UNC’s Parker Wolfe Wins 5,000-Meter National Title at NCAA Championships

UNC’s Parker Wolfe capped off an outstanding junior season by winning the men’s 5,000-meter national title at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Oregon on Friday night. Wolfe crossed the finish line with a time of 13:54.43, just beating Northern Arizona’s Nico Young to claim the title.

Wolfe had finished in second place behind Young in the 5,000-meter and 3,000-meter runs at the NCAA Indoor Championships earlier this year.

Wolfe concludes his season with two ACC team championships, four new school records, four first-team All-America honors (giving him eight for his career) and a national title. He’s the first Tar Heel ever to win the 5000-meter run at the outdoor championships, the first Tar Heel to win an event at the championships since 2007 and the first Tar Heel to win a solo men’s track event at the championships since 1950 (a UNC team won the 4×100-meter relay at the 1996 championships). It’s the third individual national title won by a Tar Heel this academic year, after Aranza Vazquez Montaño took home two at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.

Overall, five Tar Heel competitors won first- or second-team All-America honors at the championships: Wolfe, Ethan Strand (1,500 meters), Craig Saddler (400-meter hurdles), Alex Phillip (10,000 meters) and Makayla Paige (800 meters).

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/David Hicks

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

‹

Former UNC Track Star Kenny Selmon Out in Olympic Semifinals

Former UNC track star Kenny Selmon fell short of advancing to the finals for the 400-meter hurdles event on Sunday at the Tokyo Olympics. Selmon, who was a four-time All-American while at UNC, placed second in his Thursday heat to qualify for the semifinal. He posted the fourth-fastest time in his semifinal run against seven […]

The Morning News: Orange County's Wolf Dogs, Five Years Later

In today's news: we revisit the wolf dogs who captivated our community when they went loose in Cedar Grove five years ago.

Parker Wolfe, Ethan Strand Among UNC's 2025 Patterson Medal Winners

UNC named the 2025 class of Patterson Medal winners Monday morning. The Patterson Medal is the school’s most prestigious individual athletics honor and has been awarded annually since 1924. Recipients must have competed in at least three seasons for UNC and have concluded their collegiate eligibility. The 2025 honorees are David Ford of the men’s […]

3 UNC Athletes Finish as National Runners-Up at NCAA Track & Field Championships

Three different Tar Heels – shot putter Tommy Kitchell and runners Makayla Paige and Ethan Strand – finished as the national runners-up in their respective events at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Oregon last week. Kitchell, competing in his last collegiate event, achieved a new personal best and a school record with […]

UNC Track & Field to Send 7 Athletes to NCAA Outdoor Championships

Seven UNC athletes advanced to the NCAA Track & Field Outdoor National Championships next week with their performances in the regional round.

UNC Wins Multiple Titles at ACC Track & Field Championships

UNC senior Parker Wolfe became the first runner ever to win the 5,000 and 10,000 meter titles in consecutive seasons at the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships this week in Winston-Salem. Wolfe was named the men’s track MVP while helping the Tar Heels finish second in the championship’s team leaderboard. The women’s team finished […]

UNC's Ethan Strand and Makayla Paige Win Titles at NCAA Indoor Championships

Two Tar Heels brought home hardware from the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Virginia Beach last weekend. UNC’s Ethan Strand won the 3,000-meter national title while Makayla Paige won the 800-meter title. Thanks for having us, Virginia!#GoHeels pic.twitter.com/NxuAE0vt7L — UNC Track & Field • XC (@UNCTrack_Field) March 16, 2025   Strand’s race was […]

Biles, Osaka and Phelps Spoke up About Mental Health. Has Anything Changed for the Paris Olympics?

Written by HOWARD FENDRICH and EDDIE PELLS Lydia Jacoby was a breakout star in the pool for the United States at the last Summer Games, earning a gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke and a relay silver. Part of what comes to mind from those heady days in Tokyo? “People talking about post-Olympic depression,” she said. She […]

UNC's Parker Wolfe Named ACC Men's Outdoor Track Performer of the Year

UNC’s Parker Wolfe picked up another accolade following an outstanding 2023-24 season, as he was named the ACC Men’s Outdoor Track Performer of the Year on Thursday. ⭐️ Outdoor Track & Field Performers of the Year ⭐️ 📰 https://t.co/AbcoMctmit pic.twitter.com/eYX7zsdVRh — The ACC (@theACC) June 20, 2024 Wolfe was also named the Southeast Region Men’s […]

UNC's Parker Wolfe Wins 5,000-Meter National Title at NCAA Championships

UNC’s Parker Wolfe capped off an outstanding junior season by winning the men’s 5,000-meter national title at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Oregon on Friday night. Wolfe crossed the finish line with a time of 13:54.43, just beating Northern Arizona’s Nico Young to claim the title. DON'T MESS WITH THE WOLFE 🤩 […]

›