The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1249704
MAY/JUNE 2020 ■ 27 Pack and went 11-5, helping NC State climb to a program-best No. 3 national ranking. She defeated four ranked opponents in the spring, and earlier in the fall Smith knocked off ninth- ranked Jada Hart of UCLA in straight sets. Before the season was canceled, Smith was ranked No. 22 in the country as a sin- gles player. Recruiting Class Of The Year When Katelyn Tuohy announced her col- lege decision, it was a big deal in the cross country community. Tuohy is one of the most decorated high school runners of all time. She is a three-time winner of the Gato- rade National Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year award, a three-time Nike Cross Nationals champion and in 2018 was se- lected as the overall Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year. Tuohy owns numerous national high school records including the fastest 5K in cross country (16:06.87) and the fastest mile in track (4:33.87). For some perspective, based on her average split in that record- setting time in the 5K, if extended to a sixth kilometer (the distance they run in college), her time would have been almost 30 sec- onds faster than the national title winner this fall at the NCAA Championships. And Tuohy is going to run at NC State. She is part of an incoming group that ranks among the top recruiting classes of all time in women's cross country. "Fairly early in the fall as we were doing these visits it was apparent that it turned out that we were just a really good fit for a lot of these athletes," women's cross country coach Laurie Henes noted. "I didn't neces- sarily intend for the class to get quite that big, but everybody really wanted to be a part of this program. "It was hard not to do that. We found a way to make it work." The class also includes more potential star power in Marlee Starliper from Wellsville, Pa. Her decorated prep career included winning the New Balance Outdoor Nationals mile and the USA Track and Field U-20 3,000 meters in 2019. She was also the 2019 Foot Locker Nationals cross country runner-up, a top-five finisher at Nike Cross Nationals, a three-time state cross country champ and a two-time Pennsylvania Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year. Starliper set a meet record when she won the 2020 Millrose Games mile. Alyssa Hendrix from Riverview, Fla., was the Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year in Florida and a 2019 Foot Locker Na- tionals All-American. She won a state title in cross country as a senior and in track in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter races as a junior. Jenna Schulz from Liverpool, N.Y., is a two-time All-American and three-time Nike Cross Nationals qualifier. Claire Waters from Manlius, N.Y., is a four-time All-American at Nike Cross Na- tionals with three straight top-five finishes. Rounding out the group is Gionna Quarzo, who won a state track title in 2019 for Brownsville (Pa.) Area High in the 3,200-meter race and finished third in cross country this past fall. If those were not enough, Henes is add- ing Wofford All-American transfer Hannah Steelman to the mix. The five-time All- American in track was 23rd overall in the 2019 NCAA Cross Country Championships and won the individual Southern Conference cross country title in back-to-back years be- fore announcing her move to NC State. "I think the addition of Hannah is really big because she has been on the stage," Henes noted. ■ In addition to another All-America performance in doubles, sophomore Alana Smith excelled at the No. 1 singles spot (11-5 record, No. 22 national ranking) for NC State this spring. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP