Probable Top Five:

JR Sam Parsons (8:18 3K; 14:34 5K; 63rd NCAA XC ’14)

SR Graham Crawford (3:40 1500; 7:55 3K; 178th NCAA XC ’13)

SR Meron Simon (4:02 Mile; 8:48 3K Steeple; 154th NCAA XC ’14)

SO Bakri Abushouk (3:48 1500; 14:26 5K)

SO Sebastian Hanson (3:48 1500; 14:10 5K)

 

Impact Freshmen/Transfers:

Meron Simon via University of Washington (4:02 Mile; 8:48 3K Steeple; 154th NCAA XC ’14)

 

Analysis:

The Wolfpack were very young and inexperienced in 2014, clearly missing the leadership that All-American Andrew Colley provided the year before. Although NC State missed out on NCAAs (Sam Parsons qualified individually), another year of experience plus a clutch transfer should give Rollie Geiger’s squad the boost it needs to get back to the Big Dance in November. 

 

Sam Parsons will once again lead the Pack after his 63rd place finish at NCAAs last fall. Parsons finished fourth at both ACCs and regionals in 2014, and figures to be an All-American contender this season, a crucial low stick that State will need to even make it to Louisville.

 

Behind Parsons, NCAA 1500 finalist Graham Crawford is a solid #2 man for the boys from Raleigh. Crawford finished 5th and was just a second behind Parsons at ACCs, but he was 23 seconds back of his teammate when the distance bumped up to 10K for regionals. For State to lock up a spot at NCAAs out of the tough Southeast region, Crawford needs to make up for that spread in 2015. 

 

Former Washington Husky and NCAA steeple qualifier Meron Simon brings the Wolfpack some good experience on the championship stage. Simon was UW’s 3rd man at NCAAs last fall, a slot that he’ll fill for NC State as well. Look for the newest member of the Pack to improve on his 154th finish after the best track season of his career last spring. 

 

NC State is still very young beyond their top three, but sophomores Sebastian Hanson and Bakri Abushouk give Rollie Geiger’s squad a pair of returning top-30 finishers at ACCs to round out their top five.