The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1419104
TRACKING THE PACK NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 ■ 15 Women's Cross Country Rises To No. 1 In The Country At the Joe Piane Invitational in South Bend, Ind., on Oct. 1, five of the top 10 ranked women's teams in the nation according to the United States Track And Field and Cross Country Coaches' Associa- tion (USTFCCCA) poll lined up at the starting line. When it was finished, NC State left the field in its dust. The top five runners count toward a team's score, and the Wolfpack's top five all finished among the top 12 in the field, headlined by third- place finisher and sophomore Kelsey Chmiel, who was named the ACC Women's Cross Country Performer of the Week for her perfor- mance. No other team had more than two runners in the top 12. The Pack even had a sixth runner who did not count toward the team's score finish 19th, giving NC State twice as many top-20 run- ners as Alabama, which had the next-most at three. That's a major reason why the Pack, which finished second nationally last season, moved into sole possession of No. 1 in the USTFCCCA poll Oct. 5. It is the first time in program history that NCSU has been ranked that high by itself. NC State will compete in the ACC Championships, also in South Bend, on Oct. 29. The NCAA Southeast Regionals will be Nov. 12 in Louisville, Ky., and the NCAA Champion- ships will take place Nov. 20 in Tallahassee, Fla. ■ RED AND WHITE NOTEBOOK Sophomore Kelsey Chmiel was named the ACC Cross Country Per- former of the Week after placing third as an individual and helping the No. 1 Wolfpack to a win at the Joe Paine Invitational Oct. 1. Her time was just 4.3 seconds behind the reigning NCAA champion. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS Football Schedules Home-And-Home With Georgia NC State football now has four future home- and-home series with SEC opponents, and its latest scheduling addition is perhaps the biggest yet. The Athens Banner-Herald reported that NC State will play at Georgia on Sept. 17, 2033, and then the Bulldogs will make a return trip to Raleigh on Sept. 16, 2034. NC State is 1-6-1 all time against Georgia, and it has not hosted the national power since 1935. The Wolfpack will begin home-and-homes with both Florida and Vanderbilt in 2026, host- ing the Gators and playing at Vandy. The Com- modores will then come to Raleigh two years later, while NC State will make the trip to Florida in 2032. NC State will also conduct a future home-and- home with South Carolina, playing in Columbia in 2030 and then hosting the Gamecocks the following year. Other Power Five opponents on future sched- ules include Texas Tech (home in 2022, road in 2027), BYU (home in 2024, road in 2030) and Notre Dame (home in 2023, 2029 and 2035; road in 2025, 2031 and 2037). Future Non-Conference Opponents By Year 2022: Charleston Southern, Connecticut, at East Carolina, Texas Tech 2023: Cincinnati, at Connecticut, Notre Dame, VMI 2024: BYU, Louisiana Tech, at South Florida, Western Carolina 2025: Campbell, East Carolina, at Louisiana Tech, at Notre Dame 2026: Florida, at Vanderbilt 2027: at Texas Tech 2028: Campbell, at East Carolina, at Troy, Vanderbilt 2029: at Cincinnati, Notre Dame 2030: at BYU, Charlotte, at South Carolina 2031: at Charlotte, at Notre Dame, South Carolina 2032: at Florida 2033: at Georgia 2034: Georgia 2035: Notre Dame 2037: at Notre Dame