The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1502339
42 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER n March 2023, for only the second time in the illustrious history of the NC State men's swimming and diving program, a pair of Wolfpack performers won individual titles during the same NCAA Champi- onship meet. For that historic moment, junior distance swimmer Will Gallant and soph- omore butterfly standout Aiden Hayes share The Wolfpacker's Male Athlete of the Year honor for 2022-23. Hayes' title came in a most unusual fashion. Normally known for sprinting out and trying to hold on, he slipped to second and then third place late in the race after initially leading for the first 50 yards of the 200 butterfly. Then in the final 50 yards, Hayes was the one finishing strong, two-thirds of a second faster than any other racer. "Usually when I see it, someone is ei- ther coming from behind and then they just keep going and win, or they go out front and no one is catching them," NC State swimming coach Braden Holloway noted. "It was really cool to see that last kick come. It was a little bit better than I thought, and it just goes to show how emotion can take over. When he saw where he was, and then he had an oppor- tunity, I think he was able to override any pain that he felt." With his title, Hayes began to fulfill the expectations that had been placed upon him coming out of Norman, Okla., as perhaps the nation's top swimming recruit in the 2022 class. He had been the big fish in a smaller pond back in his home state, and joining a group of simi- larly talented athletes in Raleigh was an adjustment. Additionally, Hayes had to adapt to a new training regimen. "I think he knew coming off his first year, 'Hey, this is going to be the next level, and there are a lot of people like me in the NCAA. I need to look at how I can raise my game and be better to take that next step,'" Holloway said. "I felt like he surely did that this year." Gallant, meanwhile, took home first place in the 1,650 free, also referred to as the mile, edging out his teammate, senior Ross Dant, in a 1-2 finish. Gallant had transferred to NC State from Indiana. Holloway could see that he was taking off under the tutelage of NC State associ- ate coach Mark Bernardino, a recent in- ductee into the American Swim Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the man overseeing the long-distance swimmers for the Wolfpack. Gallant had been runner-up at NCAAs in the mile a year earlier, and then had a big summer on the national scene, in- cluding a gold-medal showing at the 2022 Phillips 66 National Championships in Irvine, Calif. "When you combine his insane work ethic and intrin- sic motivation, and then you put him in that group he's in with Ross Dant and [junior] James Plage … it provided a perfect storm for him to re- ally excel this year," Holloway said. The key for Gallant was calming the nerves that the swimmer readily admits can get to him at big meets. Prior to the NCAA Championships, Holloway was determined to ensure that Gallant was in the right frame of mind to per- form his best. "I was like, 'Will, the peo- ple that love you are going to love you just the same if you win, and they're going to love you just the same if you fall flat on your face and get last place,'" Holloway recalled. "We've just got to keep him calm, be- cause when he's calm and he stays within himself and gets into that rhythm, there is not a whole lot stopping him. We've just got to make sure we get him in that spot early in his race." Holloway said Gallant's next step after winning US Nationals and an NCAA title is representing Team USA in an interna- tional competition, whether it's the World Championships or Pan American Games. "We're a year out from the Olympics, so this summer is a good step to get ready for that," Holloway said. As for Hayes, Holloway said he could become a NCAA contender in the 100 butterfly while continuing to improve in the long-course races that dominate the international competition. "He's ready to start making a little bit more of a name for himself on an inter- national stage," Holloway concluded. ■ I TWICE THE FUN Swimmers Will Gallant And Aiden Hayes Bring Home NCAA Gold 2022-23 YEAR IN REVIEW ATHLETES OF THE YEAR MALE ATHLETES OF THE YEAR WILL GALLANT/AIDEN HAYES Sophomore Aiden Hayes (left) and junior Will Gallant (right) both won national titles and helped the Pack to a fifth-place team finish at the NCAA Championships. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP