NCAA XC: Steelman 5th, Leads Wolfpack to Runner-up Finish


Hannah Steelman had a busy week, starting last Friday evening with the NCAA Division 1 indoor 5k championship in Fayetville, Arkansas, and concluding with the NCAA Division 1 cross-country Championship on Monday in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Steelman who transferred to NC State in the fall from Wofford University earned All-American honors with an eighth-place finish in the 5k running 15:55.65. On Monday she ran in the lead pack throughout the entire 6k course finishing a career-best 5th place as she covered the challenging course in a time of 20:14.9. 

Steelman the former Orono High School standout opened the first 1k of the race in 3:05.6 finding herself in seventh place, the next 1000m was covered in 3:23.8 as Hannah moved up to 5th. At the 3k split, she was 6th in 10:06.6 and continued to run in the main pack hitting 4k in 13:22.7 good for eighth overall. With just 2k remaining in the race, Steelman dug down coming through 5k in 16:45 in the seventh position. Over the last K, she was able to move up two more spots securing her second cross-country All-American honors. A year ago Hannah finished 23rd at the NCAA Championship.

In the team race, NC State battled eventual champion Brigham Young University through 5k, as the Cougars were ahead by just six points with 1k to go. BYU would go on to win by 65 points while the Wolfpack earned their highest finish at the NCAA cross-country championship since 2001 when they earned runner-up honors.

Also running in the race was former Yarmouth High School star Anneka Murrin for Loyola Chicago University. Murrin a junior was competing in her first NCAA national meet showed no first woes as she established herself in a strong position from the start and maintained throughout the entire 6k race. At the 1k mark, she was in 79th position in 3:08 right with the entire field. She hit the 3k mark in 75th place in 10:17 and continued to maintain her positioning through 5k in 17:27.4. Anneka finished strong moving up eleven spots to finish 67th overall in a strong time in 21:15.8l