North Carolina State University Athletics
Cross Country
- Title:
- Director of Track & Field and Cross Country/Men's and Women's Track & Field Head Coach/Women's Cross Country Head Coach
- Email:
- lahenes@ncsu.edu
As Head Coach of Women's Cross Country (2006-present):
- 10x ACC Women's XC Coach of the Year
- 11x NCAA Southeast Region Coach of the Year
- 4x USTFCCCA National Coach of the Year
- 78 All-ACC performers
- 29 All-America selections
- 4 ACC Freshman of the Year honorees
- 10 ACC Team Championships
After 15 years as a member of Rollie Geiger's staff, Laurie Henes was named the third head coach in NC State women’s cross country history in 2006. Since taking over the program, she has transformed the Wolfpack into a national powerhouse, leading NC State to four NCAA Championships, nine ACC titles in the last decade and nine consecutive NCAA Southeast Regional Championships
In many ways, Henes' promotion to head coach was a formality. She was heavily involved with the women's program from the time she joined the coaching staff in 1992, and took a more prominent role with the women's team in subsequent years. Geiger stepped back from coaching the women's program following the 2005 season and made Henes the unofficial but de facto head coach.
In the summer of 2023, following another highly successful season, Henes was named Director of Track & Field and Cross Country and Head Men’s & Women’s Track & Field Coach, while continuing to serve as the head coach of the women’s cross country program
The 2025 season added another chapter to the program’s historic run as the Wolfpack captured its fourth NCAA Championship title in five seasons. NC State also secured its ninth consecutive NCAA Southeast Regional title, ninth ACC Championship title in the last 10 years and won every regular-season meet the team ran in.
Due to those accomplishments, Henes was named the ACC Coach of the Year, the USTFCCCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year and the USTFCCCA National Coach of the Year.
Among her team, Hannah Gapes played a big part in the championship season as she was the top Wolfpack runner in four meets. Gapes went on to be named the NCAA Southeast Region Athlete of the Year and the ACC Women's Performer of the Year, along with earning honors at every postseason race.
Sadie Engelhardt, Grace Hartman and Angelina Napoleon also contributed to the championship. Engelhardt was named ACC Freshman of the Year, Napoleon won the ACC individual title and earned honors at every postseason race and Hartman was a top 10 finisher along with Gapes at the ACC Championships and NCAA Championships.
The Wolfpack completed an unprecedented three-peat from 2021-23, winning three consecutive NCAA Championships and establishing itself as the dominant program in collegiate cross country.
During that stretch, NC State also captured three ACC titles and three NCAA Southeast Regional championships while producing numerous All-Americans and individual titles, including national champion Katelyn Tuohy.
In 2022, Tuohy won the NCAA individual title and was named ACC Runner of the Year, USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Year, Honda Sport Award winner and Mary Garber Award recipient.
The 2021 season marked a breakthrough moment for the program as Henes led the Wolfpack to the first NCAA team championship in NC State athletics since 1983. Five athletes earned All-America honors and Kelsey Chmiel captured ACC and NCAA Southeast Regional individual titles.
In addition to winning on the course, Henes has maintained the tremendous academic tradition that Geiger established decades ago with the cross country program. Since taking on the head coaching role in 2006, Henes’ athletes have earned 92 All-ACC Academic honors and 60 USTFCCCA All-Academic team honors.
As a student-athlete at NC State from 1988-92, Henes earned All-America honors in cross country as a junior and senior, and was All-ACC four straight years. She won the ACC women's cross country championship as a senior, finished fourth at the NCAA Championships and was a finalist for the Honda Sports Award for cross country.
In addition to her outstanding athletic achievements, Henes excelled academically, earning the ACC's Marie James Scholarship and an NCAA postgraduate scholarship. She won the H.C. Kennett Award as NC State's outstanding female athlete for the 1990-91 and 1991-92 school years.
Laurie is married to Bob Henes, a former Wolfpack All-American in cross country and track. They have two daughters, Elly and Jordan. Elly was a member of the Wolfpack’s cross country and track & field teams from 2016-2019.
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NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (4)
2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
NCAA SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (11)
2006, 2007, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS (10)
2006, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
