The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1476803
44 ■ THE WOLFPACKER State in every imaginable capacity, in- cluding as the chair of the NCAA's first Division I Women's Basketball Com- mittee. She left in 2008 to become the ACC's senior associate commissioner for basketball operations. It was Yow, however, who became the living embodiment of the Wolfpack women, winning four ACC Tournament championships and five ACC regular- season titles. She coached the U.S. Na- tional Team to the 1988 Olympic gold medal in Seoul, South Korea, less than a year after being diagnosed with breast cancer. For many years, she toiled on the court and battled a disease that ulti- mately claimed her life in 2009. Yow was celebrated for her 737-344 career record in 38 years of coaching. In addition to becoming just the fifth woman to be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, she is in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, the Elon College Sports Hall of Fame, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hall of Fame, the East Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and the Guilford County Hall of Fame, among others. In 1998 — 25 years ago this season — she led the Wolfpack to the NCAA Final Four in Kansas City, the pinnacle of her 20 trips to the NCAA Tournament. Her lasting legacy, however, is the fundraising initiative on behalf of the Kay Yow Fund called Play 4 Kay, which encourages teams on every level of ath- letics to set aside one game per season to raise money for cancer research. Those events have raised tens of mil- lions of dollars since they first began as Hoops4Hope in 2006. Yow always credited her players for the accomplishments she was credited for — achievements she was never part of as a player. "Sometimes, I am overwhelmed at all NC State's Top Women's Athletes Genia Beasley, basketball (1975-80) Growing up in Johnston County, Beasley sharpened her basketball skills playing pickup games as an equal with boys her age. She caught the eye of NC State coach Kay Yow and went on to lead the team in scoring and rebounding for four consecutive years, earning Kodak All-America honors in 1978. Beasley helped Yow win the school's first ACC regular-season and tournament championships. Her 2,367 points and 1,245 rebounds still rank as the best career marks in school history. Katharine Berkoff, swimming, 2019-present Berkoff captured the 100-yard backstroke race at the 2022 NCAA Champion- ships, becoming the first NC State woman to repeat as an individual event titlist at the national meet. Her winning time of 46.74 seconds set NCAA, American and U.S. Open records. Berkoff also placed seventh in the 50 freestyle and third in the 100 freestyle to earn first-team All-America honors in both events. This June, she swam for Team USA at the 19th FINA Long Course World Champi- onships, winning the silver medal in the 50-meter backstroke. She qualified for the U.S. team by setting an American record of 27.12 in the event in April. Heading into her senior year, Berkoff is a 19-time All-American and four-time national champion (including two relay golds). Elissa Cunane, basketball (2018-22) A three-time AP All-American (third team as a sophomore, and second team as a junior and senior) and three-time first-team All-ACC selection, the native of Summerfield, N.C., led NC State to a four-year record of 110-17, three ACC Tourna- ment titles (earning MVP honors twice) and the Pack's first outright league regular- season championship in 32 years. The Wolfpack set a school record for wins in her senior year, posting a 32-4 mark, and advanced to the Elite Eight before losing to Connecticut in double over- time. Jeada Daniel and Nell Miller, Tennis The pair captured the women's doubles national championship last season, the first national title in the sport at NC State. The duo posted a 27-5 record in doubles, both made the Women's Tennis All-ACC Academic Team and Daniel also earned All-American honors in singles. Kristin Davies, swimming and diving (2005-09) Seemingly out of nowhere, this Winnipeg, Manitoba, native became the first women's swimmer or diver from NC State to claim an NCAA championship when she won the platform diving title in 2009. Davies had been a decorated athlete in her first three seasons, but she blos- Julie Shea Sutton won seven individual national championships during her four years at NC State and also helped the Wolfpack claim two AIAW team titles in cross country. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS