The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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made them even more hungry in another way. "They wanted more and wanted to get to the next level, but at the same time, seeing the success of moving up within our con- ference has kept the drive going for them." Last year saw NC State's return to the na- tion's top 25, with a ranking of No. 23 in the nation in the coaches' poll released Jan. 25. "We finished pretty close around the top 25," Holloway said. "We were able to crack the top 25 twice. Obviously, the goal from there is to consistently be in there and then place higher at the NCAA Championships. "They expect more out of themselves this year. They want to keep rolling with this and see where they can go, especially a lot of these guys that are seniors — they want to do it again and go a little bit further." ■ to represent the U.S., while senior Brandon Kings- ton was striving to represent Canada). 9 21 25 Letter winners that return from last year's team, in addition to nine newcomers. Swimming.com. The incoming freshman class was ranked as the 25th best in the nation by College- Key Performers To Watch Junior Jonathan Boffa The native of Verona, Italy, qualified for the NCAA Cham- pionships in three different freestyle events and competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials. He was a crucial part of the ACC champion 400-medley relay team, and head coach Braden Holloway said he will not allow himself to swim slow. team captain for this season and is looking to build upon a campaign where he was a cru- cial part of the ACC champion 400-medley relay team and broke his own school record in the 100 butterfly en route to a fourth-place finish at the ACC Championships. Junior Barrett Miesfeld Miesfeld was selected as a the weight on the diving board by himself last year because Chris Arcara redshirted. This year, Arcara returns and Rains will lead the duo, while the coach noted that he is a cru- cial part of the team that links swimmers and divers together. Senior Hudson Rains Rains carried the majority of 106 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Current men's swimmers who competed in Olympic Trials this summer (eight were vying By The Numbers honor since 2008, but last year the 400-medley relay team won the gold medal at the conference championships. That entire relay squad — made up of junior Jonathan Boffa, junior Barrett Miesfeld, senior Ivan Kopas and junior Ian Bishop — returns this season. • Senior Brandon Kingston competed in three • The men's team had not recorded an All-ACC Noting The Pack events at the Canadian Olympic Trials, while eight others competed in one event at the U.S. Trials. Those athletes were: Boffa, Miesfeld, sophomore Michael Camper, sophomore John Newell, senior Taylor Harris, senior Joe Martin, junior Matt Thomas and sophomore David Williams. ■ Key Dates To Watch USA Swimming Nationals, Nov. 29-Dec. 1 — men's diving will take place the week before in Greens- boro, N.C., but the majority of the men will compete this weekend. The men are looking to improve on last year's fifth-place performance. the Pack will host in Raleigh this year, and it's also Senior Day. Head coach Braden Holloway noted that his seniors have been key in helping the team transition to the new staff, so they want to send that group out with a win. ACC Championships, Feb. 27-March 2 — The This is a national meet held in Austin, Texas, where NC State can begin to make some noise on a major stage and show they are back. North Carolina, Feb. 2 — This is one of four meets ming the fourth-best time in the 400 IM (3:54.12) and the fifth-fastest time in the 200 back (1:45.86). PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS Sophomore Michael Camper posted two all-time top-10 marks in his debut season at NC State, swim-