NC State Women’s Cross Country #1 in ACC Preseason Poll, Men at #3

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The NC State women’s cross country team was picked to win its third-straight ACC title in a vote of the league’s head coaches, as announced by the conference office Thursday. On the men’s side, the Wolfpack was voted third in the conference’s preseason poll.

The Wolfpack women enter the season atop the ACC for the third year in a row and will look to win another conference title in 2018 after becoming ACC champions in 2016 and 2017. Last season, the women placed first at the conference meet with 43 points, beating every team in the field by more than 60 points on the way to winning the program’s 23rd ACC title.

In 2017, NC State dominated with a 3-4-5 punch in the women’s 6K, led by 2018 returners Dominique Clairmonte, who broke the 20-minute barrier to place third, and Elly Henes, who placed fourth with a personal-best time. Letterwinners Beth Taye (10th) and Ryen Frazier (21st) also scored for the Pack and garnered All-ACC status in 2017 and will return to compete in 2018.

NC State’s men’s team returns all three of its All-ACC performers from 2017. Philip Hall (14th), Joe Bistritz (15th) and Ben Barrett (16th) led the Pack to its third-place finish at the ACC Championships last season. Ian Shanklin (23rd) also returns to the squad in 2018 after finishing as one of the Pack’s top-five runners at the conference meet in 2017.

As announced Tuesday, the Wolfpack women were selected as the No. 6 team in the country in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Preseason National Rankings. The NC State men enter the season as the No. 21 team in the nation.

The Wolfpack will open its 2018 campaign at home as it hosts the adidas XC Challenge. The meet is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 14 at the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.

2018 ACC Cross Country Women’s Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. NC State
2. Notre Dame
3. Louisville
4. Virginia Tech
5. Syracuse
6. Wake Forest
7. Duke
8. Florida State
9. Virginia
10. North Carolina
11. Pittsburgh
12. Georgia Tech
13. Boston College
14. Clemson
15. Miami

2018 ACC Cross Country Men’s Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Syracuse
2. Virginia
3. NC State
4. Notre Dame
5. Virginia Tech
6. Florida State
7. Wake Forest
8. Duke
9. Georgia Tech
10. North Carolina
11. Pittsburgh
12. Clemson
13. Louisville
14. Boston College
15. Miami

(Photo Credit: GoPack)