NC State’s track and field team traveled to Boston, Massachusetts on Saturday, Dec. 3 to kick off the indoor season at the Sharon Colyear-Danville season opener hosted by Boston University. Seven Wolfpack athletes participated in the distance races at the event. 

On the women’s side, senior Samantha Bush and freshman Grace Hartman competed in the 3000m race while junior Katelyn Tuohy, senior Kelsey Chmiel, graduate student Sydney Seymour and junior Gionna Quarzo competed in the 5000m. 

In the 3000m event, Bush took third place and broke the NC State school record with a time of 8:54.12. Hartman finished the race in 22nd out of 84 finishers in a time of 9:16.36.

In the 5000m, Tuohy placed second overall but she was the first collegiate finisher. Her time of 15:15.92 is a school record and the ninth best mark in collegiate history. Just about 12 seconds behind her was Chmiel, who took eighth place with a time of 15:27.83. In a field of 130 finishers, Seymour and Quarzo placed 13th and 62nd, posting times of 15:35.61 and 16:25.97, respectively. 

On the men’s side, junior Brett Gardner was the only athlete competing for the red-and-white. Gardner finished 56th in the 5000m event, coming in at 13:48.77.

The team’s next challenge will come on Jan. 13, when it travels to Blacksburg, Virginia to compete in the VT Invitational.