The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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14 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK R edshirt junior women's soccer player Lulu Guttenberger has already accomplished more at the age of 22 than many will in a lifetime. Guttenberger completed her undergraduate degree at NC State in less than four years. While graduating early isn't necessarily un- common, what makes the feat even more impressive is the fact that she completed the degree in her second language. An international student-athlete from Velburg, Germany, German is Guttenberger's native tongue. Prior to arriving at NC State in 2017, she had never even been to the United States. Guttenberger completed her degree in business administration with a concentration in information technology in the fall of 2020. She also completed her undergraduate studies with a minor in parks, recreation and tourism. With two years of eligibility remaining after this season, Gut- tenberger is now a first-semester graduate student in the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) program. "I knew that I wanted to take a step away from business a little bit, just to get a different field of study," Guttenberger said. "I decided to do the MALS program, which allows me to define my own program a little bit. I'm not 100 percent set on a concentration yet because I want to get a feel about different academic disci- plines. "The interest came from the fact that I'm pretty flexible and can branch out into different fields." Guttenberger earned academic accolades in each of her first three seasons with the Wolfpack. She was named to the 2017 All- ACC Academic Team as a freshman, and during her sophomore campaign — in which she was forced to take an injury redshirt — she earned a spot on the 2018 ACC Honor Roll. She was named to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-South Region third team last year. She has also been recognized for her performance on the field. The 5-4 center back earned ACC All-Freshman honors in 2017 and was named to the All-ACC third team in 2019. During the latter campaign, she ranked third on the team with 13 points, including four goals (two of which were game-winners). NC State opted out of the 2020 fall season due to having a lim- ited roster in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Guttenberger was one of several international athletes that had challenges re- turning to the U.S. in time for the fall season after going home in March 2020. "I knew the risk that if I went home, there might be a chance I wasn't going to be able to come back," Guttenberger said. "Once I found out that we opted out of the fall season, I was heartbroken for the girls here because I know the hard work everyone put in over the summer and every single training session. "That was difficult to see, but I'm also glad they were able to practice. For me at home, it was not easy because being away from your team, your friends, it had its costs." Guttenberger was able to return to Raleigh in January and will compete with the Pack in its return to the field this spring season. Once her time at NC State comes to an end, Guttenberger plans to pursue a professional career. The expectations of a professional lifestyle are nothing new for the international student, who devel- oped in the Bayern Munich organization in high school and com- peted with the U-17 German National Team prior to her time with the Wolfpack. "Standards are high, pressures are high," Guttenberger said. "I learned a lot about what you have to do as an athlete to be the best version of yourself. "With Bayern, having older players in the first team right next to you, being able to train with them, you get a realized pace of what it means to be a professional. That experience was immeasurable to me. I had to grow up pretty quickly when I was in Munich finish- ing my high school away from home and balancing soccer. "Soccer and academics were always a balance for me." — Justin H. Williams STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE MONTH WOMEN'S SOCCER REDSHIRT JUNIOR LULU GUTTENBERGER During the 2019 season, Guttenberger was named All-ACC third team for her on-field accomplishments and to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-South Region third team for her classroom merits. PHOTO BY JAYLYNN NASH/COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS