The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1000643
22 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK "I am very humbled by this honor and wish I could share it with my Wolfpack teammates. NC State will always be a very spe- cial place for me, and having my name up in Carter-Finley Stadium is a dream come true. I was very proud to wear No. 9 because of Mario Williams and hope that future players wearing it will be proud to represent me as well." ■ Former NC State defensive end Bradley Chubb on having his jersey honored, along with ex-basketball star T.J. Warren, at a future ceremony (GoPack.com) "Glad to see a lot of the in-state talent choosing to play college football in North Carolina. It's a great state and great atmosphere. You don't have to leave the state to compete or make your dreams come true." — Former NCSU star running back Ny- heim Hines on the Wolfpack's 2019 recruiting class (twitter.com/TheNyNy7) "It [having returning players] played a giant role. I wasn't going to come back to a lot of moving parts and indecision, and start over. I came back to play with these guys who we've had a great two-year run already at the wide receiver position and offensive line position." — Sixth-year senior quarterback Ryan Finley on bypassing the NFL to return to NC State (The Wolfpacker) "We really just have to take that next step. We've been close to teams in the national championship like Clemson two years ago, and Clemson last year. We just have to get over the hump. I think it really is execution. It is about executing in key situations, and in many of those games that just didn't happen." — Fifth-year senior wide receiver Stephen Louis on exceeding last year's 9-4 record (The Wolfpacker) "I definitely think we can be one of the top offenses in the whole country. We have a lot of vets back as far as the passing game." — NC State junior wide receiver Kelvin Harmon on how good the offense could be this upcoming season (The Wolfpacker) "I know Coach [Kevin] Keatts likes to play pressure and get out and get up and down the floor, and I think Eric will thrive in that system. He has a great personality. He is always smiling, and that is infectious when he is around the team. He is a great kid, and I am really happy for him. His work ethic stands out among any quality that he has. That is what separates him from a lot of people. I'll be rooting for him." — Former Florida International head coach Anthony Evans on his ex-player Eric Lockett, who is a graduate transfer to NC State (The Wolfpacker) "Overall, the season was unbelievable. This hurts, but I'm already looking forward to seeing where we [the seniors] go and how the young guys come back next season." — Senior baseball player Brock Deatherage following the Wolfpack's season com- ing to an end with a 15-7 loss to Auburn June 3 in the NCAA Raleigh Regional (The Raleigh News & Observer) "NC State athletics has developed a culture of greatness across all sports, and I'm excited to be a part of that. I have tremendous respect for Dr. Debbie Yow and the change that she has instituted here. I hope that we can get the rifle program more in line with her vision, and I'm ready to help lead this program to the next level." — New head coach Emily Holsopple on taking over the NC State rifle program (GoPack.com) QUOTING THE PACK Alec Barger, Baseball As a sophomore at Polk State College in Winter Haven, Fla., the 6-3, 195-pound right-hander pitched in 17 games (16 starts) and had a 7-3 record. In 83 1/3 innings, he al- lowed 79 hits while striking out 86 and walking only 16. That impressed the Milwaukee Brewers enough to select Barger in the 16th round of the MLB Draft in June. But Barger, a native of Sa- voy, Ill., announced later in the month that rather than turn pro he would proceed with his plan to enroll at NC State. Gabriele Cunningham, Track After a junior season on the track in which the Charlotte native finished second in the 200-me- ter dash at the ACC Outdoor Champi- onships with a time of 23.04 seconds, she cemented her status as the fastest woman ever at NC State by running the 100-meter dash in a school-record time of 11.21 seconds en route to reaching the semifinals of the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships June 21 in Des Moines, Iowa. Cun - ningham had the previous best mark of 11.26 seconds in 2017, breaking Felicia Fant's record that stood for 13 years. Alexis Galarneau, Tennis The rising junior from Laval, Quebec, teamed up with Benjamin Sigouin, a fellow Canadian and player at North Carolina, to win the doubles championship at the In- ternational Tennis Federation's Futures tournament June 23 in Calgary, Alberta. Galarneau and Sigouin beat the top three seeds in the tournament en route to the title. Galarneau, who also earned All-ACC Academic Team honors in June, was ranked as high as No. 16 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings this past season and finished the year at No. 52. Elizabeth Norman, Tennis During her freshman season at James Madison, Norman went 18-1 in dual matches, mostly at No. 1 singles, and 26-3 overall in singles action. She was named the Intercol - legiate Tennis Association Atlantic Re- gion Rookie of the Year and the Colonial Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year. After a stellar campaign, the former five-star recruit and native of Marietta, Ga., decided to transfer to NC State. She joins a program that returns most of its lineup, including its two top singles competitors in rising juniors Anna Rogers and Adriana Reami, both of whom were ranked nationally during the past year. Harrison Rhoades, Golf The junior from Raleigh and transfer from Georgetown dominated the annual North Carolina Amateur Championships June 14-17 at the River Landing River Course in Wal- lace, N.C. Rhoades shot a 19-under-par 269 over four rounds, tying the tourna- ment record for low score. He also set a new standard for winning margin with his 13-stroke victory. Rhoades opened the tournament with a field-leading 8-under 64 in round one and then closed with a 6-under 66 on the final day. ■ PACK PERFORMERS PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN