RELEASE: NC State Women Repeats As National Champs In Cross Country

STILLWATER, OK Katelyn Tuohy spent most of the NCAA 6K championships following Florida's Parker Valby.
 
Luckily for Tuohy she had another extra gear left in the tank.
 
Tuohy overcame a 10-second deficit, closing the gap and finishing first to win the NCAA 2022 championship. Tuohy's time of 19:27.7 was a new course record. Her teammates weren't too far behind and the Wolfpack captured a second straight NCAA women's cross country title.
 
NC State capped off a perfect year in which they were No. 1 in the polls all season.
 
The Wolfpack finished with three runners in the top 15. 
 
Kelsey Chmiel finished third with a time of 19:37.1 and Sam Bush finished 15 with a time of 19:57.6. Nevada Mareno 29th with a time of 20:07.5.
 
As a team, NC State finished with 114 points. On the men's side, the Pack finished 11th overall. Ian Shanklin finished 38th with a time of 29:39.5.
 
Tuohy, Chmiel, Bush, Mareno were all named to the 2022 All-American team.
 
On a cold day in Stillwater, the Pack women had to overcome the conditions and a huge early gap from Valby to win another title.
 
"Obviously, when you walk away with the individual title and the team title that's a very good day," NC State women's coach Laurie Henes said. "Just like any season there's been some ups and downs, I didn't think we really nailed it team wise in any of the races. EVen here, I think we were preaching that things don't have to be perfect to come away with the results you want."
 
Valby had as much as a 12 second lead over the crowd most of the race. In the final stretch, though, Tuohy kicked it in high gear, finishing three seconds ahead of Valby.
 
"The gap got a little bigger than I thought it would have," Tuohy said. "Around 3K I decided to pick it up."
 
Tuohy caught Valby around the last turn and took over the race from there. 
 
"Around 5K I was like 'it's a little less than three minutes of running,'" Tuohy recalled. "I think she only had about eight seconds at that point, maybe closer to five. I knew I could finish that last 200 pretty hard because it was downhill."
 
Chmiel wasn't too far behind, giving the Pack two runners in the top three.
 
NC State became the first team to repeat as national champions since Villanova did it in 2009 and 2010.

"Honestly, I'm more excited for the team win, going back-to-back," Tuohy said. "I'm super happy right now, I can't put it into words."