The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1502339
46 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER he 2022-23 season is a con- tinuation of a sustained stretch of success for NC State athletics, making the Wolfpack a consistent top-25 program in the Learfield Di- rectors' Cup, which measures a school's competitiveness across all sports. NC State was in 19th place with just baseball to be calculated, and the Wolf- pack will receive points for making the NCAA Tournament in that sport. The Pack will finish in the top 25 for the fourth time in five years, and the one exception in that stretch was a 26th-place standing in 2018-19. NC State also tied for the most ACC titles this year with four. Here are some more accolades from the past athletics year. Best Female Rookie In all likelihood, Diana Shnaider's time in Raleigh will be brief, but in that period, she made a significant impact on the NC State women's tennis pro- gram. Shnaider surprised many when she arrived at NC State, especially after a strong performance as a qualifier at the Australian Open in January. Yet Shnaider followed through on her commitment and dominated the ACC. She was named the ACC Freshman of the Year after going 20-3 at singles No. 1, routinely taking on the opponents' best players. That included routing No.1-ranked Fiona Crawley from North Carolina in straight sets, 6-2 and 6-1, to help the Wolfpack clinch the program's first-ever ACC title. Shnaider did not lose a single set in the postseason, capping her year with a straight-set win over UNC's No. 8-ranked Reese Brantmeier in the team national title match, securing the Wolf- pack's lone point in the dual. That ended Shnaider's season on an 11-match winning streak. She skipped the individual NCAA Championships to participate in the French Open, where she won her opening match before los- ing a three-setter to No. 14 seed Beat- riz Haddad Maia, who later reached the semifinals of the grand slam. Best Male Rookie Freshman wrestler Jackson Arrington arrived at NC State with high expecta- tions. Hailing from wrestling-crazed Pennsylvania, Arrington won three state titles for Sidman's Forest Hills High. Along the way, he compiled a 146-8 record, with 84 of those victories coming via pins. Three of Arrington's falls came in his state title run as a senior, and they helped him finish second in voting for Pennsyl- vania's Outstanding Wrestler Award. He T 2022-23 YEAR IN REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR ANOTHER BANNER YEAR NC State Is Poised For A Top-20 Finish In The Learfield Directors' Cup Diana Shnaider was dominant for NC State, winning ACC Freshman of the Year honors after going 20-3 in singles play. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS