BLACKSBURG, Va. (theACC.com) — Wake Forest claimed its third Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Cross Country Championship in five years, while NC State captured its ninth ACC Women’s Cross Country Championship in the last 10 years on Friday morning at the Buford Meredith Cross Country Course in Blacksburg, Virginia.
NC State earned its 30th women’s title in program history behind individual champion Hannah Gapes, who posted a time of 18:23.8 to break the course record by 90 seconds and the ACC Championship meet record by nearly 40 seconds. Each of the first 10 runners to cross the finish line also surpassed the previous course record.
Gapes became NC State’s eighth consecutive women’s individual ACC champion. The Wolfpack placed four runners in the top 20, including Bethany Michalak (seventh), 2025 ACC champion Angelina Napoleon (14th) and Emily Wisniewski (20th), and finished with 65 points to top runner-up Clemson by 48. Clemson was led by Silvia Jelelgo (second), Judy Kosgei (fifth) and Nancy Cherop (sixth). Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Duke rounded out the top five.
On the men’s side, Wake Forest totaled 48 points to win the team title, followed by Virginia Tech and Syracuse, which tied with 94 points before the Hokies claimed runner-up honors via a head-to-head tiebreaker. Notre Dame (95) and Stanford (157) completed the top five.
Louisville’s Elsingi Kipruto became the program’s first ACC men’s individual cross country champion, winning in 22:03.5 after taking the lead during the final split. Kipruto broke the ACC Championship meet and Buford Meredith course records. The rest of the top five featured Wake Forest’s Rocky Hansen (22:10.5), Virginia Tech’s George Couttie (22:18.0), Louisville’s Nickson Kogei (22:38.4) and Wake Forest’s Aurelien Radja (22:51.2).
North Carolina’s Caden Leonard was the top men’s true freshman, placing ninth, while Clemson’s Nancy Cherop was the top women’s true freshman after finishing sixth.
Wake Forest led all teams with five All-ACC selections, followed by Clemson with four.
Team Scores Men
*Although tied on points, Virginia Tech won the head-to-head tiebreaker over Syracuse. Women
Men’s All-ACC Finlay Ross-Davie, Duke Kaden Levings, Florida State Elsingi Kipruto, Louisville Nickson Kogei, Louisville Caden Leonard, North Carolina Daelen Ackley, Notre Dame Ethan Coleman, Notre Dame Cameron Todd, Notre Dame Paul Bergeron, Stanford Connor Ackley, Syracuse Connell Alford, Syracuse Louis Small, Syracuse Sean Gray, Virginia George Couttie, Virginia Tech Cameron Davis, Virginia Tech Samuel Idiens, Virginia Tech Bryce Gilmore, Wake Forest Rocky Hansen, Wake Forest JoJo Jourdon, Wake Forest Aurelien Radja, Wake Forest Charlie Sprott, Wake Forest
Women’s All-ACC Imogen Gardiner, Boston College Gladys Chepngetich, Clemson Nancy Cherop, Clemson Silvia Jelelgo, Clemson Judy Kosgei, Clemson Victoria Garces, Duke Nancy Chepleting, Louisville Hannah Gapes, NC State Bethany Michalak, NC State Angelina Napoleon, NC State Emily Wisniewski, NC State Mary Bonner Dalton, Notre Dame Gretchen Farley, Notre Dame Maureen Cheruiyot, Pitt Rose Mburu, SMU Julia Flynn, Stanford Keira Rogan, Syracuse Stella Kermes, Virginia Katie Bohlke, Virginia Tech Aniya Mosley, Virginia Tech Brooke Wilson, Wake Forest