Running as a Pack

By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

At the 2021 NCAA Championships in November, the Wolfpack women’s cross country team ran quite literally as a pack. Five Wolfpack runners crossed the finish line with just 18 seconds between them, a remarkably small spread. That collective strength, unusual in other elite programs, earned them the NCAA title.

For a storied program that took home national titles in 1979 and 1980 and placed in the top 10 through most of the 1980s, the win was the culmination of steady improvement in recent years. With six consecutive ACC titles since 2016 and top-10 finishes in the NCAA finals since 2015 every year but one, the team has landed key recruits and built on plenty of momentum.

“Our women understood what that history was and really had a desire and drive to get the program back to that level,” says head coach Laurie Henes ’92.

With few talent gaps between athletes, NC State’s runners are often within eyeshot of each other during races, not scattered across the field like other teams. That matters, says junior Kelsey Chmiel, the Pack’s first finisher at nationals and sixth place overall. “It just really brings your spirits up and helps you run a lot faster.”

And then there’s the team’s close-knit atmosphere, with leaders who stick around and actual family connections. Henes ran for longtime Coach Rollie Geiger, who continues to coach the men’s team. And daughter Elly Henes ’20, a 2021 NCAA outdoor champion, recently cycled off the team.

The fact that Henes was coaching her own daughter is a big reason why sophomore Katelyn Tuohy, the Pack’s second finisher in the NCAAs, chose NC State. “My parents felt very comfortable having her as my coach,” Tuohy says, “because they knew she knew what it was like to be a parent of a high-level athlete.”

Going forward, the team is focused on staying healthy and consistent, Henes says. But Hannah Steelman ’21, the Pack’s fourth finisher, expects the title will spark more momentum for the Wolfpack. “I’m really excited,” she says, “to see how much of a dynasty this program ends up being at the national level.”