The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545830
46 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN N C State's 2025-26 athletics year was another strong showing across the board. From women's cross country claiming its fourth national championship in the past five years to another individual NCAA swim- ming title, the Wolfpack turned heads on the grand stage once again. Here are some of the highlights from NC State's most recent athletics cam- paign. Best Male Rookie From the moment freshman outfielder Rett Johnson arrived on NC State's cam- pus last fall, he had the attention of ev- eryone in the baseball program. His work ethic was as strong as anyone on the ros- ter, and his hitting approach proved ef- fective against most of the Wolfpack's pitching staff. "He stood out to me with just how hard he works," sophomore outfielder Ty Head said in February. "He's a gritty player, doesn't get out a lot. I saw flashes of myself a little bit. I really love him. He's a competitor, and I love that." Those first impressions proved accu- rate when Johnson began to face oppos- ing pitchers. The Youngsville, N.C., native turned in a team-best .381 batting average to go with 10 doubles, a home run, 31 RBI and 53 runs scored in his debut campaign. He earned multiple Freshman All-America honors after boasting the best batting average among all first-year players nationally, and he was a second- team All-ACC and All-Freshman Team selection. In addition to his Wolfpack success, Johnson was named to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team after a break- out debut season in Raleigh. Johnson, who stands 5-foot-9, has the skill set to build on his illustrious fresh- man season and could quickly develop into one of the top outfielders in the country. Best Female Rookie Long before Sadie Engelhardt made her collegiate debut at NC State, she was among the most-anticipated fresh- men in the country. She set the all-time high school mile record (4:28.46), while claiming five state championships and four national titles, in addition to being named the 2024 Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year. It's safe to say there were high expec- tations surrounding Engelhardt when she donned the red and white, and she more than delivered. Last November, she helped the cross country team win yet another national title as the 51st overall finisher at the NCAA Championships. 2025-26 YEAR IN REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR RED-L RED-LETTER TER DAYS DAYS NC State Celebrates Individual, Team Triumphs Quarterback CJ Bailey threw for 2 touchdowns and rushed for another in NC State's 48-36 victory over No. 8 Georgia Tech last November. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS