The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1113082
24 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK Women's Tennis Coach Simon Earnshaw Wins ACC Award Simon Earnshaw was named ACC Women's Tennis Coach of the Year after a breakout campaign. The Wolfpack entered NCAA Regionals May 4‑5 with a program‑best 22‑6 mark, including 11‑3 in the ACC. The Wolfpack finished tied for third in the ACC, thanks to the one‑two punch of senior Anna Rogers and freshman Alana Smith. Rogers was named first‑team all‑conference and Smith was a second‑team selection. Earnshaw guided the Wolfpack to a No. 9 ranking to end the regular season. The program advanced to the ITA Indoor National Championship for the first time in school history, while the Wolfpack posted its first‑ever victory over Miami (Fla.) and defeated Georgia Tech for the first time since 1998. Leslie was named an honorable mention All-Amer- ican by the Associated Press in her final year with the Wolfpack. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN ■ RED AND WHITE NOTEBOOK Wes Moore Named National Coach Of The Year Finalist NC State women's basket‑ ball head coach Wes Moore was named one of the four finalists for the 2019 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's Coach of the Year award. Iowa's Lisa Bluder, who guided the Hawkeyes (29‑7 overall) to a Sweet 16 win over NC State before falling in the Elite Eight to Baylor, won the award over fellow finalists Moore, Kim Mulkey of Baylor and Vic Schaefer of Mississippi State. M o o r e h e l p e d g u i d e NC State, which lost four players to season‑ending knee injuries, to a 28‑6 overall record and a 12‑4 mark in the ACC. NCSU topped Maine and No. 17‑ranked Kentucky before fall‑ ing to Iowa in the NCAA Tournament. Moore had previously been among the 10 candidates for the 2017 Naismith award, and was the ACC Coach of the Year in 2017. He finished behind Clemson's Amanda Butler for the latter honor this season. Pack Up To 11th In Directors' Cup The final winter standings for the Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup, an annual competi‑ tion for the top overall athletics department in the land, were released April 25, and the Wolfpack checked in No. 3 in the ACC and 11th nationally. NC State boasted several impressive national finishes during the winter season, including fourth in men's swimming and diving, seventh in women's swimming and diving, ninth in women's basketball, 17th in wrestling and 25th in women's gymnastics. The Wolfpack set a school record with a 15th‑place Directors' Cup finish last year, after it stood fifth in the final winter update. However, the school could be in for a stronger spring; several of its teams are included among the national rankings (as of April 26): baseball is a consensus top‑20 squad, both tennis teams are listed in the top 20 by the ITA — the women at No. 12 and the men at No. 20 — and men's golf is receiving votes in the coaches' poll. Last year, the Pack did not have a spring sport finish higher than 17th (baseball) and just two squads placed 33rd or better nationally (men's golf was 24th). Only one school that finished among the nation's top 39 in 2017‑18 tallied fewer spring points than NCSU. Kiara Leslie Drafted In First Round NC State wing Kiara Leslie capped her ter‑ rific final college season by getting selected No. 10 overall by the Washington Mystics in the WNBA Draft April 10. Leslie, who became the 16th player in NCSU women's basketball history to get drafted by the WNBA, was a first‑team All‑ACC selection and led the Wolfpack to a 28‑6 record and spot in the Sweet 16. She became the third Wolfpack basketball player to be chosen in the draft since head coach Wes Moore took over the program ahead of the 2013‑14 season. Markeisha Gatling (No. 10 overall) went in the first round to the Chicago Sky in 2014 and Kody Burke (No. 32) was drafted by the Mystics in the third round of the same year. Leslie started her career at Maryland before suffering a serious injury and then transferring back to her home area. The Holly Springs, N.C., native led NC State in scoring with 15.9 points per game while also averaging 7.2 rebounds per contest this past season. The younger sister of former NC State men's basketball player C.J. Leslie was named an honorable mention All‑American by the As‑ sociated Press and a Women's Basketball Coaches Association All‑American regional finalist, and was also picked to the All‑ACC defensive squad. The 6‑0 Leslie finished her two‑year NCSU career with 61 starts in 69 games, and aver‑ aged 14.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest while shooting 35.9 percent from three‑point range. Despite his team losing four key players to season- ending knee injuries, Moore still led the Pack to the Sweet 16. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Maybe one of the more advanced players I've drafted as far as being ready for this level, defen- sively. And then offensively, over the last couple years, she's had to really improve in the areas that have become the most important in pro basketball, three-point shooting being one of them. … She's always played well at tournament time, which is a really great trait that a player is not afraid of big moments." — Washington Mystics coach and general manager Mike Thibault on selecting NC State star Kiara Leslie with the No. 10 pick in the WNBA Draft (The Washington Post)