College Notebook

Women’s cross country team jumps to third on national poll; Henes and Parsons win weekly ACC honors

– Following recent success at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational, the N.C. State women’s cross country team has moved into the third spot on the USTFCCCA National Coaches’ Poll after previously holding the fifth spot. This marks the highest the women’s team has been ranked since 2006, when they were ranked second.

The team has had a strong start to its season, placing first at the Adidas XC Challenge and second at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational.

In addition, Sam Parsons has been awarded men’s Performer of the Week. Parsons finished second in the five-mile race, stopping the clock in 23:34.9, three seconds behind the race’s winner. Elly Henes has also been named ACC Freshmen of the Week after finishing 44th individually in a talented 23-team field last weekend.

Up next, the Wolfpack will send a squad to the Wisconsin Invitational on Oct. 14, a meet regarded as the closest regular-season simulation to the NCAA Championships during the regular season, as the remainder of the team competes locally at the Wake Forest Invitational.

Elon: For the second time this season, the cross country programs had two members earn Colonial Athletic Association weekly awards as sophomore Nick Ciolkowski and senior Kimberly Johansen were selected Tuesday as the CAA Men’s and Women’s Runners of the Week, respectively.

UNC: Junior Gab Major led the way with a hat trick as the third-ranked Tar Heels won 6-0 at Davidson on Tuesday evening. The Tar Heels improved to 10-2 on the season with their only mid-week game of the fall. Meanwhile, Kristy Bernatchez, Ashley Hoffman, Gab Major, Lauren Moyer and Julia Young will represent the U.S. at the 2016 Women’s Junior World Cup Nov. 24-Dec. 4 in Santiago, Chile. Hoffman was also been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday. It marks the second week in a row that a Tar Heel has won the award.

Duke: Senior forward Heather Morris earned ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week recognition Tuesday after recording three goals in two weekend wins.

UNC: Goalkeeper James Pyle was named ACC Men’s Soccer Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Pyle made five saves and kept No. 3 Syracuse off the scoreboard in 110 minutes of action for his ACC-leading sixth clean sheet of 2016.

Campbell: The scheduled Big South Conference match against UNC Asheville on Saturday has been moved up 24 hours to Friday due to the threat of Hurricane Matthew’s impact on southeast North Carolina. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Duke: Davidson scored a pair of goals in the final 20 minutes to capture a 3-1 road victory over the Blue Devils in non-conference men’s soccer action Tuesday at Koskinen Stadium. The team outshot the Wildcats 14-10, including 11-5 in the second half.

NC State: Goalkeeper Sydney Wootten earned the ACC Defensive Player of the Week honor after a seven-save performance against Boston College clinched a 1-0 milestone victory for the Wolfpack. It marks Wootten’s second ACC Defensive Player of the Week honor this season.

UNC: Nico Melo’s second half goal lifted No. 4 Tar Heels to a 1-0 victory over 20th-ranked UNCW on Tuesday evening from Fetzer Field. The Tar Heels (8-1-1) have run its scoreless streak to 359 minutes, 58 seconds, last conceding in the first half of the 4-1 win at William & Mary on Sept. 20. They will host ACC rival Virginia next on Friday at 7 p.m.

ECU: Junior Tim Conover shot a two-day total of 12-under-par 201 to capture medalist honors and lead the Pirates in a wire-to-wire victory at the 2016 Wolfpack Fall Intercollegiate at Lonnie Poole Golf Course. Conover posted a final round score of 4-under 67 Tuesday to capture medalist honors for the first time as a Pirate. He led the 90-player field with 17 birdies to match the second-lowest 54-hole tournament score in school history.

NC State: Led by a strong performances from senior Jacob McBride and freshman Benjamin Shipp, the team took third place at the 2016 Wolfpack Fall Intercollegiate. The Wolfpack recorded the only round below par on Tuesday, and finished the tournament with a three-round total of 849 strokes (-3).

Wake Forest: The team concluded play at the Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational on Tuesday, shooting 13-over during the final round at Colonial Country Club. The Demon Deacons finished in eighth place at 24-over for the tournament, which featured nine of the top 14 teams in the nation.

Campbell: Thomas La Morte tied for fifth place and the team finished fifth on the team leader board after Tuesday’s final round of the Wolfpack Intercollegiate men’s golf tournament at Lonnie Poole Golf Club.

Mount Olive: The team moved up one spot on the final day to finish in a tie for 10th with Conference Carolinas foe Emmanuel College at the Myrtle Beach Intercollegiate in Sunset Beach.

UNC: The team shot 9-under par in the final round of the Cougar Classic to finish 26-under par and capture the 44th tournament title in program history. Kelly Whaley shot 4-under in the final round to get to 11-under par for the tournament and took first among all individuals.

Duke: Over the first two tournaments of the 2016-17 campaign, Leona Maguire has combined to shoot 17-under-par, but the junior is still looking for her first win of the season as she placed third overall at the Windy City Classic Tuesday with an eight-under-par, 208.

NC State: Led by sophomore India Clyburn’s 13th-place finish on the individual leader board, the team wrapped up competition on Tuesday afternoon at the Cougar Classic with a 14th-place finish.

Wake Forest: The team finished third at the Cougar Classic as play concluded Tuesday at Yeaman’s Hall Club. The Demon Deacons shot a 4-under final round of 284, tied for the lowest of the day, and finished the tournament at 13-under. Sierra Sims finished in the top five at the tournament for the third consecutive year to lead the Deacs.

Duke: It was a split day for the team during Tuesday’s final round of the qualifying draw at the Saint Francis Health System ITA Men’s All-American Championships as the Blue Devils won one match and lost two. Freshman Robert Levine captured his round of 64 match while sophomore Catalin Mateas dropped his.

NC State: The team completed day one of the Riveria/ ITA All-American Championships with two losses in the qualifying doubles matches. Martina Frantova/ Tayla Stenta (No. 24) and Bianca Moldovan/ Claudia Wiktorin (No. 50) will pick up action Wednesday, in the consolation matches. Martina Frantova (No. 29) will play in the singles main draw starting on Thursday.

Elon: Due to the threat of inclement weather expected as Hurricane Matthew moves along the Eastern seaboard this weekend, the university has announced that its CAA Football game against the New Hampshire Wildcats has been moved to Friday night at 7 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium.

Shaw: The team will host division foe and defending CIAA Champion Winston-Salem State University on Thursday, Oct. 6 in C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. The Lady Bears hope to snap a 17-year losing skid to the Rams. Meanwhile, Kelly Murphy and Tapanga Moten were named the CIAA Player and Rookie of the Week announced Tuesday afternoon.

Campbell: Junior Haley Barnes racked up 17 kills and 22 digs to lead the High Point University volleyball team to a come-from-behind 3-2 triumph over the Camels Tuesday night.

UNC: The men’s and women’s teams are set to kick off the 2016-17 campaign Friday when the Tar Heels take on the University of Georgia at the Maurice J. Koury Natatorium. The meet begins at 2 p.m. This is the team’s first of two back to back Southeastern Conference match-ups, as the Tar Heels will travel to Knoxville in just a few short weeks to take on the Tennessee Volunteers.

Elon: The team began preseason with its first practice of the 2016-17 season on Tuesday afternoon inside Alumni Gym.

From news releases

This story was originally published October 4, 2016 at 11:30 PM with the headline "College Notebook."