The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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70 ■ THE WOLFPACKER "Those marks for [Henes and Frazier] are outstanding marks," Geiger said. "Those are not just good marks, but they are outstanding for someone of that age. "I also fully expect someone like Ru- dawsky to make it to regionals, and poten- tially make it to nationals." Redshirt junior Erika Kemp and redshirt sophomore Bianca Bishop have carved out their niche in the 10,000 meters, and fifth- year senior Samantha George and fifth-year senior Kaitlyn Kramer provide even more depth. Kemp posted the country's eighth-fastest mark in the 10,000 (33:36.26) at the afore- mentioned Raleigh Relays. She also won the ACC indoor title in the 3,000 meters, which was the first in school history since 2004. "You look at Erika Kemp, her 10K, she ran a really nice one at the Raleigh Relays," Geiger said. "She can also run the 5,000. She has scored at nationals and was an All- American." The X-factor is redshirt sophomore Ra- chel Koon, who joins the talented group of distance runners. Redshirt junior Wesley Frazier, the older sister of Ryen, is also coming back from injury. "Rachel made it to nationals in indoors, but her training block wasn't really what it needed to be," Geiger said. "She can poten- tially be not only a scorer at conference but potentially a scorer at nationals. "If Frazier is fit, she's a qualifier for na- tionals and I would expect her to score at nationals. I hope we get her back." Fifth-year senior Megan Moye finished third in the mile at the ACC Indoor Cham- pionships, resetting her school record with a time of 4:36.76. She earned first-team All-ACC honors for her efforts. Moye won the ACC outdoor title in the 1,500 meters last year, running the second- fastest time (4:11.91) in the NCAA. It set a school and ACC meet record. "She has scored at national champion- ships, ran a 4:11 and is the defending ACC champion in the 1,500, and this is her se- nior year," Geiger said. Sophomore Gabriele Cunningham is Noting The Pack • NC State head coach Rollie Geiger refers to running as three seasons for his distance crew — cross country in the fall, indoor track in the winter and outdoor track in the spring. The seven women who helped NCSU finish fourth at the NCAA Cross Country Championships last fall will be in the mix in several events for track and field. Senior Erika Kemp (who is a redshirt junior in track eligibility) finished 17th nationally in cross country, and redshirt sophomore Rachel Koon finished 25th, earning both runners All-America honors. Redshirt junior Alyssa Rudawsky was 84th, sophomore Ryen Frazier was 115th, fifth-year se - nior Megan Moye was 117th and freshman Elly Henes finished 159th. • Senior sprinter Paisley Simmons has been im- pressive over the years and, if healthy, could form a dynamic duo with Gabriele Cunningham. Simmons earned All-ACC honors in the 100-meter dash at the outdoor meet in both 2014 and 2016, and she was a second-team performer in 2015. She also earned second-team All-ACC accolades in the 200 meters in 2015. The High Point, N.C., product was part of the 4x400-meter relay, which finished sixth at the ACC Championships last year. She has personal bests of 11.50 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 23.43 in the 200-meter run. Athletes To Watch Gabriele Cunningham, sophomore, sprints The explosive Cunningham had 16 top-10 finishes last year during the outdoor season, and earned All-ACC honors in the 100-meter dash while setting a personal record of 11.64 seconds in the prelims of the league championships. She also competes in the 100-meter hurdles, 200-meter dash and 4x400-meter relay. The relay finished sixth in the ACC last year. Erika Kemp, redshirt junior, distance The exciting Kemp earned first-team All-America accolades in the 5,000 meters after finishing fifth at the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships, and she added an 11th-place finish in the 3,000 meters to earn second- team All-American honors. Kemp placed third in the 5,000 meters at the ACC Indoor Championships. She redshirted during the outdoor track season last year. Megan Moye, redshirt junior, distance The accomplished Moye ran the second-fastest time in the NCAA last year in the 1,500 meters (4:11.91), which set a school record and ACC meet mark. She won gold in the 1,500 meters and silver in the 5,000 me - ters at the 2016 ACC Outdoor Championships. A model of consistency, she never finished lower than ninth in any race last season, and she had three wins and eight top-five finishes. ■ Key Meets Virginia Challenge, April 21‑22, Charlottesville, Va. — Fifth-year senior Megan Moye finished second with a then- school record in the 1,500 meters last year, and redshirt sophomore Lauren Evans and fifth-year senior Alyssa Dunn finished second and third, respectively, in the shot put. All three women will be gunning to win individual titles at UVA. Penn Relays, April 28‑30, Philadelphia — NC State posted three top-10 finishes on the women's side last year. Redshirt junior Alyssa Rudawsky was third in the 3,000 meters, redshirt sophomore Rachel Bartolomeo was sixth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and both are back this spring. The third top-10 finish was accomplished by an athlete who has since graduated. ACC Outdoor Championships, May 12‑14, Atlanta — NC State hopes to improve upon last year's seventh-place finish and it allows the individuals another chance to qualify for regionals. Fifth-year senior Megan Moye won the ACC outdoor title in the 1,500 meters last year while posting the second-fastest time (4:11.91) in the nation, and also finished third in the mile at this season's league indoor meet. PHOTO BY CHERYL TREWORGY