North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Women Ranked First in ACC Preseason Poll, Men Chosen to Finish Fourth
9/8/2020 10:04:00 AM | Cross Country
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The NC State women's cross country squad was selected to finish first in the Atlantic Coast Conference while the men's cross country team was selected to finish fourth, as announced by the league office on Tuesday. The ACC preseason rankings are determined by a vote of the league's head coaches.
The Wolfpack women have been selected to finish first in the ACC for five consecutive seasons and have been crowned ACC Champions for the last four seasons, winning in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Elly Henes claimed the 2019 ACC individual title while Kelsey Chmiel finished fourth at the conference meet. Chmiel is one of three returners who earned All-ACC honors, joining Savannah Shaw and Julia Zachgo. Chmiel, Shaw and Zachgo additionally earned All-Region honors alongside Mariah Howlett and Isabel Zimmerman. The honor marked the second consecutive season in which Zimmerman has posted an All-Region performance.
Head coach Laurie Henes was honored as ACC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year, marking the fourth straight season in which she has earned the laurels. She coached the Wolfpack women to a fifth-place finish at the 2019 NCAA Championships. The women's squad has finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships in four of the last five seasons.
NC State's men's squad returns 2019 All-American Ian Shanklin, who took third place at the 2019 ACC Championship. Gavin Gaynor returns as well after posting a sixth-place finish at the ACC Championship in 2019. Both men earned All-ACC laurels.
The Wolfpack men attained a third-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional, with Shanklin as the top finisher on the team in sixth place. Shanklin and Gaynor each earned All-Region accolades. Shanklin has tabbed All-Region status for three consecutive seasons while Gaynor has earned the honors for two straight seasons.
2020 ACC Cross Country Women's Preseason Coaches Poll
1. NC State
2. Florida State
3. Notre Dame
4. Syracuse
5. North Carolina
6. Wake Forest
7. Boston College
8. Duke
9. Virginia Tech
10. Virginia
11. Georgia Tech
12. Louisville
13. Pitt
14. Clemson
15. Miami
2020 ACC Cross Country Men's Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Notre Dame
2. Syracuse
3. Virginia
4. NC State
5. Wake Forest
6. Florida State
7. Virginia Tech
8. Duke
9. North Carolina
10. Georgia Tech
11. Louisville
12. Pitt
13. Boston College
14. Clemson
15. Miami
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