NAMPA, Idaho – For nearly as long as Bethany Danner and Sierra Manzer have been running cross country they have been competing against each other.

First as opponents and the last four years as teammates.

Danner, a senior from McCall, Idaho, and Manzer, a graduate student from Melba, Idaho, have been friends throughout.

Now, the pair will make history Saturday, running at the NCAA Division II National Cross Country Championships in Sacramento, Calif. The Nighthawks are the first women's team in program history to compete at the Division II meet.

"It's really cool because I have seen Bethany grow into the person she is now," Manzer said. "Back in high school, I didn't know her super well. I knew she was a runner and a had bit of personality. I really have gotten to know her as a person and who she really is. We've just grown together."

One of their favorite memories from their high school days came during a track and field meet at Melba. They had just run the 3,200 against each other and were exhausted as they lined up for the 800-meter race.

"After we did our dynamic stretches to get warmed up, we got in a group and talked about how we didn't want to run," a laughing Danner said. "We said when the gun went off we would hold hands and just walk and not let anyone else run.

"When the gun did go off, we raced each other to our deaths."

Manzer remembers a time at the state track and field meet her senior year of rounding toward the finish line in the 3,200 meters and hearing the announcer say, "Manzer is running in first and Danner in second."

"I was so excited to hear her name and just excited for her," Manzer said.

Heading into last week's NCAA regional meet, Manzer thought it was likely the last race of her collegiate career as well as with Danner.

While the team had talked about wanting to qualify for nationals, it seemed a bit far-fetched.

"I was like, 'This is my last race and that's kind of weird,'" Manzer said. "I had to give it my best and then when we finished and realized how good we all did. It was unbelievable and kind of incredible that we were able to accomplish that."

The Nighthawks finished second at the regional meet after having only been ranked once all season in the West Region poll — a 10th-place ranking at that.

Danner and Manzer will be joined at nationals by Heidi Nisly, Annalisa Hamilton, Sage Earnest, Kalen Johnson and Julia LaMar.

"We talk all the time how every single person on this women's team has a different personality," NNU cross country coach Danny Bowman said, "and it creates a great dynamic and a positive culture when you accept everyone no matter who they are or where they come from.

"Bethany and Sierra have done a great job of doing that and passing it on to the rest of the team."

It's the first time since 2000 that an NNU women's team has reached nationals, as that squad finished 13th at the NAIA meet.

"It's pretty mind-blowing," Danner said. "I wouldn't say everyone has an equal shot to perform athletically at the national level, but we both dreamed big and worked hard and we went after it and fortunately it worked out.

"It doesn't always, but it did this time."

Which is an incredible feeling for a pair of runners from small-town Idaho.