The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/112604
High Quality Fifth-Year Senior Ryan Hill Leads The Way For A Talented And Experienced Team R By Bruce Winkworth yan Hill thought about turning professional after the 2012 outdoor college track season. Fortunately for NC State, the seven-time All-American felt he still had something to prove and opted to come back for one last go-round. pack a pair of cornerstones in the distance events. Seniors Patrick Campbell (5,000 and 10,000 meters) and Brian Himelright (steeplechase), junior Matt Sonnenfeldt (5,000 and 10,000 meters), sophomore Michael Mansy (5,000 and 10,000 meters), and redshirt freshman Graham Crawford (1,500) give the Pack strong performers across the board in the distance events. ���PREVIEW The Wolfpack has been strong in the throws in the past, and should be again with Men���s track All-American Nathaniel Williams, Grant Pearce and Jule Rich. Williams, a junior, And that���s a great thing for the Wolftook 13th in the discus at the NCAA Champack. Even without Hill, the Pack has popionships a year ago, and also throws the tential scorers across most events. With shot put and hammer. Rich, a sophomore, Hill, however, NC State has a headline was an NCAA regional qualifier in the disattraction, an athlete who almost certainly cus last year and also throws the hammer. will score big points at the NCAA ChamPearce, a fifth-year sepionships in June. nior, excels at the discus ���Ryan Hill is one of By The Numbers and hammer, taking fifth the elite middle-distance Returning NCAA regional qualiand ninth, respectively, runners in our country,��� fiers from 2012. in the ACC at those two Wolfpack head coach The number of times Ryan Hill has events a year ago. Rollie Geiger said. ���And earned All-America recognition. Senior jumper Kris he���s so versatile because Returning All-ACC performers Kornegay-Gober has he can run the 1,500/ from 2012. done it all in his threemile, which is more or plus seasons jumping less the same event, or he with the Wolfpack. He won the ACC incan run the 3,000 meters, or the 5,000 medoor high jump last winter, was a national ters, or even the 10,000 meters. He���s just qualifier in the high jump outdoors and is a very versatile, very good.��� three-time all-conference performer. With Hill back as the bellwether, State The Wolfpack���s sprinters mostly excel will field a team that has experienced and in the longer sprints, the 200, 400 and 800 talented athletes at most every event group. meters, and the Wolfpack should be strong Two-time cross country All-American Anin the sprint relays. Senior Daniel Frentz drew Colley, a redshirt junior, runs the ran the 400-meter leg for NC State���s ACC 3,000 and 5,000 meters, giving the Wolf- 5 7 7 Noting The Pack Hill, a seven-time All-American, is a national championship contender in the 1,500 meters, as well as possibly the 3,000 and 5,000 meters. photo courtesy nc state media relations ��� Ryan Hill continues to dazzle every time he laces up the spikes. The multi-event standout seems to be settling into the mile/1,500 meters for his final campaign. Hill���s most recent exploit was running a 3:54.89 mile at the 106th Millrose Games. Hill���s time was the fastest ever by a collegiate miler to hail from the state of North Carolina, surpassing Tony Waldrop���s mark of 3:55.0, which had stood since 1974. Hill���s mark is the fourth-fastest in history by a collegian, and the second-fastest by an American runner at the college level. Hill���s time also broke his own NC State program record of 3:58.33, which he set in 2012. Hill owns the fastest 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter times in the ACC this season. He has been All-American in track four times, twice in indoors and twice in outdoors, but only once in the 1,500 meters. ��� NC State will field a veteran lineup for the most part in 2013. Nine of the Wolfpack���s top performers are in at least their third year in the program. Hill, Brian Himelright and Grant Pearce are fifth-year seniors. Daniel Fretz and Kris Kornegay-Gober are true seniors, Andrew Colley, Matt Sonnenfeldt and Nathaniel Williams are redshirt juniors, and Jule Rich is a redshirt sophomore. ��� As the ACC continues to expand, it becomes more and more difficult to score points at the conference championship meet, where the top eight finishers in each event score points. Beginning in 2014, when the league will have 15 teams competing for the championship, it will be more difficult than ever to score points, and it���s possible that seven schools could be shut out from scoring in any given event. March 2013��� ������ 81 80-82.Men's Track Preview.indd 81 2/26/13 1:05 PM