The NC State men, ranked 11th nationally, won in a photo finish, edging 13th-ranked and homestanding Louisville, by one point, 69-70. The low score wins in cross country. William & Mary was third with 74 points, followed by ninth-ranked Virginia in fourth place with 116. The top two teams qualify for the NCAA Championships, which will be held in Terre Haute, Ind., on November 19.

The Wolfpack had all seven runners finish in the top 27, led by seniors Chris Kollar (10th), John Crews (11th) and Stephen Furst (12th). Tibor Vegh was 17th, John Martinez 19th, Gavin Coombs 24th and Wesley Smith 27th. Louisville had three runners – Wesley Korir (3rd), Cory Thorne (5th) and Siomo Kiplagat (7th) – finish in the top 10, with Michael Eaton 13th, but the Cardinals’ fifth runner finished a distant 42nd.

The women’s race was not quite as close as the men’s, but too close for comfort, nonetheless. The Wolfpack won with 106 points, followed by Duke at 114, 25th-ranked North Carolina at 124, and Kentucky at 141.

Senior Angelina Blackmon was NC State’s lead runner, finishing sixth. Junior Brittany Tinsley was ninth, followed by sophomore Bona Jones (14th) and freshman Colleen Wetherbee (15th). The Pack’s remaining three runners were well back in the pack, but NC State was strong enough at the front of the field to come away with the victory.

The NC State women qualified for the NCAA Championships for the 13th consecutive year and the 19th time in the last 20 years. The men qualified for nationals for the second consecutive season, the 11th time in the last 12 years, and the 14th time in the last 16 years.