North Carolina State University Athletics
Championship Streak Continues for Wolfpack Cross Country
11/1/2004 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Nov. 1, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. - On Saturday, Oct. 30, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) cross country programs assembled for the conference championships in College Park, Md. For the fourth consecutive year, and 13th time overall, the men's team collected the conference championship. With four of the nation's top teams competing in the women's meet, the Pack performed well and finished third overall. With the exception of one lone year, NC State has now collected at least one conference crown in every season since 1983.
In the men's 8,000-meter run, sophomore Bobby Mack continued to have a breakout season, leading NC State with a second-place finish. Senior Andy Smith, 2003 individual conference champion, trailed Mack by a few seconds and finished third. Sophomore Wesley Smith came in eighth-place, while freshman Gavin Coombs completed a stellar debut with a 13th-place performance. The Pack's runners amassed 47 points to seal a first-place finish, beating Florida State by a single point. The one point victory serves as the closest deciding championship margin in conference history.
Over the 6,000-meter women's course, juniors Julia Lucas and Kristina Roth had strong showings. Lucas led NC State and finished fifth overall, while Roth came in 14th-place. The women's squad finished third overall with 71 total points.
Due to the addition of Virginia Tech and Miami to the new ACC, the conference will now award All-ACC status to runners finishing in the top 14 of the conference championship race. This year, NC State had four men's runners collect all-conference nods, while two members of the women's squad found themselves on the list.
For the men, Andy Smith collected All-ACC honors for the fourth time, while his brother Wesley Smith was named to the list for the second year in a row. Bobby Mack achieved all-conference honors for the first time, as did Gavin Coombs. Coombs' finish earned him ACC Freshman of the Year honors, making him the third member of the current roster to earn the award along with Andy Smith and Bryce Ruiz.
On the women's end, juniors Julia Lucas and Kristina Roth both earned all-conference recognition for the second time. Last season, Lucas was All-ACC with a fourth-place finish at the conference meet. Roth was named All-ACC in 2002 with a ninth-place finish at the ACC championships.
The NC State cross country program will continue to prepare for the upcoming District III Championships. The meet will take place on Saturday, Nov. 13, in Greenville, N.C.
Men's ACC Champions - NC State - 47 points
2004 ACC Men's Cross Country All-Conference Team
2. Bobby Mack, NC State (24:31.4)
3. Andy Smith, NC State (24:38.3)
8. Wesley Smith, NC State (24:57.6)
13. Gavin Coombs, NC State (25:02.7)
2004 ACC Men's Cross Country Freshman of the Year
Gavin Coombs, NC State
Women's ACC Championships - NC State (third place) - 71 points
2004 ACC Women's Cross Country All-Conference Team
5. Julia Lucas, NC State (21:59.6)
14. Kristina Roth, NC State (22:40.1)
