Bryan Murphy
Redshirt freshman cross country runner Ben Barrett rounds the corner with the rest of the field in the men's 6K event of the Adidas XC Challenge at WakeMed Soccer Park Cross Country Course on Sept. 16, 2016. Barrett was the second place finisher for NC State with a time of 18:18.1. The Wolfpack finished second overall beind Florida State.
The No. 2 women’s and No. 17 men’s NC State cross country teams placed 4th and 22nd respectively at the NCAA Cross Country Championships Terre Haute, Indiana Saturday.
In a tightly contested competition, featuring many of the nation’s best, the Pack held its own and finished its season in style.
On the women’s side, the team improved on last season’s 5th place finish and earned a spot on the podium this go around.
The team was led by two All-American finishes from senior Erika Kemp (17th) and redshirt sophomore Rachel Koon (25th.)
Soon after, redshirt junior Wesley Frazier broke the plane in 47th. The duo of redshirt junior Alyssa Rudawsky (84th) and sophomore Ryen Frazier (115th) completed team scoring for the Pack.
In a highly congested race where the top 70 runners finished within a minute of one another, the Pack was still able to score an impressive 223 points; less than 100 points from the 1st place Oregon Ducks.
This high ranking was nothing new for the reigning ACC Cross Country champions.
The Wolfpack has accumulated an astonishing resume over the years. This year, the team made its 16th NCAA Cross Country Championship appearance in 20 seasons.
Of these 16 appearances, four have ended in top 10 team finishes.
Additionally, the team has a history of cultivating individually talented runners as well. Over the same time span, the Wolfpack women’s cross country team has garnered 15 individual All American finishes.
This season was equally if not more successful than previous years. The Pack earned high-team placings across the board.
From winning the NCAA Southeast Regionals, to finishing runner-up at the Notre Dame and Wisconsin invitationals, this season has been a further addition to the Women’s cross country programs extensive history of excellence.
On the men’s side, the team earned 22nd. Despite the graduation of several key runners, the Pack was still able to improve upon last season’s 28th place result.
The men were headed by a 51st place finish from redshirt senior Sam Parsons. Redshirt senior and Columbia-transfer Aubrey Myjer placed second for the Pack with his 98th place finish.
Meanwhile, the trio of redshirt sophomore Patrick Sheehan, redshirt junior Sebastian Hanson, and redshirt freshman Ben Barrett concluded scoring for the Pack.
This marked the Pack’s 18th NCAA meet appearance in 20 seasons; and of these 18 NCAA meet appearances, five have culminated with top 10 team finishes.
Additionally, the Pack has also yielded 19 All-American finishes at Nationals.
However, this season, the men’s team surprised many with its gradual improvement. With the graduation of key runners Graham Crawford and Meron Simon, many believed this year to be a rebuilding season for the Pack.
Entering the season, the Pack was ranked 30th in the USTFCCCA Preseason cross country rankings. By the end of the season, the team had managed to climb up to 17th in the national polls prior to the championships.
A stellar third-place finish at the ACC Championship meet and victory at the NCAA Southeast Regional meet marked the completion of the Packs steady incline this season.
The development of the team’s young runners, combined with the further growth of the team’s upperclassmen contributed to this success.
With the completion of its 2016 campaign, many Wolfpack cross country runners will now focus their eyes towards the indoor track and field circuit.