The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1502339
JULY/AUGUST 2023 ■ 47 was rated the No. 16 overall recruit in the country by FloWrestling. At NC State, Arrington lived up to those lofty expectations. He went 23-9 and came within 1 takedown of be- ing an All-American as a true freshman 149-pounder. Arrington's season ended at the NCAA Tournament with a narrow 4-3 loss to Missouri's Brock Mauller in Consolation Round 4, where the winner earns coveted All-America status. Before heading to the national meet, he gave the ACC notice as well, finishing runner-up at the confer- ence championships. Best Female Team Performance This was a year where there were so many options to choose from, including the cross country team prevailing in a sec- ond straight NCAA Championship for the national title. However, NC State was favored in that meet. When the Wolfpack tennis team took the courts in Cary at the ACC Tourna- ment final against undefeated, top- ranked North Carolina, it was an under- dog. What unfolded was a shockingly domi- nant performance from NC State to earn the program its first-ever conference ti- tle. Just 17 days after UNC had swept the Wolfpack, 7-0, NC State almost returned the favor in a 4-1 win. One big difference was that in the regular-season showdown, Shnaider was in the midst of an impressive run at a Women's Tennis Association marquee tournament in Charleston, S.C., and that prevented her from getting back for the match. At the ACC Tournament, Shnaider dominated Crawley at No. 1 singles. NC State had already clinched the doubles point and won at No. 3 singles, where 29th-ranked junior Amelia Rajecki took down UNC's No. 21 Carson Tanguilig in straight sets. When junior Sophie Abrams won at No. 5 singles in straight sets over ranked Elizabeth Scotty, the match was secured, and NC State was hoisting the trophy and relishing its first win over UNC in 35 years. Best Male Team Performance On the day after Thanksgiving, a limping NC State football squad arrived in Chapel Hill to face a North Carolina team that had already clinched the ACC's Coastal Division. Making his first career start for the Wolfpack at quarterback was Ben Finley, the fourth different signal-caller to run first string in 12 games in the regular sea- son, with two of the prior starters out due to injury. NC State struck early and surprised the Tar Heels faithful with a 14-3 second- quarter lead. However, the offense began to stall, and midway through the fourth quarter, UNC had tied the score, 17-17. An acrobatic interception off a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage by Pack All- ACC safety Tanner Ingle set up a 26-yard touchdown pass from Finley to Devin Carter with 3:54 remaining to break the tie. NC State needed one stop, but the Pack was unable to get that. UNC thought it had a touchdown as time expired on a pass from Drake Maye to John Copenhaver, but reviews showed Copenhaver trapped the ball on the ground. However, the officials also added two seconds back onto the clock. On the next play, Maye found receiver Antoine Green for a 4-yard score that would help force overtime. After the two teams traded field goals in the first overtime, All-America kicker Christopher Dunn put the Pack up 30-27 in the second OT. An attempt by UNC's Noah Burnette to force a third overtime hooked wide left, and NC State, literally, planted its flag in Kenan Stadium. Best Female Individual Performance You can pick any one of several perfor- mances from star junior distance runner Katelyn Tuohy: • Her course-record run to win the in- dividual NCAA title in cross country. • Winning both the 3,000- and 5,000-meter races at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, or earlier in the indoor season when she set NCAA records in the 3,000 and mile. • Setting an NCAA record in the 5K in outdoor track . • Winning the ACC outdoor track title in her first-ever race at 10,000 meters. Best Male Individual Performance NC State basketball guard Jarkel Joiner may have only spent one season in Ra- leigh, but in that time, he also produced a moment during a 77-69 win over North Carolina that had the 24-year old PNC Arena about as loud as it's ever been for a Wolfpack basketball game. Joiner's stat line was impressive: 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the field. However, the manner in which Joiner scored, especially in the second half, stood out. Twenty of his points came after halftime. With UNC leading 54-48, Joiner claimed 14 of the next 21 points to help the Pack take a 69-60 lead. That included an acrobatic layup to provide a cushion for NC State at 64- 60, and then a pull-up three-pointer in transition seconds later to send PNC into a frenzy. For good measure, Joiner finished off a fast break alley-oop with a two-handed dunk with just under two minutes left, stretching NC State's lead to double dig- its at 73-63. ■ 2022-23 YEAR IN REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR Guard Jarkel Joiner scored 29 points in NC State's 77-69 victory over North Carolina on Feb. 19. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP