The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 ■ 47 in cross country, steeplechase and the 800- and 1,000-meter races during a decorated high school career that ended with her being named the Gatorade Na- tional Girls Track and Field Player of the Year in 2023. While her gaudy ré- sumé would have earned her plenty of attention from college recruiters even if she hadn't won the state cross country crown during her junior year, that race was notable in that it offered a glimpse at her athletic makeup. Thanks largely to her family's inspiration, Napoleon isn't afraid of challenges and thrives in stressful situations. "I'd like to think I've always been like that," she said. "My dad has told me that I've been like that ever since I was in middle school. I'm not necessarily afraid of the pressure." More To Give Now a junior distance-running star at NC State, Napoleon has been in quite a few high-pressure races over the past eight months and has performed spectacularly. Since recovering from an Achilles tendon injury that slowed her during the most recent indoor track season, she has been demolishing per- sonal records on a regular basis, knock- ing them down with such frequency and by such impressive margins that she's starting to make an impact at the inter- national level. A year ago, Napoleon's personal re- cord in the 3,000-meter steeplechase was 9:52. At the Raleigh Relays in March, she finished in 9:34.32. It was an NC State record, and it surpassed her goal time for the end of the outdoor sea- son. Still, while Napoleon was thrilled, she wasn't satisfied. "I hit a PR," she recalled, "but I was thinking, I can tell I'm not done. I have a lot more to give." In May, Napoleon claimed an ACC title when she won the steeplechase in a meet-record time of 9:27.85. Then at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June, she finished third overall in 9:16.66. And later that same month, she shaved nearly six sec- onds from her personal best at a Dia- mond League event in Paris, finishing in 9:10.72. It was the fourth-best time ever by a collegiate woman and eighth-best by an American. At the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in August, Napoleon finished second in 9:10.96, earning a ticket to the World Athletics Champi- onships in September. On a hot, muggy night in Tokyo, she was the first of the three American finalists to cross the finish line, placing ninth overall with a time of 9:17.44. It wouldn't be unfair to call her perfor- mance at the World Championships the culmination of a whirlwind rise, but that word — culmination — implies a kind of finality, and Napoleon's competitive year isn't over yet. Not by a long shot. Big Goals Despite her busy summer, Napoleon was determined to participate in cross country this fall. "I was in the right place physically and mentally to continue on with my season," she said. "Working with the girls has really rejuvenated my passion for competition, and I also think doing a new race other than steeplechase is refreshing. It feels like I have completely new goals. … It's a big new season with an opportunity for me to be a part of such a good team. I wouldn't pass that up for the world." In her first cross country meet of the season, Napoleon finished second overall at the Nuttycombe Invitational, covering the 6-kilometer course in 19:34.6 on Oct. 17 in Madison, Wis. Coach Laurie Henes was impressed, telling DyeStat.com that Napoleon "did an amazing job translating what she did on the track to cross country. So fantastic." Led by senior Grace Hartman, the overall winner at Nuttycombe with a 19:30.0 time, the Pack appears well- equipped to challenge for its fourth national championship in the past five years. Napoleon is looking forward to the postseason, which will conclude with the NCAA Championships on Nov. 22 in Columbia, Mo. "We have such a talented squad," she said, "and not only talented, but just such a mindful, smart group of ladies who know how to work together and know how to get the job done." Of course, the job is never entirely done in collegiate running. The indoor season follows close on the heels of the cross country campaign, and then comes the outdoor season and a whole new set of challenges. Napoleon has goals for those seasons, too, the most ambitious of which is to break nine minutes in the steeplechase before she leaves NC State. The Ameri- can collegiate record belongs to BYU's Lexy Halladay-Lowry, who finished in 9:08.68 at the NCAA Outdoor Cham- pionships last June. Napoleon will need to take another leap forward to achieve that breakthrough, but challenges are what she lives for. "It's a big goal to say out loud," she admitted. "But I have a lot of confidence — not only in myself, but in my sup- port system and Coach Henes and my teammates. They're going to help me get there and achieve that goal. … I'll have a lot of opportunities, and I'm not scared to say that out loud. I believe that will happen because of the support I have around me." ■ " I was in the right place physically and men- tally to continue on with my season. ... It's a big new season with an opportunity for me to be a part of such a good team. I wouldn't pass that up for the world. " Napoleon on returning to cross country this fall