Women's Cross Country
1970s
Joan Benoit Samuelson was a two-time cross country All-American (1977-1978). She was an Olympic gold medalist in women's marathon (1984), two-time winner of Boston Marathon, and 2005 NCAA Silver Anniversary award winner. In 2019, she ran the Boston Marathon again and finished within 30 minutes of her first finish time in 1979.
Joan Benoit, Cross Country 1978
NC State Women's Cross Country media guide, 1978
North Carolina State University's All-American cross country runners Julie Shea (left) and Mary Shea (right).1980s
Track and cross country athlete Julie Shea Sutton became the first woman athlete named ACC's "Athlete of the Year." That same year, she was awarded the Broderick Cup by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). In 2012, she was inducted into the NC State Athletics Hall of Fame.
The women's cross country team won back-to-back national championships in 1979 and 1980. The head coach was former long-distance runner and two-time U.S. Olympian Jack Bacheler.
Betty Springs (later Betty Springs Geiger) won the first women's championship in NCAA history at the 1981 NCAA cross country championship meet. Before leaving NC State, she became the only woman to ever win NCAA cross country and U.S. Cross Country Championships in same year. In 2013 she was inducted into the NC State Hall of Fame.
Betty Springs, North Carolina State University all-American cross country runnerCross country was one of twelve women's sports added to the NCAA championship program for the 1981–1982 school year.
Suzie Tuffey won the NCAA individual title for cross country as a freshman.
N. C. State Cross-Country runner Suzie Tuffey at NCAA Championship
N. C. State Women's cross country team, 1987As a student-athlete at NC State from 1988 to 1992, Laurie Henes earned All-America honors in cross country as a junior and senior, and was All-ACC four straight years. She won the ACC women's cross country championship as a senior.
1990s
Both the men's and women's cross country team won the ACC championship. This was first time any ACC school won both the men's and women's championships in the same year.
2000s
NC State Track and Field athlete Kristin Price won the individual NCAA championship in the 10,000-meter event. She was a twelve-time All-American in track and cross country.
2010s
The women's cross country team won six consecutive ACC championships with top runners such as Elly Henes, Dominique Clairmonte, and Kelsey Chmiel. This was the team's 27th overall ACC championship title.
2020s
NC State won its first NCAA Division I women’s cross country championship and the school’s first NCAA team title since the men’s basketball team won in 1983.
Sophomore distance runner Katelyn Tuohy of Stony Point, NY, won the 5,000-meter race in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field individual championship.
Women’s cross country won the NCAA championship for the second year in a row, which was a first in program history.
Women’s cross country won the NCAA championship for the third year in a row, which was a first in program history.