The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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64 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER A year ago, the NC State men's outdoor track and field squad was boosted by the presence of one of its greatest sprint relay teams ever. Jonathan Addison, Quashawn Cunningham, Nyheim Hines and Shannon Patterson combined in the 4x100- meter relay to win the ACC championship and finish seventh at the NCAA Champion- ships to earn All-America honors. Their best time was 39.11 seconds, just 0.04 off the school record set in 1989 and tied for third fastest all time. NC State legendary longtime track head coach Rollie Geiger, now in his 34th year at the helm, knew he had to replace Ad- dison, an outgoing senior who doubled as a four-time All-American in the long jump (two indoors and two outdoors). He had a plan in motion to offset Addison's depar- ture. His name is Cravont Charleston, the 2016 4-A state champion at Mallard Creek High in Charlotte in the 55-meter indoor and 100-meter outdoor sprints. Charleston validated Geiger's faith by finishing second with a time of 6.67 seconds at the ACC Indoor Championships Feb. 25 in South Bend, Ind. The problem, though, was as Geiger left the facility, on one side of him was Patterson and on the other was Cunningham, and both were on crutches. "I told both of them, 'This is not my vi- sion.'" Geiger recalled. "They are going to have to be redshirted because they are not going to be ready to run." The good news for the sprinters is that Hines, a sophomore in track, will be back, fresh off NC State football's spring prac- tices. Hines was All-ACC in the 100-meter dash as a freshman, with a personal best time of 10.42 seconds. Freshman Dylan Peebles, son of former Pack two-sport star and school Hall of Famer Danny Peebles, could also contribute. "We think we can get the pieces back together and qualify in the relay," Geiger noted. "We lost a couple of guys, but my expectation is we'll be solid in the 100, 200 and 4x100." While the sprinters grabbed the headlines in track a year ago, it may be a thrower at the center of attention this summer. Red- shirt junior Joshua Davis is the school re- cord holder in the weight throw and was first-team All-American in the event during the indoor season. Geiger called Davis the cornerstone of the throwers and for a rea- son: the rest are redshirting. "The hammer will be his potential," Gei- ger said. "In indoor, he threw six inches farther than he ever has to get fifth [at the NCAA Championships]. These things are so competitive. There are only eight that score in nationals, it's always a challenge." In the distance races, fifth-year senior Sam Parsons ran the second fastest 10,000 meters in school history during the Stan- ford Invitational April 1 in Palo Alto, Ca- lif. Geiger believes that both Parsons and sophomore Elijah Moskowitz should give NC State a good presence in that race, at least at the regional level. Moskowitz is a transfer from Brown, and another former Ivy League runner could ■ PREVIEW MEN'S TRACK Redshirt junior Joshua Davis hopes to repeat his All-America success from the NCAA Indoor Track Championships, when he finished fifth in the weight throw. PHOTO BY CHERYL TREWORGY FULL SPEED AHEAD Despite Injuries And Graduations, The Wolfpack Looks To Finish Strong ■ Key Meets Penn Relays, April 28‑30, Philadelphia — The meet has been held annually every year since 1895. It is con- sidered one of the largest and most prestigious events for college track and field athletes. ACC Outdoor Championships, May 12‑14, Atlanta — NC State had a banner year in 2016, finishing in second place for its highest showing in the league meet since 1996. NCAA East Preliminary, May 25‑27, Lexington, Ky. — A year ago, NC State routed its heat in the 4x100-meter relay to qualify for nationals. The four sprinters garnered first-team All-American honors at the NCAA Champion- ships with a seventh-place finish.