NC State
ACC Cross Country Championships
NC State Women Claim Fifth-Straight ACC Title
10/30/2020 2:28:00 PM | Cross Country
CARY, N.C. - The NC State women's cross country team claimed its fifth-straight ACC title on Friday, taking first place at the ACC Championship meet to earn the 26th title in program history. The win marks the longest consecutive win streak since the women won seven consecutive titles from 1987-1993.
The Wolfpack women completed the meet with 47 points and three runners in the top 10. Georgia Tech was the second-place finisher with 99 points while Florida State rounded out the top three with 109 points.
NC State's men tabbed a second-place finish with 54 points, trailing only Notre Dame who won the ACC Men's Championship with 40 points. The team placed two finishers in the top 10 and four in the top 15.
WOMEN'S 6K RECAP:
Redshirt senior Dominique Clairmonte and senior Hannah Steelman each posted top-three finishes, and for most of the race the pair was switching off between first and second place. At the end it was Clairmonte who won the first title of her career, crossing the finish line in 19:55.1 and completing the race 11 seconds before the second-place runner. Steelman earned a third-place finish with a time of 20:17.3.
Dominance continues for the @PackXC women at the ACC Championships!
— NC State Athletics (@PackAthletics) October 30, 2020
Team 🏆 (fifth in a row)
Dominique Clairmonte individual 🏆#GoPack pic.twitter.com/SpqUR29cpF
Redshirt sophomore Mariah Howlett also posted a top-10 finish, taking seventh place (20:27.1). Sophomore Kelsey Chmiel scored for the Wolfpack with a 16th-place finish (20:37.3), and redshirt sophomore Ashley Holt rounded out the scoring with a time of 20:41.3 and a 20th-place finish.
All five of the Wolfpack's scorers earned All-ACC status. Clairmonte earned her third All-ACC laurels while Chmiel tabbed the honors for the second time. Steelman, Howlett and Holt's honors were the first of their careers.
Sophomore Sam Bush represented the Wolfpack as well, running the race in 20:55.6. Freshmen Jenna Schulz and Gionna Quarzo competed in their first ACC Championship races, finishing back-to-back with times of 21:06.4 and 21:07.8, respectively.
Rounding out the Wolfpack's competitors were senior Julia Zachgo (21:15.1) and junior Savannah Shaw (21:43.3).
MEN'S 8K RECAP:
The NC State men had an impressive showing at the meet, taking second place with 54 points behind Notre Dame. The finish marks the highest for the Wolfpack men since they took second place in both 2014 and 2015.
Senior Ian Shanklin recorded his highest-ever finish at the ACC Championship, taking second place with a time of 23:08.5. Redshirt senior Joe Bistritz also recorded his highest-ever finish at ACCs with a sixth-place finish and a time of 23:27.3.
Redshirt seniors Gavin Gaynor and JP Flavin posted back-to-back top-15 finishes, Gaynor taking 14th (23:33.7) and Flavin finishing 15th (23:34.2). Junior Hannes Burger rounded out the scoring for the Wolfpack with a 17th-place, running a 23:36.0.
The Wolfpack's scorers all posted times good for All-ACC honors, with Shanklin and Gaynor earning the laurels for the third time in their careers. Bistritz earned his second career All-ACC honor while Flavin and Burger tabbed All-ACC status for the first time in their careers.
Running in his first ACC Championship was freshman Kevin Antczak, who crossed the finish line in 23:59.0. Redshirt sophomore Nate Kawalec competed for the Wolfpack as well, posting a time of 24:33.1 while redshirt freshman Ben Verchick finished the race in 24:36.9. Redshirt sophomore Ares Epps suited up for NC State at the meet as well, running a 24:41.6 while freshman Brett Gardner posted a 24:45.5.
#GoPack | @PackXC
Players Mentioned
