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Alumni

Hoop, she did it again

Abby Lampe in a red NC State sweat shirt, holding up the prized cheese wheel in one hand and holding up two fingers with the other

There were some significant differences in Abby Lampe’s second time tumbling in the Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake championship.

The 2022 graduate with a degree in industrial and systems engineering was no longer the unknown American with braided pigtails in a black NC State sweatshirt. She stepped to the starting line at the top of the hill as the prerace favorite, the well-known American with braided pigtails in a red NC State hoodie.

In her postrace interview, she proudly showed off her “Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling Champion” branded T-shirt, designed and sold by NC State’s Wolfpack Outfitters in honor of winning the 2022 women’s title.

The outcome, however, was the same. Lampe, a fourth-generation NC State alum whose grandfather is the longest serving dean in the history of the College of Engineering, won the competition for a second time on Monday, defending her remarkable 2022 championship that brought her — and her alma mater — so much global recognition.

“There was similar excitement, for sure,” Lampe texted from the United Kingdom. “But I was glad I could do it a second time.”

If it had been a circular route, Lampe would have lapped the field in the Secretariat-like victory, scooting well ahead of the rest of the field. Afterward, she got a big hug from fellow NC State graduate Kimmy Grebbia (Engineering ’21).

Lampe and fellow NC State alumna Kimberly Gebbia hold up their wolfies after the competition

“I don’t know how close of a race it was,” Lampe said, her face smeared with Gloucester mud. “I’m really thankful I was able to win again.”

Just like the first time, Lampe completed the race injury-free.

“I’m literally fine,” she said. “I played a lot of sports growing up, so I am used to getting battered down.”

Downhill, that is.

This post was originally published in NC State News.