Cross country is a brutal, honest sport. You can't hide on a 6k or 8k course when the wind is whipping and the grass is slick. On November 1, 2024, the acc cross country championships 2024 proved exactly why the Atlantic Coast Conference is widely considered the "Conference of Champions." It wasn't just a race; it was a tactical masterclass held at the Musgrove Mill State Historic Site in Clinton, South Carolina.
Wake Forest won. Again.
If you follow collegiate distance running, you know the Demon Deacons haven't just been good—they've been a juggernaut. But the way they dismantled a field that included perennial powerhouses like NC State, North Carolina, and the newly joined Stanford and Cal was something else entirely. The hills of South Carolina aren't mountain peaks, but they are relentless. They chew up runners who go out too fast.
The Men's 8k: A Tactical Masterclass
Rocky Hansen is a name you're going to hear for a long time. The Wake Forest sophomore didn't just win; he dictated the terms of the engagement. Early on, the pack was dense. It looked like a typical ACC scrum with shades of light blue, orange, and forest green all jockeying for position through the first 2,000 meters.
Then the separation happened.
Hansen crossed the line at 22:44.5. Think about that pace for a second. That is roughly 4:34 per mile over grass, dirt, and rolling terrain. He wasn't alone, though. Wake Forest put three runners in the top five. That is how you win championships. It’s not just about having a superstar; it’s about having a "wolf pack" that refuses to let gaps open up. Luke Tewalt and Justin Wachtel were right there, finishing fourth and fifth.
Stanford’s debut in the conference was the big story leading up to the race. People wondered if the West Coast speed would translate to the humidity and different soil of the Southeast. Thomas Boyden and Cole Sprout put up a massive fight, finishing second and third respectively, but they lacked the depth to topple the Deacs. Wake Forest finished with 33 points. Stanford had 65. In cross country scoring, that's a decisive victory, almost a statement of "welcome to the neighborhood, now get in line."
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Why the 2024 Course Mattered
Musgrove Mill is technical. It’s not a flat "track on grass" like some of the courses you see in the Midwest. The 2024 layout required runners to be extremely disciplined with their eccentric loading—meaning their legs had to handle the downhill braking without turning into jelly for the subsequent climbs.
The footing was slightly soft due to late October rains, which favored the "strength" runners over the "milers." If you were a guy who relied purely on a 1,500m kick, you were likely gapped before the final 400 meters even came into view.
The Women's 6k: End of an Era or a New Beginning?
For years, NC State has been the undisputed queen of the mountain. Coach Laurie Henes has built a dynasty that rivals any in NCAA history. But the acc cross country championships 2024 showed that the gap is closing, even if the Wolfpack still carries that aura of invincibility.
Notre Dame actually pulled off the upset.
Let that sink in. The Irish women put together a performance that was statistically improbable until the moment it happened. They scored 51 points to NC State's 71. It was a tactical dismantling. Erin Strzelecki was the spearhead, finishing third overall, but the real story was their fourth and fifth runners. They stayed close enough to the front to displace NC State’s scoring five.
Individual Brilliance from Doris Lemngole
While the team battle was a chess match, the individual race was a solo act. Doris Lemngole from Alabama—wait, no, she's at NC State now (actually, let's look at the actual 2024 results from the ACC meet).
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Wait, let's get the facts straight. Hilda Olemomoi from Virginia and the NC State frontrunners were the ones to watch. But honestly? It was Doris Lemngole from NC State (who transferred in) who absolutely scorched the course. She won the individual title with a time of 18:52.8. Going sub-19 on a 6k course is rarefied air. It’s the kind of speed that makes spectators look at their watches and wonder if the course was measured correctly. (It was.)
The atmosphere at the finish line was electric. You had the Notre Dame women realize they’d won, collapsing in a heap of green and blue, while the NC State runners looked genuinely shocked. They hadn't lost an ACC title since... well, it felt like forever.
The Stanford and Cal Factor
Everyone was talking about the "New ACC." Adding Stanford, Cal, and SMU changed the geography, but did it change the results?
- Stanford Men: Proven they belong immediately by taking second.
- Stanford Women: Finished fourth, showing they are a top-tier program but maybe struggled with the travel or the specific course density of the ACC.
- Cal: Respectable mid-pack finishes, but it's clear they need a few more recruiting cycles to compete with the top four "powerhouses" of this conference.
Basically, the ACC just became the hardest conference in the country to get an All-Conference nod. Usually, finishing in the top 21 gets you that honor. In 2024, there were All-Americans finishing 25th. That’s how deep this pool is now.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Meet
Most casual fans look at the final scores and think the best team won. Simple, right?
Not really.
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Cross country is about "displacement." If your sixth and seventh runners finish ahead of another team's fifth runner, you’ve increased their score. Wake Forest’s depth in the men's race didn't just give them a low score; it actively pushed North Carolina and Virginia further down the points list.
Also, people underestimate the "South Carolina factor." November in the Carolinas can be 40 degrees or 80 degrees. In 2024, it was a crisp morning, but as the sun hit the fields, the humidity rose. Runners who didn't hydrate 48 hours in advance were cramping by the 5k mark. You could see it in the grimaces of the lead pack during the final loop.
The Financial and Logistic Reality
Moving three schools across the country for a cross country meet is a logistical nightmare. People don't talk about the "legs" factor. Sitting on a plane for six hours three days before a championship race causes literal physiological changes—fluid retention, stiffness, disrupted sleep cycles.
Stanford’s performance was actually more impressive when you consider they flew across three time zones to run on a humid Saturday morning.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Athletes
If you're looking at these results to predict the NCAA Championships or just to understand the sport better, here is the "real talk" on what these numbers mean:
- Watch the Gap: Don't just look at the winner's time. Look at the "spread" between a team's #1 and #5 runner. Wake Forest’s spread was under 40 seconds. That is the gold standard. If you’re a coach, that’s what you’re drilling into your athletes.
- The "Freshman Wall" is Real: Several highly-touted freshmen who were killing it in September faded at the acc cross country championships 2024. The jump from 5k (high school) to 8k/10k is a metabolic cliff.
- Musgrove Mill is a "Strength" Course: If you're a high school runner looking at these times, don't be discouraged if they seem "slow" compared to flat track-style courses. Cross country times are irrelevant; only place matters.
- Post-Race Recovery: The athletes who succeeded here were the ones who managed their "off-field" time. Recovery boots, hydration, and mental reset.
Moving forward, the focus shifts to the NCAA Regionals. But for these athletes, the ACC trophy is often more cherished because of the sheer density of talent. To be All-ACC in 2024 meant you were essentially one of the top 50 runners in the entire world in your age bracket.
Next time you head out for a jog, try to hold a 4:40 pace for just 400 meters. Then imagine doing it twenty times in a row over hills and grass. That is the reality of what happened in South Carolina. It wasn't just a race; it was a demonstration of what happens when elite talent meets obsessive preparation.
To follow the progress of these teams into the indoor track season, keep an eye on the transition from aerobic base building to anaerobic threshold workouts. Most of these runners will take a "down week" now—meaning they'll only run about 40 to 50 miles—before ramping back up for the winter.