“In the huddle, that’s kind of what I ended with: At the end of the day, you don’t know going into a season like this if everything is going to work out. We are here with an opportunity to be successful…We said it at the regional meet – because you could kind of feel it building and our Top 5 were really dialed in and running well. I said, ‘Take the time and appreciate what you’re doing right now. There’s no guarantee of it. All you can ask for is an opportunity.’ And they really took advantage of that. I’m thankful for these people I’m surrounded by. This staff is awesome. This team is awesome.”

North Carolina State coach Laurie Henes joins the show just days after the Wolfpack won the team’s first-ever NCAA cross country title.

Early on in the conversation, you’ll be quick to hear Coach Henes point out that NC State won AIAW Cross Country titles in 1979 and 1980 before the NCAA. She knows her NC State history because as an athlete, she was an NCAA champion and a six-time All-American for them and then went on to have a professional career that included representing the U.S. at the World Track & Field Championships in Sweden in 1995. She finished just two spots away from making the Olympic team the following year. By that point, she had already been a member of the NC State coaching staff for four years. Now, she’s been the women’s head coach for 16 years.

In this conversation with me and my co-host Mac Fleet, you’ll hear more about how she’s fostered and created such a successful team and atmosphere and a bit about her thoughts on the success of female coaches within the NCAA. Right after we got off the call with her, she was named the Southeast Regional Coach of the Year and I’m sure that’s not the last honor that’s going to come from this remarkable year for her and the team.

Catch the latest episode of the podcast on Apple Podcasts. We are also on Stitcher, Google Play and Spotify.

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THANK YOU TRACKSMITH

Tracksmith is a Boston-based running brand, who crafts performance apparel for training, racing and rest days. With fall races quickly approaching they know race day is as much about reaching the finish line as it is about the consistency and determination it takes to get to the start. Gear up for going far with their fall collection full of running essentials and check out the Tracksmith Journal for some stories from the Tracksmith team. Listeners get 15% off their purchase using code CITIUS15 at checkout. Visit Tracksmith.com today.

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