The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1538921
TRACKING THE PACK SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025 ■ 15 PACK PERFORMERS Will Denny, Wrestling The incoming freshman captured first place in the 74-kilogram weight class at the U20 Pan American Championships in July. Denny amassed bonus points in all three of his matches in the freestyle competition, which took place in Lima, Peru. He had a pin and two techni- cal falls, shutting out Kevin Aleman Gomez of El Salvador, 11-0, in the final. A three-time state champion from Manhattan, Ill., Denny was part of a dominant effort by Team USA. The Americans won eight gold medals and finished the competition with a 31-2 record, including 27 bonus-point victories. Aiden Hayes, Men's Swimming The graduate student from Norman, Okla., is looking to bounce back after missing the 2024-25 college season with an injury. He got off to a strong start by winning three medals at the TYR Pro Championships Aug. 5-8 in Irvine, Calif. Hayes' top performance came in the 50-meter backstroke, which he finished in 24.74 seconds to earn gold. In addition, he claimed a silver medal in the 100 butterfly (51.24) and a bronze in the 50 butterfly (23.57). Hayes was one of three Wolfpack swimmers to medal at the event, with sophomore Erika Pelaez taking silver in the 50 and 100 backstroke, and senior Lance Norris earning bronze in the 1,500 freestyle. Lily King, Women's Swimming A freshman from Latrobe, Pa., King has yet to hit the pool for NC State, but she made waves at the World Junior Aquatics Cham- pionships Aug. 19-24 in Otopeni, Romania. King swam the anchor leg for Team USA in the women's 4x100-meter freestyle relay, finish- ing in 53.62 to help the Americans set a junior world record with a time of 3:35.53. Named one of six captains for the U.S. team, King also earned a gold medal as part of the mixed 4x100 freestyle relay team and silver medals in the 4x200 free- style relay and 100 freestyle events. Donavan Phillip, Men's Soccer Phillip scored 4 goals on the opening weekend of NC State's season. The junior forward from Castries, Saint Lucia, netted the first goal of the campaign for the 14th-ranked Wolfpack, outmaneuvering a trio of defenders and punch- ing the ball into the back of the net in the 22nd minute of what would turn into a 2-0 win over Queens on Aug. 21. Three days later, he posted a hat trick in the Pack's 6-0 shutout of Wofford. Just prior to the start of the college season, Phillip was named USL2 Player of the Year by the United Soccer League. In 12 games with the Flint City Bucks this summer, he totaled 12 goals, including four game-winners, and 9 assists. — Matt Herb Longtime Radio Analyst Tony Haynes To Retire After Football Season It's the end of an era. Longtime NC State radio analyst Tony Haynes is set to retire at the end of the football season, the Wolfpack announced Aug. 22. The longest-tenured on-air member of the Wolf- pack radio broadcast team, Haynes will finish his 28-year run at NC State this fall. "When I listened to Wally Ausley and Garry Dornburg call NC State games as a teenager, I al- ways thought that would be a cool job; well, it has been," Haynes said in a statement. "I'd like to thank everyone at NC State, including administrators, coaches, and student-athletes for giving me the access required to provide the best possible infor- mation for our fans. "The staff at Learfield and Wolfpack Sports Properties has been tremendous as well. It has been a pleasure working alongside my teammates on the broadcast crew. Together, we have collected memo- ries that will last a lifetime. And finally, to the fans, your passion for the Pack is what makes the NC State experience so unique and special. Thank you for your support these last 28 years. Go Pack!" Haynes, a 1984 graduate of the university, joined the Wolfpack Sports Network in 1998. He has served as the pre- and postgame radio host and sideline reporter for football broadcasts, while also being the main color analyst for men's basketball and has done select baseball games as a play-by- play announcer. In addition to his game-day duties, Haynes has hosted the football and men's basket- ball coaches shows. "Tony has been a fantastic ambassador for NC State for almost three decades," Wolfpack Sports Properties general manager Kyle Winchester said. "His professionalism, knowledge of the game, and passion for the Wolfpack have been evident to all who listened to him. He's a great broadcaster, and we relish this opportunity to celebrate his contri- butions to the Pack." Haynes got his start in radio as the sports direc- tor at NC State's student station, WKNC 88.1 FM from 1982-84. After spending some time as a disc jockey and sports reporter, he joined the Duke Ra- dio Network as a sideline reporter in 1987. Haynes became part of the men's basketball radio team in 1993 before returning to his alma mater. At NC State, Haynes teamed up with longtime play-by-play man Gary Hahn, who retired after the Wolfpack men's basketball team made its sprint to the Final Four in 2024. Before stepping away, Haynes will spend a season working alongside Hahn's successor, Matt Chazanow, and analyst Johnny Evans. — Noah Fleischman