The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1013591
26 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK "They want to win, they want to go to the NFL and they want to be some- where they can have a life after football. Having that facility helps us develop them into NFL players. Right now, it's hitting; all these guys wanting to stay home. Why? We just had the most players drafted in the NFL. Why? Because we can develop players. Why? Because we have a facility to develop players. It's impossible; we wouldn't be where we're at right now without that building — there's no way." — Head coach Dave Doeren on the impact of the Close- King indoor practice facility has had on NC State's recruiting (The Greensboro News & Record) "I think it takes a village. On every team you're going to have those guys that not everybody notices. But it's those guys that go unnoticed and the contribu- tions that they make that I think is big to any success of any team. As an offen- sive lineman, you know that you're going to be in the shadows, and that's fine, but you don't substitute the work. It's still about going out, putting in the work and having the demeanor about what it means for us to be an offensive lineman, to be the protectors of the team, to go out and set the tempo for our offense." — Offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford on his unit (The Technician) "I feel like we're going to be really good. We didn't play up to par like we could last year. But I feel like this year we've got a lot to prove because we've got a good offense, so everybody's talking about our offense. I feel like we come out there with a lot to prove, ready to compete every day in practice, so that's going to make us a lot better." — Junior cornerback Nick McCloud on the Wolfpack's secondary (The Technician) "Leaving after three games last year, I was kind of mentally prepared that I would most likely have to sit out three games this year. I was hoping for the best, if [the NCAA] would have granted me eligibility right away, but it is what is. There's not much we can do about it now. So, I'm [trying to] learn the playbook the best I can and get ready for the season." — Redshirt sophomore tight end Cary Angeline on the NCAA's ruling (GoPack.com) "Polls and rankings are really neat for the public and maybe other programs, but they mean nothing to us. Our program is really good at living in the present and we're 0-0 just like every other team in the country. What we are will be de- fined when the season is over, not when it starts. I promise you our players are well aware of that." — Women's soccer coach Tim Santoro on the Pack being picked fifth in the ACC in the preseason coaches' poll (GoPack.com) "Congrats to my boy @ClintChrysler on his new pitching coach gig with @ NCStateBaseball. #Pack9 got a good one. Omaha anyone??" — Former Atlanta Braves star Chipper Jones on the hiring of new NC State baseball pitching coaching Clint Chrysler from Winthrop (Twitter) QUOTING THE PACK Tadas Babelis, Tennis After a successful freshman season during which Babelis went 15‑10 in dual singles action, including a 9‑4 record at No. 2 singles, the Lithuania native had a strong summer highlighted by capturing the doubles crown at the Georgia ITF Futures event in July. Babelis teamed with former SMU product Ronald Slobodchikov to domi ‑ nate the field, not dropping a set along the way. Babelis' NCSU teammate, junior Alexis Galarneau, won a doubles crown at the Calgary ITF Futures in June. Babelis and Galarneau teamed up six times last season for NC State in doubles action and went 4‑2. Erika Kemp, Track The Mount Holly, N.J., native was one of two NC State athletes nominated for the 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year award. Kemp was third in the 10,000‑me ‑ ter race at the ACC Outdoor Championships and an All‑American at the NCAA meet in the 5,000. She was also a seven‑time All‑ACC Academic selection in track and earned an ACC Postgraduate Scholarship. She graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees in foreign litera ‑ ture and language as well as psychology, minored in statistics and finished with a 3.74 cumulative grade point average. Akela Maize, Basketball After the Greensboro, N.C., native was named to the All‑ACC Defensive Team last season, she signed a contract to continue her basketball career overseas with C.B. Al‑Qazeres in Spain. Maize started 33 games last year and averaged 10.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. Her 68 total rejections were the second most in a single season in school history, and Maize had a career‑high five blocks in a win over No. 10 Florida State. She also led the Pack in field goal percentage (52.2 percent). Hannah Moore, Swimming Moore, a native of Cary, N.C., concluded her career this past spring as one of the greatest long distance swimmers in school history, earning All‑ America honors in the 500 freestyle and 1,650 freestyle as a senior by finishing seventh and third, respectively, at the NCAA Champion ‑ ships. After graduating from the program, Moore competed at the French Open Water Championships in May and finished ninth overall and third among Americans in the 10‑kilometer open water event. At the Phillips 66 National Championships in July, she was fifth in the 1,500 freestyle to earn an invite to represent Team USA at the Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo in August. Chelsea Nelson, Basketball Like her classmate Maize, Nelson is headed to Spain to play professional basketball. The Antioch, Tenn., native has signed to play with CD Zamarat. Nelson was the star player on an NC State squad that made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007. She was named first‑team All‑ACC after leading the squad with 12.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while registering 11 double‑doubles during her senior season. Her 22 rebounds in a win over No. 18 Duke during the ACC Tournament was a new event record, and she concluded her career fifth all time in rebounding at NCSU (329). ■ PACK PERFORMERS "It changed me as a man, it changed me as a player. It gave me more drive than I had before. Any time I feel like, I can't go no more, I get a flash of her in my mind and I pick it up." ■ Senior running back Reggie Gallaspy on playing for his daughter Aliah (The Raleigh News & Observer) PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN