Why injuries, illness didn’t keep NC State women from winning third NCAA cross country title
N.C. State cross country coach Laurie Henes is back on the recruiting trail and it’s fair to say she has an excellent pitch.
It’s been about a month since the Wolfpack won its third straight national title, and the accomplishment demonstrates the kind of program exists in Raleigh.
The team was favored going into the season, but health issues sowed doubt. Henes, named national coach of the year, admitted she was one of those with doubts during the final race on Nov. 18.
Several runners were coming off injuries and illness. Junior Katelyn Tuohy competed while sick. Freshmen ran at nationals for the first time. It didn’t quite look possible.
“Nobody had a perfect race on NCAA day, for sure, but it was good enough across the board,” Henes said. “That’s a great thing about our sport. You have to have all five people be good enough, and we did.
“That’s what we really want from the program. It is not going to be the same seven people each year, but the program is going to be the same and as we bring new people in that they understand they’re running for each other and this bigger purpose, bigger than themselves.”
Every team overcomes at least some form of adversity during its season. N.C. State, however, experienced more than it ever expected en route to its historic finish.
Junior Amaris Tyynismaa and senior Sam Bush sustained injuries this summer, and unlike other sports, cross country runners don’t return to school early during the summer. So there’s not the same ability to monitor progress or treatments. Their recoveries took longer than expected.
Other runners got sick and didn’t recover well. For example, underclassmen Leah Stevens and Hannah Gapes missed NCAA regionals due to illness.
Then, the team’s fifth-year senior Kelsey Chmiel sustained a lower leg injury in the final weeks of the season. Henes said the program hoped it would be manageable, but the four-time All-American ultimately missed the title race.
“She really is the heart and soul of the program,” Henes said. “It was just really hard for everyone to know she wasn’t gonna be able to line up, but I think they really did kind of rally around each other.”
Tuohy, who avoided illness until November, called the season “stressful” and said it was tough to see Chmiel miss nationals. Chmiel is more than a teammate. She’s one of Tuohy’s closest friends.
There was a lot of pressure coming into the season, though, with a No. 1 ranking and predictions to repeat.
Expectations, however, lowered as the season progressed. Between that and a motivation to compete for Chmiel, the Wolfpack went into the race with an underdog, give-it-all mentality. It paid off.
Bush and Tyynismaa passed 14 other runners in the final kilometer to give the Pack (123 points) the push it needed. It beat Northern Arizona (124) by one, the closest team finish in NCAA history.
Chmiel threw down her crutches in celebration.
N.C. State is the third program in NCAA history to earn three straight women’s cross country titles, as well. Stanford most recently achieved the feat in the 2005-07 seasons.
The Pack attributes the team’s success over the years to its consistency and culture. It maintains a family feel, even in the portal and NIL era, caring about each other more than just results.
“I think the team proved how much of a team sport cross country really is; the way we were able to step it up for each other, encourage each other and buy into the Pack mentality,” Tuohy said. “I think it’s been a cool story over the past three years – three times in a row, but in such different ways.”
‘Always an honor to represent the Wolfpack’
Another positive aspect to Henes’ pitch to future Wolfpack student-athletes? The possibility of more, more opportunities in their own careers and more opportunities to impact others.
Tuohy recently announced her decision to turn pro, signing with Adidas. She expressed gratitude for her personal growth and an opportunity to grow women’s sports.
She learned how to be a better teammate and care for others. Her favorite thing is meeting middle school girls and hearing they inspire her.
Plus, she became an elite athlete. She gave a lot to Raleigh, but it gave a lot to her.
“The school just had my back over the past like three and a half years. It’s taken really good care of me, and it’s always an honor to represent the Wolfpack,” Tuohy said. “I’ll be a proud alumna, and carry that ‘Pack mentality’ everywhere.
“I kind of harp on the team side of the sport. That’s what has meant the most to me and my time here at N.C. State. I came back this season to try to win a national title with my best friends and that’s what we did. It’s something that in the future I’ll look back on and (will) have been one of my favorite memories here.”
