The Wolfpack cross country program started the 2020 season strong Friday night in Blacksburg, Virginia, winning both the men’s and women’s competitions at the Virginia Tech Invitational.
The women’s cross country team dominated, locking out the top five and scoring a perfect 15 points. Senior Hannah Steelman came in first, running the 6-kilometer race in just 20:36.2. She was followed by fellow senior Dominique Clairmonte by a 7.4-second gap.
Sophomore Kelsey Chimel came in third, starting off her 2020 season strong after finishing in the top 25 at the women’s NCAA championship in 2019. The Blue Devils finished with three runners in the top 10, finishing with 48 points. Virginia Tech placed third with a score of 79.
The men’s cross country won convincingly as well, scoring just 19 points overall. Duke managed to beat out Virginia Tech for second place, scoring 51 and 58 points, respectively.
Redshirt senior Joe Bistritz led the Wolfpack to victory, finishing the 8-kilometer race with a time of 24:37.3. Senior JP Flavin followed close behind, running a 4:57.7 mile as he battled his teammate for the lead. Junior Ian Shanklin secured third, separating from the pack and finishing with a 20.4-second gap to fourth place.
Both teams look to build off of success in the 2019 season. The men’s cross country team came in third at the NCAA regional championship, and the women’s team finished fifth overall at last year’s national championship.
