Wolfpack to Wrap Up Regular Season at Nuttycombe Invitational, Pirate Invitational

RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State's men's and women's cross country teams will compete in their final meets of the regular season on Friday. The Wolfpack will be in action at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in Madison, Wis., to kick off the day of competition, and select student-athletes will represent NC State at the ECU Pirate Invitational in Greenville, N.C., later in the afternoon.

NUTTYCOMBE INVITATIONAL:
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All races at the Nuttycombe Invitational are set to take place at the Zimmer Championship Course. The meet is scheduled as follows, with all times converted to EST:

12 p.m. – Women's Open 6K
12:40 p.m. – Men's Open 8K
1:20 p.m. – Women's Championship 6K
2 p.m. – Men's Championship 8K

NC State will field seven runners in each of the Championship races, with its remaining entries at the meet running in the Open races.

After squaring off against some of the nation's best at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational two weeks ago, NC State will once again face another test at the Nuttycombe Invitational. A total of 39 nationally-ranked teams will compete in the men's and women's championship races.

The Wolfpack women are one of 20 top-30 squads and one of six top-10 programs that will toe the line on Friday afternoon. NC State's men are one of 19 ranked teams and one of six top-10 programs that will be in action. The nation's No. 1 teams on the women's side (Arkansas) and the men's side (Northern Arizona) will compete at the Nuttycombe Invitational.

ECU PIRATE INVITATIONAL:
The Pack's second meet of the weekend will be raced at Overton's Lake Kristi Cross Country Course. The women's 6K will be raced at 4 p.m., followed by the men's 8K at approximately 4:40 p.m.

PACK IN THE POLLS:
Both of NC State's squads were featured in the top 10 of the latest United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Coaches' Poll, which was released on Oct. 8. The Wolfpack women are No. 9 in the country, and the Pack men check in at No. 10 nationally.

It marks the first time since Nov. 3, 2015 that both Wolfpack programs are ranked in the top 10 of the national standings at the same time. The Pack boasts the ACC's top-ranked team on both the men's and women's side.

LAST TIME OUT:
The Wolfpack came away from the Notre Dame Invitational with a pair of top-four team finishes. NC State's men placed third as a team at the meet, and the women tallied a fourth-place team finish. Both programs managed to secure a pair of upsets over higher ranked teams in each of their respective races.

Senior Elly Henes led the way for the Wolfpack women with a ninth-place finish. She lowered her 5K personal best to 16:29.27.

Freshman Kelsey Chmiel joined Henes in the top 15 with a PR of her own. The Saratoga Springs, N.Y., native was the second-highest freshman finisher on the women's side, and her performance at the meet earned her ACC Freshman of the Week honors for the second time this season.

Ian Shanklin made his 2019 cross country debut at the Notre Dame Invitational with an impressive seventh-place individual finish to lead the Pack men.

UP NEXT:
NC State will open its postseason at the 2019 ACC Cross Country Championships on Friday, Nov. 1. The conference meet will be hosted by Virginia Tech at the Buford Meredith Cross Country Course in Blacksburg, Va.

#GoPack | @PackXC

Wolfpack to Wrap Up Regular Season at Nuttycombe Invitational, Pirate Invitational

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Players Mentioned

Kelsey Chmiel

Elly Henes

Ian Shanklin