The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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46 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN annah Gapes didn't have to look far for motivation. She vividly remembers the team workouts during her freshman and sophomore seasons. Most of the time, she was staring at the backs of Katelyn Tuohy and Kelsey Chmiel, NC State's star cross country runners, determined to reach their level one day. That duo combined to win three ACC individual titles and one NCAA indi- vidual championship en route to earn- ing eight All-America honors and three team NCAA titles in cross country over their careers in Raleigh. "I wanted that," Gapes recently re- called. "I wanted to chase something." Gapes, however, flew under the radar early in her career. She didn't compete as a freshman in 2022, while she placed 73rd in her first taste of the NCAA Championships in 2023 as part of the program's third consecutive team title. But then something appeared to click. Gapes burst onto the scene as one of the Wolfpack's top postseason runners in 2024, earning a third-place finish at the ACC Championships before turning in an eighth-place mark at the NCAA meet to earn her first All-America honor in cross country. From then on, Gapes has been on a rapid ascent in the sport. Now, after placing fifth at last year's NCAA Cham- pionships to help NC State earn yet an- other team national title, she headlines the Wolfpack's quest to become the first program to win five in a six-year span since Villanova won a half dozen straight from 1989-94. Gapes went from being well off the national stage to being firmly under the microscope in the midst of NC State's women's cross country dynasty under Laurie Henes. It wasn't something she expected even this time last year, but the breakout star has risen through the ranks to pace the Wolfpack on the big- gest stage possible. Although it's not a feeling she's used to, Gapes has learned to embrace the spotlight. "Being on the radar right now is a blessing, but it also comes with a lot of pressure," Gapes said. "Pressure is a privilege, but you need to learn how to navigate that pressure. That's some- thing I haven't really had to practice un- til this point in time. By no means am I complaining about having pressure. I want to be in the position I am, and I've worked to get in this position." Gapes has navigated being the focal point of one of the sport's top teams for the duration of the fall after she earned a ninth-place finish in the women's road 5K (15:06) at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenha- gen, Denmark, for Team New Zealand. It wasn't until that finish that Gapes realized she had finally reached the next level that she coveted for so long, po- sitioning herself as a clear NCAA indi- vidual championship contender. "I banked on myself. I was, 'If I blow up, I blow up, but let's just give it a crack,'" Gapes said of her mindset ahead of that race. "Sure enough, it came out in a successful way. I guess that's helped me know that I can do it and I can com- pete at the top of NCAA cross country if I can do it at the top of the world." Gapes has run with the same fearless H SETTING HER SETTING HER OWN PACE OWN PACE Once Chasing NC State's Stars In Practice, Hannah Gapes Now Leads The Wolfpack's Pursuit Of Another Team Title Gapes won both of her regular-season races this fall, including a course- record 18:57.6 performance on the Terre Haute, Ind., LaVern Gibson Championship Course that will host the NCAA Championships Nov. 21. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS