The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1000643
134 ■ THE WOLFPACKER couple of weeks. But they stick in your head a little bit to provide that motivation for you to get better. "I think that win was really good for my confidence. … I didn't want people to think that when I got in the big moments I wasn't able to pull through. I've run into some really tough guys, and I'm learning from that." There will be plenty more big moments for Hidlay — and he's intent on improving from both the wins and losses to be more prepared than ever for the next one, which couldn't come at a better time for NC State. The Wolfpack must replace six senior starters from this year's record-setting squad that tied for fourth at the NCAA Championships, and Hidlay will lead a pack of fresh faces that know from watch- ing him they don't need to wait to win. "We're going to be young, but we have guys that want to win and we have guys that got a taste of winning these past couple of years," he said. "They don't want it to stop, and I'm really glad to lead that con- tingent. "We know what the standards are here, and we're ready to push forward next year." ■ Here are the top 10 rookies during the 2017-18 school year at NC State after Hayden Hidlay, The Wolfpacker's Rookie of the Year: 1. Patrick Bailey, baseball: The switch-hitting catcher from Greensboro, N.C., fin- ished second on the Wolfpack with a .321 batting average, led the squad with a .604 slugging percentage, and ranked fifth in home runs (13), runs scored (45) and runs batted in (tied with 40). Bailey was named a Freshman All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association and Collegiate Baseball. 2. Tariq Wilson, wrestling: The 133-pounder, who redshirted in 2016-17, came on strong in his debut season to earn All-America honors. He upset three different top-five seeds at the NCAA Championships to reach the semifinals, before falling in overtime to eventual champion Seth Gross of South Dakota State. Wilson led NC State in wins, posting a 27-10 overall record. He went 2-2 at the ACC Championships to automatically earn his NCAA bid. Amateur Wrestling News and TheOpenMat.com named Wilson the top rookie nationally at 133 pounds, and FloWrestling.org ranked him No. 3 in its final 133-pound overall rankings. 3. Manny Perez, men's soccer: The Garner, N.C., native started all 15 games he played in, and had five goals and four assists for 14 points. He missed three matches in October due to playing for the U.S. Under-20 National Team. He proved clutch with three game-winning goals — he had two goals, including the game-winner, against Louisville — and he was durable, logging 1,304 minutes for the 8-6-4 Wolfpack. Perez was ranked as the No. 2 freshman in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer.com. He also was named the ACC Freshman of the Year and earned second-team all-league honors. 4. Tamila Holub, women's swimming: The Cherkasy, Ukraine, product became an NCAA All-American after finishing eighth in the country in the 1,650 freestyle at the NCAA Championships. She helped NC State finish 18th in the event. Holub swam the second fastest 1,650 freestyle in school history, just behind senior Hannah Moore. She was also second in the ACC Championships, behind Moore, to earn all-league honors. 5. Dominique Clairmonte, women's cross country: The Lexington, Ohio, native burst onto the scene last fall, helping the NC State women's cross country team place eighth at the NCAA Championships. She finished 58th in the country. Clairmonte, who redshirted in 2016, finished fifth at the NCAA Southeast Regional and was third at the ACC Championships to earn all-league honors. 6. Reid Johnston, baseball: He started his freshman year thinking he might be a slugger for the Wolfpack, but became a full-time pitcher instead. The Greensboro, N.C., product went 7-1 with four saves and a 3.06 earned run average. Opposing hitters hit .222 against him, and he walked just 15 hitters while striking out 49 in 64 2 ⁄3 innings. Johnston was tabbed as a Freshman All-American by the National Collegiate Base- ball Writer's Association and Collegiate Baseball, after helping NC State go 42-18 and reach the NCAA Regionals. 7. Tadas Babelis, men's tennis: The native of Vilnius, Lithuania, was a welcome ad- dition for the spring semester, settling in nicely at No. 2 and No. 3 singles, and forming a potent doubles team with Georgly Malyshev. He earned third-team All-ACC honors for the Wolfpack, which finished 17-9 overall. Babelis went 15-10 in singles competition, including 9-4 at No. 2 singles. The duo of Babelis and Malyshev went 11-3 in doubles action, including 9-1 in the ACC and 10-3 at the No. 3 spot. He also went 3-1 at No. 1 doubles (4-2 overall) with Alexis Galarneau. 8. Braxton Beverly, men's basketball: The 6-0, 180-pounder enrolled for summer school classes at Ohio State before transferring to NC State in late July. It appeared he would have to sit out the season, but the NCAA ruled in his favor on his third appeal. Beverly proved to be a much-needed piece in helping NC State go 21-12 overall and reach the NCAA Tournament. The Hazard, Ky., native averaged 9.5 points and 3.9 assists per game, while shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three-point range. 9. Kathleen Moore, women's swimming: The Cary product finished 27th in the 200 backstroke at the NCAA Championships. She also holds the second-fastest time in NC State history in the 400 individual medley (4:08.59). Moore finished in the top 15 in four different events at the ACC Championships, including finishing fourth in the 400 individual medley. She was also 11th in the 500 freestyle, 13th in the 1,650 freestyle and 15th in the 200 backstroke 10. Lulu Guttenberger, women's soccer: She might not have the raw statistics, but soccer experts understood her defensive worth. TopDrawerSoccer.com ranked her No. 31 in the country among freshman players, and she was named to the ACC All-Freshman squad. The Velburg, Germany, native started all 22 matches and logged 1,952 minutes for the 15-5-2 Wolfpack. — Jacey Zembal Hidlay finished the college season at 26-1 and then won the starting spot on the Under-23 U.S. World Team by beating a wrestler that finished second in the world in the junior division last year. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS TEN IMPRESSIVE FRESHMAN CAMPAIGNS