The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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32 ■ THE WOLFPACKER a relay national title. The celebration com- menced, only to be halted by dreaded words. "The results of the race are unofficial." That is usually an indication of a potential DQ. Flashbacks were undoubtedly going through the minds of the NC State swim- mers. They all checked with each other, and each swimmer was certain that they had been safe on the takeoffs. Holloway watched closely, too. "I knew it wasn't us," the coach said. "I tried to calm down the guys a little bit. I think for them they just wanted to hear it was of- ficial, that they had won. "There is nothing like adding a little drama to it." Typically the swimmers are rushed back into the changing rooms to get ready for the medal ceremony. The Wolfpack swimmers were not going to tempt fate. They would not head back until the results were official. A wait of a few minutes seemed longer, but ultimately it was California that was DQ'd. NC State was indeed, officially, na- tional champions. "I could not have asked for any better; NCAA finals and the last swim," Bilis said. Expectations Strong Moving Forward Bilis and fellow key senior Christian Mc- Curdy, among others, are gone. Bilis, a 19- time All-American and 16-time ACC cham- pion, led the way for NCSU sweeping the conference's annual awards for the second straight campaign by becoming the fourth to repeat as the league's Swimmer of the Year (Holloway also won his second straight Coach of the Year laurel, while Justin Ress was tabbed the ACC's top rookie). Meanwhile, McCurdy had set an ACC record in the 200 butterfly at the 2016 con- ference meet en route to his third individual title, and he finished fifth in the finals of that same race at the NCAA Championships, his third straight top-five finish at nationals. Holloway described the pair in a word: re- liable. He's hoping that has rubbed off while the Pack moves forward. "You always knew you could count on them," Holloway added. "They always per- formed at the highest moment, and our team learned that from them." Keith said that next season will be a key one for NC State. He places the Pack in that "very next tier" behind perennial na- tional title contenders Texas, California and Stanford. "You are expecting one of these years they are going to have a breakthrough year, maybe win a title, maybe finish second, something like that," Keith said. "They don't quite have that depth, that stability where you expect them to contend for the title every single year. They are kind of in that group when they hit the right year and have the right seniors in place, they can hit the whole thing. "Next year, I think, is going to be a big year for them, an important one for them. They are starting to lose some of that first generation of guys that helped them make it here. Now guys like Ryan Held and those guys are going to have to show they can be- come like those guys." Bilis is confident. He glanced at his re- cords that are on display on a tote board overlooking NC State's Willis Casey Aquatic Center. He has the fastest 50, 100 and 200 freestyle times in school history, and he is set to swim for his native country Lithuania in the 50 and 100 freestyle in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He knows that he may need to save a pic- ture as proof he was once the fastest freestyle swimmer in NC State history. Held is already within striking distance in all three races and has two more seasons of eligibility to break them. "Our coaches are really good at recruiting, so I would think the future is really bright for them," Bilis said. "A lot of fast guys are com- ing in next year already. I can't imagine the guys on the team are not going to get faster. "I look at my records, and I imagine that next year they are going to get broken." The women's team is also poised for new heights. Juniors Natalie Labonge, Rachel Muller and Alexia Zevnik plus sophomore Hannah Moore are some of the All-Ameri- cans expected back. Keith observed that the women have taken a similar path rising up in national prominence as the men, they're just a year or two behind. Together, the swimming teams have built a program that deserves to be the talk of campus. "We love what we do," Holloway added. "We enjoy doing it. I don't think we ever really feel extra pressure. I think we're con- fident in the program that we built. We feel confident in the environment and the culture that our team currently holds itself to and holds itself accountable to. "This is an athlete-led program and we are the guiding light. I think we have been able to create something that is here to stay." ■ The Wolfpack celebrated equaling the best-ever finish (fourth) at the NCAA Championships in program history, which was last accomplished in 1954-55. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS Senior Simonas Bilis, who was the runner-up in the 50 and 100 freestyle races at the NCAA Championships, finished his career as a 19-time All-American and 16-time ACC champion. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS