The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1153250
64 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY JACEY ZEMBAL L egendary NC State men's cross country head coach Rollie Geiger needed a strong finish from his team to overcome a bumpy start last year, and he received it. The 38-year leader of the Pack's men's program and his squad have been to every NCAA Championship meet since 2006 and missed the event only once since 1995. Those streaks were in peril after NC State finished 16th at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational and 14th at the Pre-Nationals in the first month of the season, with both events taking place in Madison, Wis. The Wolfpack went on to finish third at the ACC Championships, building up the pressure to perform at the NCAA South- east Regional. Geiger's squad was ranked No. 26 in the country going into it, but ended up winning the title and then fin- ished tied for 10th at the NCAA Cham- pionships (though it lost the tiebreaker to Boise State to technically finish 11th). The end results were good, even if the path was not ideal. "The team had changed their whole sea- son," Geiger said of the postseason results. "Before the NCAA Regional, NC State was not going to nationals. We didn't have the criteria points. "The reason we didn't have the criteria points was because we weren't running well." NC State returns top runner Ian Shank- lin, a junior, plus redshirt juniors Joe Bis- tritz, Gavin Gaynor and Edwin Rutto, and fifth-year senior Ben Barrett, who all ran at the NCAA Championships. Junior Ian Shanklin was NC State's top finisher in five cross country meets in 2018 and won the ACC indoor title in the 5,000-meter run this past spring. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PREVIEW COMING TOGETHER The Wolfpack Will Mesh Talented Transfers With Returnees In Hopes Of Getting Off To A Fast Start In 2019 ■ Key Meets • Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, Oct. 18: NC State looks to redeem itself after placing 16th at the Nuttycombe a year ago. Ian Shanklin led the way, finishing 45th. Eventual national champion Northern Arizona won the meet with four of the top eight finish- ers last season. • ACC Championships, Nov. 1: The Wolfpack finished third last year behind Syracuse and first-place Notre Dame in Boston. The meet will take place in Blacksburg, Va., this season. • NCAA Championships, Nov. 23: NCSU went through some ups and downs last year, and there was some doubt on whether the Wolfpack would reach the big stage. However, after winning the NCAA Southeast Regional, NC State overachieved and finished 11th in Madison, Wis. The meet will be held in Terre Haute, Ind., this season.