The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/141892
N By Matt Carter C State director of athletics Dr. Debbie Yow arrived in Raleigh in the summer of 2010 with a simple message for her department: refuse to accept the status quo. In three short years, that is what NC State has done. ■ Wolfpacker Q&A In the past sports calendar year, all eight of the Wolfpack's spring sports qualified for NCAA postseason competition for the first time in the 20-year history of the Directors' Cup. The effort was highlighted by baseball's trip to the College World Series. NCSU was one of just three schools nationally, joining Louisville and UCLA, to have its football team play in a bowl game, its men's basketball squad selected to the NCAA Tournament and its baseball team reach the CWS. In total, 18 of the Pack's 23 sports played in the NCAA postseason, bettering the previous school best of 14. That included volleyball, which ended a 26-year drought. Softball, rifle and gymnastics all won conference titles as well. Academically, the Pack's 77 percent graduation success rate is a new all-time high. Ten teams scored a perfect 1,000 on the Academic Progress Report for the year, and State is the only school in the country to have two Academic All-Americans on its women's basketball team (Kody Burke and Marissa Kastanek). Off the field, State athletes raised nearly $100,000 for various charities and volunteered for 30 different non-profit organizations. The Hoops4Hope women's basketball game and Kay Yow Spring Game tallied approximately $75,000 in donations for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The Pack has also started up the Wolfpack Leadership Academy. Financially, the budget for teams has gone from $20.6 million in 2009-10 to $33.83 million this past year, a 60.9 percent increase. The following are highlights from a 30-minute sit down with Yow on June 11. For the full transcript from the interview, please visit our website: www.TheWolfpacker.com. What was your reaction to the baseball team reaching the College World Series? "I've had the opportunity as an athletics director to win 20 national championships, and they are all special in different ways. I know this is not a national championship, but it feels similar because it's something that hasn't been achieved at NC State for 45 years. It's very, very special." Under Yow's leadership this past year, a school-record 18 teams advanced to NCAA postseason play and the athletics department set a new all-time high with a 77 percent graduation success rate. photo courtesy nc state media relations Making Progress Athletics Director Debbie Yow Discusses The State Of The Wolfpack Program 24 ■ the wolfpacker 24-26,28.Debbie Yow.indd 24 6/28/13 4:58 PM