North Carolina State University Athletics
Coombs, Tinsley to Lead Cross Country in '08
8/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
RALEIGH, N.C. -- With two returning All-ACC runners on each team and a host of new faces fleshing out the rosters, NC State’s men’s and women’s cross country teams will report to campus in mid-August. The Wolfpack will begin the 2008 season on September 12 at the Wolfpack Invitational at the Wake Med Soccer Park in Cary.
Senior Gavin Coombs and junior John Martinez will lead head coach Rollie Geiger’s men’s squad in ’08. Coombs is a three-time all-conference performer and was the 2004 ACC Rookie of the Year. Only five men in the history of the Wolfpack men’s program have earned all-conference honors four times, the most recent being Wesley Smith (2003-04, 2006-07).
Martinez broke into the starting lineup as a sophomore a year ago and made the most of the opportunity, earning All-ACC honors. Coombs and Martinez both captured all-regional honors at the NCAA Southeast Regional in Louisville, Ky. Senior Fredy Torres earned all-regional honors two years ago.
On the women’s side, head coach Laurie Henes will look to two-time All-ACC runner Brittany Tinsley for senior leadership. Tinsley took fifth place at the ACC Championships a year ago, then took ninth at the regionals to earn all-regional honors.
Junior Bona Jones was All-ACC and All-America as a freshman two years ago, and earned all-region honors as a sophomore. In addition, sophomore Colleen Wetherbee became the Wolfpack’s second ACC Rookie of the Year in as many years last season with a 19th-place finish at the ACC Championships, then added all-regional honors with a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regonals.
Geiger and Henes will be counting heavily on their veterans to show leadership. The men and women both will field their youngest teams in recent memory. The men’s roster features just two juniors and two seniors. The women, meanwhile, have three juniors and two seniors. At the other end of the spectrum, the men will have six redshirt-freshmen and seven true freshmen. The women are even younger, with one redshirt-freshman and 13 true freshmen on the roster.
Senior Gavin Coombs and junior John Martinez will lead head coach Rollie Geiger’s men’s squad in ’08. Coombs is a three-time all-conference performer and was the 2004 ACC Rookie of the Year. Only five men in the history of the Wolfpack men’s program have earned all-conference honors four times, the most recent being Wesley Smith (2003-04, 2006-07).
Martinez broke into the starting lineup as a sophomore a year ago and made the most of the opportunity, earning All-ACC honors. Coombs and Martinez both captured all-regional honors at the NCAA Southeast Regional in Louisville, Ky. Senior Fredy Torres earned all-regional honors two years ago.
On the women’s side, head coach Laurie Henes will look to two-time All-ACC runner Brittany Tinsley for senior leadership. Tinsley took fifth place at the ACC Championships a year ago, then took ninth at the regionals to earn all-regional honors.
Junior Bona Jones was All-ACC and All-America as a freshman two years ago, and earned all-region honors as a sophomore. In addition, sophomore Colleen Wetherbee became the Wolfpack’s second ACC Rookie of the Year in as many years last season with a 19th-place finish at the ACC Championships, then added all-regional honors with a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regonals.
Geiger and Henes will be counting heavily on their veterans to show leadership. The men and women both will field their youngest teams in recent memory. The men’s roster features just two juniors and two seniors. The women, meanwhile, have three juniors and two seniors. At the other end of the spectrum, the men will have six redshirt-freshmen and seven true freshmen. The women are even younger, with one redshirt-freshman and 13 true freshmen on the roster.
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