Grade: B-
The NC State women’s track and field team flourished throughout the indoor season. The distance trio of senior Erika Kemp, redshirt sophomore Rachel Koon and sophomore Ryen Frazier dazzled on the oval.
Kemp concluded the indoor season with an individual ACC title in the 3,000-meter run and a second-team All-American finish in the 5,000-meter at the NCAA meet. Koon helped the Pack pick up another All-American finish with 15th place in the 3,000-meter.
Frazier racked up high finishes at major competitions, including a 10th-place finish in the 5,000-meter at the BU Invitational. This success was matched in the sprint events as well.
Senior Paisley Simmons broke the 200-meter record from 23.88 to 23.78 — the previous mark set by Ebony Foster stood for over a decade. Sophomore Gabriele Cunningham equaled the 60-meter dash record. Her swift time of 7.39 equaled the mark set by Felicia Fant in 2004.
Like the women, the men’s team excelled, but injuries set them back during the championship circuit.
Throughout the winter, the men were led by redshirt junior Joshua Davis, redshirt senior Sam Parsons and freshman Cravont Charleston.
Davis refined his craft in the field, breaking his own school record in the weight throw from 69-11 to 72-3 3/4. The Pelham, North Carolina native placed third at ACCs and fifth at the NCAA Championships, earning first-team All-American honors.
Parsons concluded his final indoor season with a 5,000-meter runner-up finish at the ACC Championships and an All-ACC second-team finish in the 3,000-meter competition. Charleston finished his freshman campaign with a 60-meter runner-up placing at ACCs, lowering his career-best to 6.66 at year’s end.
Both teams regressed in the 2016-17 season, as the women placed ninth at this season’s ACC Championships, down from last year’s seventh-place finish. The men finished seventh and 42nd in ACCs and NCAAs, while last season’s squad finished fourth and 14th.
This backslide is attributed to the many injuries the team picked up throughout the season. With plenty of young and returning talent, the future is bright for next year’s campaign.
