The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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NOVEMBER 2018 ■ 111 they know they belong on the national stage and now they can move forward to score points." Redshirt sophomore Sirena Rowe was an NCAA qualifer in the 50 freestyle in 2017 when she was the Conference USA Fresh- man of the Year at Marshall, where she also set three individual school records. There is also some older talent though to guide the way, headlined by senior Elise Haan, whom Holloway called a "big leader" for NC State. Haan is a seven-time All- American who won the ACC title in the 100 backstroke in 2018 as a junior. She broke the school record in the race while finishing fourth at the NCAA Championships with a time of 50.42 seconds. "She's got one more college year and wants to go out with a bang," Holloway noted. "She's hungry, she's motivated, she's fiery and I think that really helps her to con- tinue staying motivated." Another senior expected to be a large contributor is Anna Jahns, who was honor- able mention All-American in the 1,650 freestyle last year with a 14th-place finish and also qualified for the NCAA Champi- onships in the 400 individual medley and 500 freestyle. NC State also welcomes back a healthy junior Ky-lee Perry. She won the ACC title and broke the school record in the 50 free- style as a freshman and was an integral part of the relay teams. Perry's injury during her sophomore year limited her effectiveness when she returned, but Holloway said Perry is primed for a big year. She won both the 50 and 100 freestyle against South Carolina with Rowe second in each race. "She ended up having a real good sum- mer so she bounced back really well," Hol- loway stated. "She ended last year with a bitter taste in her mouth being injured. She's also off to a good start this school year." Makayla Sargent, a 2016 Olympic Trials participant who qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 200 butterfly and 400 individual medley as a freshman at Florida in 2017, also transferred into the Wolfpack program in the offseason and will be a ju- nior. Her first swim at NC State, at the dual meet versus the Gamecocks, saw her post the fourth-fastest time ever at NC State in the 200 butterfly. Junior Mackenzie Glover will also look to return to the NCAA Championships, where she swam in the 100 and 200 back- stroke as a freshman. She has the fourth- fastest 200 backstroke time in school his- tory. The diving roster also returns one of the ACC's best in junior Madeline Kline, the conference title winner last spring in the platform dive, joining Hannah Hopkins as the only women to win the league event for NCSU. Holloway said that the women's roster is "capable of a lot." "I think for us it's everyone taking one step further and seeing what that brings for us," he concluded. ■ Junior Ky-lee Perry's elbow injury hampered her sophomore campaign, but the freestyle sprinter is healthy and ready for a big season. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS Newcomer To Watch CollegeSwimming.com rated Emma Muzzy as the No. 12 swimmer nationally in the 2018 class, and head coach Braden Holloway professes to having high expectations for the Roanoke, Va., native. "She's a very eager person to perform and to get better," Holloway noted. "So far she's training really well and competing well on a daily basis." Muzzy has the potential to boost NC State in both the backstroke and individual medley events. Three Swimmers To Watch Senior Elise Haan The Florida Gulf Coast transfer shined in her first season with NC State, finishing fourth in the 100 backstroke at the NCAA Championships. Four of the eight racers in that event were seniors, including the title winner. Thus Haan has a chance to be one of the national favorites this spring. Sophomore Tamila Holub Holub finished eighth in the 1,650 freestyle at the NCAA Championships and was the highest-finishing freshman in a race won by multiple-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky from Stanford. Ledecky has turned pro, and third-place finisher Hannah Moore from NC State has graduated. Holub will look to take Moore's place as the premier long distance swimmer in the Wolfpack program. Junior Ky-lee Perry Perry dislocated her elbow and tore a tendon dur - ing her sophomore season, but she returned to swim lifetime bests in both the 50 and 100 freestyle in the Phillips 66 National Championships over the summer. At the opening meet of the season, she swam the anchor in the 200 freestyle relay with a split of 21.76 seconds, a time that would have finished sixth at the NCAA Championships last season. ■ By The Numbers 3 ACC individual titles won by NC State last season: Hannah Moore in the 1,650 freestyle, Elise Haan in the 100 backstroke and Madeline Kline in the platform diving. Haan, a senior, and Kline, a junior, return, but Moore graduated. 3 Conference team titles won by NC State. The Pack won the first two in 1979 and 1980, and broke its lengthy drought in 2017. 11 Is where the Pack ranks in the preseason College Swimming Coaches Association of America poll. Noting The Pack • NC State's recruiting continues to go well. Hollo- way has commitments from two swimmers ranked in the top 60 in the 2019 class according to Col- legeSwimming.com in Katie Mack (No. 41) and Heather MacCausland (No. 59). • The Wolfpack currently has a streak of five straight top-20 finishes at the NCAA Championships after finishing 18th a year ago. NC State had just two top-20 finishes prior to that stretch in school history (1982 and 1983), although it did register six straight top-15 showings at the AIAW Champion - ships from 1976-81. NC State has also finished in the top three of the ACC Championships for the past three years running after having just one the previous 32 seasons.