The Wolfpacker

July 2014 - Football Preview

The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports

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128 ■ THE WOLFPACKER and Ashley Williams in high school and with them in all-star games, a big plus for the Wolfpack. Gatling arrived in Raleigh in 2012 as the most heralded post player since Khadijah Whittington (2005-08). But it wasn't until the final six games of the season, when she averaged 13.8 points and 8.5 rebounds a contest while shooting 73.3 percent (a stretch that included her lone 20-point game, a 21-point effort in a win over Vir- ginia), that her performance came close to equaling the expectations set for her. Several coaches on that Pack's staff cited problems with Gatling's ability to pick up the nuances of the offense that was being run, her penchant for getting in foul trouble (she fouled out of three games as a junior and averaged only 23.5 minutes of playing time a game for the season) and a lack of aggressiveness as reasons for not equaling the lofty expectations that accompanied her arrival. "That first year I more or less sat back and let everyone else score and get stops," Gatling admitted. "I don't think it was be- cause I was having problems understanding the offense. It was more the fact I was the newcomer on a team with a lot of veteran players." There was also a difference of opinion on how Gatling wound up being used. Though Pack coaches insisted they always intended to make Gatling a focus of the attack, she believes she was more of a setup player. "Kellie looked at me to take up room and help others get open to score," Gatling said. "That kind of messed me up. I'm used to being a dominant scorer, and I wasn't being used that way." When Moore took over the program in 2013, he left no doubt who the Pack's No. 1 scoring option would be — and sug- gested that anyone who didn't get the ball to Gatling if she was open underneath would be sitting next to him on the bench. The results speak for themselves. "To lead not only the team and ACC, but the entire country in field goal shooting [66.3 percent, an NC State single-season record], be first-team All-ACC, be a first- round WNBA pick [the program's first since Sharon Manning in 1997] — she did everything we could hope for, and then some," Moore said. ■ The Best Of The Rest 1. Brittni Watkins, Gymnastics — She had 25 first-place finishes this season and 43 total podium appearances en route to being named the EAGL Gymnast of the Year. The rising junior was also named a second-team All-American in the all-around by the National Association of College Gymnastics Coaches. 2. Tremanisha Taylor, Women's Track and Field — The rising fifth-year senior won six throwing events in the outdoor season, including the ACC title in the shot put. She also set a school record in the shot put with a throw of 57-9 to win the prestigious Penn Relays, a mark that allowed her to compete in the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships in June. During the indoor season, she set a school record in the shot put at the ACC Championships and garnered second-team All-America honors at the NCAA Championships. 3. Augusta James, Golf — She was named All-ACC for the third time in her three-year career and also was tabbed as an honorable mention All-American by the Women's Golf Coaches Association after leading NCSU with an average of 72.6 strokes per round. She had seven top-20 finishes and helped NC State tie for 10th at the NCAA Championships — the program's best-ever finish. 4. Brittany Marchand, Golf — She exits her NCSU career with her third all- conference selection after averaging 73.5 strokes per round and finishing in the top 10 four times this season. She also was tabbed as an honorable mentioned All-American by the Women's Golf Coaches Association. Off the course, she was named the ACC Women's Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year. 5. Emily Weiman, Softball — The rising senior was named first-team All-ACC after leading the conference in innings pitched (269 2 ⁄3), finishing second in wins (30) and striking out the third most batters (253). This was her second straight first-team all-conference selection. 6. Renada Davis, Softball — In just three years, she has already become NC State's all-time leader in home runs with 50. She hit 19 this season, second most in the ACC, to go with her .375 batting average. She led the Pack with 63 hits and 43 runs scored, and was second in runs batted in with 35. The rising senior was named second-team All-ACC. 7. Nicole Chavis, Women's Track and Field — The rising redshirt junior had a dominating indoor season in the weight throw. She won five of the eight times she competed and was second twice, including at the ACC Championships. She finished sixth with a school-record throw of 69-8 at the NCAA Championships, be - coming the first in athlete in program history to earn first-team All-America honors in that event. 8. Kody Burke, Women's Basketball — She concluded her career by averaging 14.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots per game this season. She was named second-team All-ACC and finished her career second all time at State in blocked shots (197) and ninth in rebounds (832). Off the court, she was named the ACC Kay Yow Scholar Athlete of the Year and a CoSIDA Academic All-American. 9. SeQuoia Watkins, Women's Track and Field — During the outdoor track season, she set a new school record in the discus with a heave of 180-4 to finish sixth at the NCAA East Regional. She then placed 10th at the NCAA Championships, posting the highest finish ever by a Wolfpack women's thrower and earning the pro- gram's first-ever All-America accolade in the event. 10. Joelle Kissell, Tennis — The departing senior won 14 singles matches this season, including two against ranked opponents, while competing at the No. 1 spot all year. She was named All-ACC, becoming the first women's tennis player in State history to be selected all-conference three times. She departs as NCSU's all-time leader in singles wins with 60. — Matt Carter Gatling shot 232 of 350 from the floor in the 2013-14 campaign, posting a shooting percentage of .663 that led the nation and set a single-season school record. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN 126-128.Female Athlete of the Year.indd 128 6/27/14 8:28 AM

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