Nov. 20, 2005

RALEIGH, N.C. - The NC State cross country program is hardly a newcomer when it comes to the NCAA Championships. The Wolfpack women's program has been there every year since 1994 and 17 times in the last 18 years. NC State finished in the national top 10 twice in the last four years, including a second-place finish in 2001, and a top 10 finish is the goal Monday.

Led by junior Jemissa Hess and sophomore Magin Kebert, both of whom earned All-ACC honors, the Wolfpack will put its No. 7 national ranking on the line Monday at Indiana State University. The women's 6k race will begin at 1:15 p.m.

"We've run very well from the beginning of the season, and we've gotten better as the season has gone along," said Wolfpack associate head coach Laurie Henes, who coaches the NC State women. "This isa very good team, and they're running at a very high level right now. They feel good about themselves and I think that will translate to a strong finish on Monday."

In addition to Henes and Kebert, the Wolfpack will line up seniors Kris Roth and Ginger Wheeler, redshirt-sophomore Sara Powell, sophomore Angelina Blackmon, and freshman Brittany Tinsley.

The Wolfpack ran this same course on October 15 at the NCAA Pre-Nationals and took fourth place in one of the two races that day, a finish that would have been good for seventh overall in a loaded field.

"We ran really well at Pre-Nationals, and that is a reason to be optimistic," Henes said. "We're familiar with the course, but just about everyone who will be there on Monday was at Pre-Nationals and is familiar with the course. We just have to continue to run well, and I believe that we will."