NCAA XC women’s team preview: NC State vs BYU (again) — or can Oregon crash the party?

(Have you entered our free NCAA XC prediction contest: Play with your friends now.)

North Carolina State and Brigham Young have combined to win the last five NCAA women’s cross country titles, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that the two schools will enter the 2025 NCAA cross country championships on Saturday in Columbia, Mo., ranked #1 (NC State) and #2 (BYU) in the coaches’ poll. Both teams are stacked with talent — it would not be a shock if half of the top 10 consisted of Wolfpack/Cougar runners — and BYU has the individual favorite in superstar freshman Jane Hedengren. Can BYU draw level with NC State at three titles apiece in the battle for best team of the 2020s, or will NC State take a commanding 4-2 lead?

Or will another team emerge to upset the two superpowers? #6 Oregon is lurking after a huge performance at the Big 10 meet and is seeking its fifth NCAA title in Columbia — and first of the Shalane Flanagan era. Here’s a closer look at each contender below.

#1 NC State

Why NC State could win: NC State reeled off three straight titles from 2021-23 with a core of Katelyn Tuohy, Kelsey Chmiel, and Sam Bush. NC State spent one year rebuilding in 2024 (and still finished 8th at NCAAs) and now once again has a group that looks capable of contending for multiple national titles: their top five at ACCs consisted of two juniors (Grace Hartman and Hannah Gapes), two sophomores (Angelina Napoleon and Bethany Michalak), and a freshman (Sadie Engelhardt).

Embed from Getty Images

NC State’s front four is really good. Hartman (5th) and Gapes (8th) were both in the top 10 at NCAAs a year ago and should finish in that range again this year. Hartman actually looked to have taken a step forward by winning the Nuttycombe Invite this year, though she was only 4th at ACCs after tying up in the final kilometer. Hartman dealt with a plantar fascia issue over the summer and did not race regionals, but NC State coach Laurie Henes told LetsRun.com that skipping regionals was always part of the plan and Hartman ran a workout that day instead. She should be good to go on Saturday.

While juniors Hartman and Gapes are at a similar level to last year, the two sophomores in NC State’s top four, Angelina Napoleon and Bethany Michalak, have taken huge steps forward. Napoleon was a revelation in the steeplechase this summer, going from 3rd at NCAAs to 2nd at USAs to 9th at the World Championships in Tokyo. Exactly one month after the Worlds final, Napoleon ran her first XC race, finishing 2nd at Nuttycombe, and she followed that up by winning ACCs. Henes said Napoleon will get a much-needed break in December, but right now she is impressed by how Napoleon has been able to keep her breakout year going.

“She keeps saying, ‘People keep expecting me to be tired, and I’m not,'” Henes said. “And I’m like, well, you’ve done quite a bit here.”