finish at the line.

The Alaskan was second among Gonzaga women as the Bulldogs were second out of eight teams. Host Washington State won the meet with 43 points, followed by Gonzaga’s 48.

Fahrney placed 11th in her college debut, missing out of a top-10 finish by a half-second.