The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1364233
MAY/JUNE 2021 ■ 37 Hannah Steelman Receives Her Wish At NC State In a way, Hannah Steelman has come full circle. Born in Raleigh before growing up in South Carolina and Maine, she decided to transfer to NC State for her senior year in a move that, despite the less-than-ideal timing of switching schools during a pandemic, played out perfectly. In Steelman's childhood days, she got into running by join - ing her father in 5K races. She began running cross country in middle school and became competitive in high school in Orono, Maine, where she won five individual state titles in cross coun- try and track at Orono High. "I was not a fan of the cold weather at all," Steelman con- fessed about Maine. "But I do believe it toughened me up a lot because you do travel to places that are freezing cold, and you get used to running in all the elements. "It's an unpopular opinion as a runner, but I am a warm- weather person. I like the South as far as the weather goes. The humidity gets tough, but I would take that over freezing rain or snow every day." She initially chose to run at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., and blossomed. She was a first-team All-American in the indoor 3,000 meters in 2020 after being an All-American in cross country the prior fall. She was a two-time Southern Conference Runner of the Year for cross country and was the league's Outdoor Track Performer of the Year in 2020. "That's where I became an All-American runner, and I am re - ally grateful for that," Steelman said. Yet a desire to compete at the highest level drove her to make a change. While leaving Wofford was difficult, choosing NC State was not. "Coming to NC State was a pretty easy decision," she said. "The coaches' philosophy here is super attractive for someone that's looking at schools. The girls just have this dynamic that you can see from the outside. I really wanted to be a part of that." When Steelman was running in the top 10 for much of the NCAA Cross Country Championships with sophomore Kelsey Chmiel and freshman Katelyn Tuohy to help lead NC State to a second-place team finish, she felt an inevitable sense of justi - fication. Steelman finished fifth that afternoon, days after earning first-team All-America honors in the NCAA Indoor 5K. She has also been named the ACC Women's Cross Country Scholar Ath- lete of the Year. "There were all kinds of different emotions after that race, but one of them was this overwhelming feeling of this is exactly what I wanted," Steelman said of the cross country meet. "That feeling of being pushed by a teammate, that feeling of wanting to do something for something bigger than yourself, to get that podium finish as a team and an individual, I just don't believe I could have done that if I stayed where I was at when I was training alone all the time. That's exactly what I wanted. "The team bond that we have is very special, and then the coaches that we have, Coach [Elly] Henes, Coach [Rollie] Geiger, Coach [Chris] Seaton … everyone that helps with the program, it's such a great bond that we have, and it clearly works. It's a great dynamic, and it's exceeded my expectations." — Matt Carter Steelman's fifth-place individual finish led the way for NC State and earned her All-America honors. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS