The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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22 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK PUNTER WIL BAUMANN EARNS ALL-ACC HONORS NC State senior punter Wil Baumann capped his career by being named first-team All-ACC. Baumann finished the regular season averaging 45.3 yards per punt, which ranked seventh nationally. Bau- mann's average is currently the second best in a single season in school history, trailing only Johnny Evans' 1975 mark of 46.1 yards per punt. Baumann was the only NC State player to make the All-ACC squad, but three players did receive honorable mention consideration. Among them was junior run- ning back Shadrach Thornton, who led the Pack with 147 carries for 811 yards and nine touchdowns while adding 15 receptions for 133 yards and one score. Thornton will lead NC State in rushing for the third straight year, becoming the first runner to do that since T.A. McLendon in 2002-04. A pair of fifth-year senior defensive linemen, end Art Norman and tackle Thomas Teal, were also honorable mention All-ACC. Norman had 31 tackles, including eight for loss and 6.5 sacks, and added five quarterback hurries. He led State in sacks and pressures, and he is two sacks away from tying Mario Williams' career sacks record. Teal had 46 tackles, including eight for loss and three sacks, and posted four quarterback pressures, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. NC STATE TRACK AND FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY PROGRAMS SIGN SEVEN NC State signed seven men and women to national letter of intents for the Wolfpack cross country and track and field programs. The women get an instant performer for the second semester in Bella Smith of Queensland, Australia. The two-time runner-up in the Australian Junior Cham- pionships in the 800- and 1,500-meter runs arrives in January. The Wolfpack women signed Smith, Gabbi Cunning- ham of Charlotte Mallard Creek, Ryen Frazier of Raleigh Ravenscroft and Sarah Kanney of Coldwater (Ohio) High. Cunningham earned all-state honors in the 100-me- ter hurdles and 200-meter dash at the 2014 North Carolina 4A state championships. Frazier is a decorated distance runner, whose older sister, Wesley, is a sophomore for Duke's cross country and track and field program. The future Wolfpacker is a two-time North Carolina Independent Schools 3A state champion in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs, and won the mile run in 4:46.39 at the 2014 New Balance Outdoor National Championships. Kanney won two Ohio state titles in cross country and is also a two-time winner in the 1,600. The men's program signed Ben Barrett of Norman (Okla.) North, Tanis Baldwin of Hendersonville (N.C.) East Henderson High and Philip Hall of Hope Mills (N.C.) South View. Barrett won two Oklahoma state cross country titles, and also won the 1,600 and 3,200 in track. Baldwin won the North Carolina 3A Division I cross country state title, and captured the 3,200 twice in track and field. Hall is the 2014 North Carolina 3A state champion in the 1,600 and won the 2013 state title in cross country. NC STATE WOMEN'S HOOPS LANDS SECOND JUNIOR COMMIT NC State received a verbal commitment Nov. 8 from junior power forward Erika Cassell of Marietta, Ga. Cassell, who attends Atlanta Holy Innocents, is ranked as the No. 7 power forward in the country and No. 41 overall player in the class of 2016 by Pros- pectsNation.com. HoopGurlz ranks her as the No. 10 power forward in the country. The 6-2 Cassell averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds per game last season and was a Georgia Sports Writers Association Class A all-state first-team selection. Holly Innocents went 29-1 last year and lost to Southwest Atlanta Christian in the Class A private school state title game. CLASS OF 2015 SIGNEES Jonquannae Cole, 6-4, center, Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI, ranked No. 58 nationally by All-Star Girls Report Rydeiah Rogers, 6-1, power forward, Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park, ranked No. 102 in the country Amber Richardson, 5-11, wing, Raleigh Southeast, ranked No. 108 in the nation Camile Anderson, 5-9, shooting guard, Buford (Ga.) High, ranked No. 143 in the land Kaila Ealey, 5-9, point guard, Raleigh Broughton, ranked No. 153 in the country Lena Niang, 6-1, power forward, Upper Marlboro (Md.) Riverdale Baptist, ranked No. 196 nationally CLASS OF 2016 COMMITMENTS Lucky Rudd, 5-9, point guard, Thomasville (N.C.) New Hope Christian Erika Cassell, 6-1, power forward, Atlanta Holy In - nocents CLASS OF 2017 COMMITMENTS Kai Crutchfield, 5-9, shooting guard, Raleigh Millbrook Kayla Jones, 6-1, forward, Williamston (N.C.) Riverside CLASS OF 2019 COMMITMENT Jada Peebles, 5-7, guard, Raleigh Wakefield Middle School PAIR OF PREP TENNIS STARS SIGN WITH NC STATE Prep women's tennis standouts Bianco Moldovan of Livonia, Mich., and Barbara Mancera of Mexico City both signed with NC State in late November. Moldovan is ranked No. 17 nationally in the class of 2015, and she has been as high as No. 6 in the rankings. She is ranked fourth in the Great Lakes region and first in the state of Michigan. "She has extremely high goals and expectations for herself, is a very physical and athletic player and has strong character which resonates with the program's direction and identity moving forward," NC State women's tennis coach Simon Earnshaw said. Mancera is ranked No. 4 in the junior division in Mexico and listed at No. 700 in the International Tennis Federation rankings. Mancera holds three national titles in doubles play in Puebla, Guadalajara and San Luis, and has also won the Under 16 Clay Courts National Championship tournament in Guadalajara. Mancera has compiled a 17-9 overall record against some of the highest-rated American players. "With her level of athleticism, she will contribute immediately in singles and in doubles," Earnshaw said. STEPHEN COETZER COMPETES AT WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS NC State senior swimmer Stephen Coetzer com- peted in the 2014 Short Course World Championships Dec. 3-7 in Doha, Qatar. Coetzer, who attended Wilmington (N.C.) Laney, is a dual citizen between South Africa and the United States. He had previously earned a spot on the South Africa National Team after winning the 100 and 200 backstroke at the South African Short Course National Championships in August. Coetzer finished 38th in the 100 backstroke (53.88 seconds) and 30th in the 200 backstroke (1:58.97) at the Short Course World Championships. Coetzer has returned to NC State and will finish the second half of the season with the Wolfpack. PNC ARENA COULD BE GETTING MAKEOVER The Raleigh News & Observer reported Dec. 4 that the Centennial Authority has approved $175,000 to develop a conceptual makeover at PNC Arena, which is the home of the NC State men's basketball team and the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL. The News & Observer said that the south end of PNC Arena would expanded to add a rooftop experi- ence with a bar and dining area. The north end would add hospitality rooms and storage. The master plan, 3D renderings, engineering and cost range would be known by June, but figuring out how to pay for the expansion is still to be determined. PNC Arena, which was previously called the RBC Center, was built with funds from the city of Raleigh, Wake County, NC State, the Carolina Hurricanes and the state, and opened in 1999. Centennial Authority is the owner and Gale Force Sports & Entertainment the operator of the 19,722-seat arena. ■ Red And White Notebook Senior punter Wil Baumann took home first- team All-ACC honors after posting an aver- age of 46.1 yards per punt during the regular season. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS