The NC State men’s and women’s cross country teams both qualified for NCAA Nationals at the NCAA Southeast Regional meet this past Friday in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The men took fifth, while the women placed second.

The combo of redshirt senior Meron Simon and redshirt junior Sam Parsons led the Pack, finishing fourth and fifth respectively. Redshirt sophomore Bakri Abushouk (23rd), redshirt freshman Zack Langston (50th) and redshirt junior Sam Roberson (66th) concluded the scoring for the Pack. 

Despite redshirt sophomore Sebastian Hanson’s absence due to illness, the team managed to finish fifth and earn a bid to the NCAA National Cross Country meet scheduled for Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky.

After missing out on the national meet last year as a team, this is a huge step forward for the program.

“It feels great,” redshirt junior Sam Parsons. “Last year I qualified for nationals as an individual. So it’ll be great to be back and also be there with the team.”

Parsons is also optimistic about his own capabilities. 

“Individually, I feel great,” he said. “I’ve had the opportunity to race nationals the past two years. Each year I felt I’ve learned so much in the race, and this year I’m ready to run with some of the top guys in the country and make a name for myself. NC State has a long history of tradition and All-Americans, so I look to continue that at nationals.”

Mental readiness and physical wellness are top priorities looking ahead to Saturday’s finale, Parson said. Luckily, just days before departure for Kentucky, the team is finely tuned for competition. 

“[We plan to] drop the mileage down and make sure our legs are feeling fresh come Saturday,” Parsons said.

 The Wolfpack men’s team will enter Saturday’s final contest ranked 17th in the latest USTFCCCA national poll. 

On the women’s side, redshirt freshman Rachel Koon and junior Erika Kemp finished front of the pack, placing eighth and ninth, respectively. Redshirt junior Megan Moye (15th), freshman Ryen Frazier (17th) and redshirt sophomore Alyssa Rudawsky (27th) concluded the top five for the Wolfpack.

The team is now poised to make its 32nd appearance at the NCAA national meet and improve upon last year’s 16th place finish.

“It’s very nice,” Kemp said. “Last year we placed fifth [at regionals] and had to wait for an at-large bid, which is kind of nerve-wracking. But this year the team got it done, and we [earned] an automatic bid [to nationals], so I’m really excited.”

Despite placing second at regionals, the result was bittersweet. While the Pack finished second and earned an automatic bid to nationals, it was outpaced by a strong University of Virginia program that also narrowly edged the Pack at the ACC championship.

“It’s unfortunate [University of Virginia] beat us twice but we get another chance at nationals and I think we’ll really pull it together then,” Kemp said.

Ultimately, the Pack accomplished its primary goal.

“We really looked at this meet as just a qualifying round for NCAA Championships,” head coach Laurie Henes said. “We were able to get through that with no issues, so we’re very happy.”

The overall depth of the team has largely contributor to its success this season.

“Our fifth runner today was Alyssa Rudawsky,” Henes said. “She was running in her first major championship meet of this caliber and had a fantastic day. That’s one of the marks of a good team, if you have some people with an off day, you’re deep enough to have other people step up and take care of that.”

As NCAA Nationals quickly approaches, the team is focusing on meet preparation. 

“We have seven days to get ready for NCAAs,” Henes said. “At this point in the season, we’ll be tapering, sharpening and getting ready for nationals.

The Wolfpack women’s team will travel to Saturday’s national meet ranked ninth in the latest USTFCCCA national poll.