North Carolina State University Athletics
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NC State Cross Country Squads Featured in Preseason National Top 15
8/27/2019 12:14:00 PM | Cross Country
NEW ORLEANS, La. – For the first time since the 2007 season, NC State's men's and women's cross country squads are both featured in the top 15 of the preseason national rankings.
NC State's women enter the 2019 campaign ranked 10th in the nation, and the Wolfpack men were tabbed 13th in the Preseason National Coaches' Poll that was released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday afternoon.
The Wolfpack women go into the 2019 season as the highest-ranked ACC squad. The team spent the entirety of last season ranked in the top 15, culminating in a 13th-place finish at the 2018 NCAA Championships. The result marked NC State's fourth top-15 finish in a row under the leadership of head coach Laurie Henes.
Six of the Pack's seven NCAA participants, including four of its five scorers, return to the 2019 squad. In 2018, Elly Henes led the way for NC State's women, crossing the finish line 16th to gain All-American status for the second cross country season in a row. Dominique Clairmonte, Heather Holt and Nevada Mareno also scored for the Wolfpack at the 2018 NCAA Championships and return to the roster this year.
On the men's side, NC State is ranked in the preseason top 15 for the first time since 2014.
The Pack men made tremendous strides during the 2018 postseason and came away from the NCAA Championships with an 11th-place finish, the team's best since the 2011 season when it placed 10th overall at the national meet.
NC State also returns four of its five scorers on the men's side, highlighted by its top three runners from last season's national meet. Ian Shanklin led the way with the highest national finish of his career in 2018 and will be joined by fellow returners Joe Bistritz and Gavin Gaynor. Edwin Rutto, who rounded out the scoring for the Wolfpack last year, also returns to the 2019 roster.
NC State is set for its season opener on Friday, Sept. 20 when it hosts its annual adidas XC Challenge at the WakeMed Soccer Park XC Course in Cary, N.C.
#GoPack | @PackXC
NC State's women enter the 2019 campaign ranked 10th in the nation, and the Wolfpack men were tabbed 13th in the Preseason National Coaches' Poll that was released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday afternoon.
The Wolfpack women go into the 2019 season as the highest-ranked ACC squad. The team spent the entirety of last season ranked in the top 15, culminating in a 13th-place finish at the 2018 NCAA Championships. The result marked NC State's fourth top-15 finish in a row under the leadership of head coach Laurie Henes.
Six of the Pack's seven NCAA participants, including four of its five scorers, return to the 2019 squad. In 2018, Elly Henes led the way for NC State's women, crossing the finish line 16th to gain All-American status for the second cross country season in a row. Dominique Clairmonte, Heather Holt and Nevada Mareno also scored for the Wolfpack at the 2018 NCAA Championships and return to the roster this year.
On the men's side, NC State is ranked in the preseason top 15 for the first time since 2014.
The Pack men made tremendous strides during the 2018 postseason and came away from the NCAA Championships with an 11th-place finish, the team's best since the 2011 season when it placed 10th overall at the national meet.
NC State also returns four of its five scorers on the men's side, highlighted by its top three runners from last season's national meet. Ian Shanklin led the way with the highest national finish of his career in 2018 and will be joined by fellow returners Joe Bistritz and Gavin Gaynor. Edwin Rutto, who rounded out the scoring for the Wolfpack last year, also returns to the 2019 roster.
NC State is set for its season opener on Friday, Sept. 20 when it hosts its annual adidas XC Challenge at the WakeMed Soccer Park XC Course in Cary, N.C.
#GoPack | @PackXC
Players Mentioned
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