NC State’s run continues after women’s cross country wins fourth national title
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- N.C. State women won their fourth NCAA cross country title in five years.
- Wolfpack scored 114 points, edged BYU by 16; Gapes and Hartman earned All‑America honors.
- Title followed 2025 ACC and NCAA Southeast regional crowns; four ACC teams in top 15
The NCAA cross country championships took place in Columbia, Missouri, on Saturday, but the women’s dynasty continues in Raleigh.
N.C. State women’s cross country won its fourth national title in five years. It is one of five programs to win at least four women’s team titles and has finished in the top 10 for seven straight seasons.
The No. 1 ranked Wolfpack finished with 114 points and edged out runner-up and No. 2 ranked BYU by 16 points, bringing the national championship back to the Triangle. N.C. State’s group averaged just 2/100ths of a seconds faster than the Cougars.
“It was awesome. It wasn’t perfect today, but we always talk about how it doesn’t have to be perfect to end up with the results that you want,” N.C. State head coach Laurie Henes said during an ESPN interview. “We had people that had maybe not their best days, but they just kept fighting and it all came together. I’m super grateful to be coaching these women. I’m so proud of them.”
Hannah Gapes led the Wolfpack with a fifth-place individual finish, recording a time of 18:51.3. Grace Hartman finished sixth with a time of 18:52.6. They earned All-America honors for the second consecutive season.
Bethany Michalak (19:14.9) and Angelina Napoleon (19:22.7) also earned All-America recognition.
The Wolfpack trailed Oregon in the first 2,000 kilometers but made up ground to take a lead roughly halfway through the race. It led the remaining 3,000 kilometers of the course.
N.C. State’s title was preceded by the 2025 ACC Championship, its 30th conference title in school history, and NCAA Southeast Regional Championship. It won the league title over Notre Dame by 61 points, while it defeated South Carolina by 45 points in the regional.
Last season, the Wolfpack finished No. 8 in the championship — a result the team was pleased with — but it is glad to be atop the podium again. N.C. State previously won NCAA titles in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
“We were actually really happy with it last year,” Henes said. “I think a lot of people might not have realized it. We were very young, we had some issues, so for a lot of the same people to come back, do so much better and get back on top of the podium, it’s just very gratifying.”
The ACC was well-represented in the final standings. Four teams finished in the top 15, with Stanford (6th place), Notre Dame (7) and North Carolina (11) following the Wolfpack’s win.
This story was originally published November 23, 2025 at 8:21 AM.
