The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1506671
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 ■ 45 "So, I started hauling." She hasn't stopped. Bush soon caught sight of Hays and Steelman, and with her late surge, she ended up finishing 32nd overall, posting a time of 19:52.9 over the six-kilometer course in Tallahassee, Fla., to claim All- America honors and help propel NC State to its first-ever NCAA championship. She fared even better at last year's na- tional meet, covering the up-and-down course in Stillwater, Okla., in 19:57.6 to place 15th overall and help lift the Pack to a second consecutive title. Now, the graduate student from Cin- cinnati heads into the 2023 season with even higher aspirations. After finish- ing in the top 40, then in the top 20 in her past two NCAA Championship races, Bush said her goal this year is "just to continue that, to get an even better place." She's been careful this summer to avoid exacerbating a case of tendini- tis that flared up in her hip during the spring, but Bush is confident that she and the team will be ready to perform at their best at this year's NCAA Champi- onships, which are set to take place Nov. 18 in Charlottesville, Va. "It's such a long season," she said, "so for everyone it's a matter of balancing when to really focus and take that next step so that we can peak in November for the postseason." H av i n g we l - comed back four of its top five f i n i s h e rs f ro m last year's NCAA c h a m p i o n s h i p squad, NC State has every reason to be confident. The list of high- impact returnees is headlined by seniors Katelyn Tuohy and Kelsey Chmiel, who fin- ished first (19:27.7) and third (19:37.1), respectively, in the overall standings last year. In addition, there's Bush and junior Brooke Rauber, with the latter having placed 90th (20:33.3). Bolstering the returning talent is a key transfer. Amaris Tyynismaa competed for Alabama at the NCAA Champion- ships last year and placed ninth overall in 19:48.2. Two months later, she an- nounced that she was planning to trans- fer to NC State. Tyynismaa wasted no time establish- ing herself as a force at her new school, winning the ACC 5,000-meter outdoor crown and placing fourth in the event at the NCAA Championships in June. A junior from Montgomery, Ala., Tyynismaa is now getting set to fortify the Wolfpack's bid for another cross country title. In pursuing its third consecutive NCAA championship, NC State is look- ing to do something that hasn't been done since Stanford captured three in a row from 2005-07. In fact, only five women's programs have won three or more NCAA crowns in total. Villanova leads the way with nine, including six in a row from 1989-94. Stanford and BYU have five apiece, while Oregon has four and Colorado three. Villanova and Stanford are the only programs to have won three in a row. Colorado figures to be among NC State's top challengers for this year's title. They're bringing back Ella Baran, who finished 30th at nationals last year, and have added Natalie Cook and Samree Dishon via the transfer portal. Cook was seventh a year ago compet- ing for Oklahoma State, while Dishon was 37th for New Mexico. A l s o i n t h e m i x fo r tea m laurels is Flor- ida. The Gators d i d n 't q u a l i fy f o r n a t i o n a l s as a team last year, but Parker Valby was lead- ing the NCAA C h a m p i o n - ship race before Tuohy tracked her down at the end. Valby finished second overall, 3.2 seconds off Tuohy's course-record pace. She's joined this season by three trans- fers who finished among the top 40 at nationals in 2022. While the challenges will be formida- ble, NC State's contingent of returnees gives the team ample reason for opti- mism. Indeed, with such a talented ros- ter at her disposal, coach Laurie Henes doesn't need to coax superhuman per- formances out of her athletes. She just needs everyone to work hard and fulfill their potential. "She always likes to say that you don't really have to put on a show to race," Bush said. "You just have to go out there and race to your ability, and you'll do good. "We trust our workouts. All we have to do is show up and race, and it'll end up working out in our favor, which is pretty comforting. That's the thing she says before races. Nationals are simi- lar. You build up that confidence before you get to nationals and then go do your thing." ■ Bush earned All-America honors with a 32nd-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2021 and a 15th-place showing last season. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS 2023 Women's Cross Country Schedule Date Event Location* Sept. 1 Scrimmage TBA Sept. 15 Adidas XC Challenge Cary, N.C. Sept. 29 Joe Piane Invitational South Bend, Ind. Oct. 13 Nuttycombe Invitational Madison, Wis. Oct. 14 ECU Pirate Invitational Greenville, N.C. Oct. 27 ACC Championship Tallahassee, Fla. Nov. 10 NCAA Southeast Regionals Spartanburg, S.C. Nov. 18 NCAA Championships Charlottesville, Va. * All times TBD