With the 2017-2018 track and field season finished, it can be said that the NC State team had a solid year.
Starting the season indoors, the Pack set off to Boston University in December for its season opener where sophomore distance runner Elly Henes recorded the second-fastest time in program history, 15:49.29, for the indoor 5k.
Moving on to the Carolina Cup in January, the Pack had many achievements to showcase its efforts. Junior Gabriele Cunningham broke her own record in the 60-meter dash. Redshirt junior Lauren Evans and redshirt senior Joshua Davis finished first place in throwing.
The Wolfpack took first place in the men’s 4×400-meter relay with the team of senior Shannon Patterson, sophomore Dylan Peebles, freshman Will Hoffmann and redshirt junior Abdur Rahmaan Kelly. By the end of the meet, the Pack had reaped a total of 15 podium finishes with six athletes qualifying for the ACC Indoor Championships.
In February at the UCS Invitational, Henes made program history by beating the fastest 5k time in indoor track, 15:43.84
During the ACC Indoor Championships, the men placed fifth and the women came in at eighth place. Across 12 events, 11 athletes of the Wolfpack earned All-Conference honors.
Henes won the gold for her performance in the women’s 3,000-meter race and earned her first ACC title. Peebles, in the 200-meter run and sophomore Cravont Charleston, in the 60-meter dash, both placed third, earning bronze and a spot on the podium.
The men’s 4×400-meter relay received fourth place at the meet. Evans placed fourth in the shot put and earned second team All-ACC for the second time. Also earning second team All-ACC was freshman Michelle Cobb, who came in fifth in the triple jump.
Continuing on to the NCAA Indoor Championships, Henes and Cunningham earned All-American performances for their first time at a national meet.
Moving into the spring and outdoor season, the Pack started by winning seven events at the Gamecock Invitational in April.
The Virginia Grand Prix Competition saw junior Philip Hall place second for the 1,500-meter run to earn silver and a qualifier for the ACC Outdoor Championships.
The ACC Outdoor Championships were a strong competition for the Wolfpack, which earned two titles and five podium finishes. Henes won the 5,000m for the second time in her career. Patterson, Charleston, Kelly and Peebles won the 4x100m relay for the third year in a row.
Charleston also earned silver in an individual event, the 100-meter. Patterson placed second in the 200-meter. For the women, Cunningham placed second in the 200m for one of her two individual events. Overall, the men won eighth place and the women placed 10th.
Wrapping up the season at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Evans competed in shot put but did not make it past the first day. Redshirt senior Erika Kemp and Henes both performed in the 5,000m and earned second team All-American honors.
