North Carolina State University Athletics
A Busy, Successful Spring (4/21/09)
4/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Pack Athletics
This has been a good month for NC State athletics. Just a few weeks ago, two of our student-athletes won individual national championships within an hour of each other. Congratulations to senior platform diver Kristin Davies and junior wrestler Darrion Caldwell on their remarkable achievements.
We successfully hosted a trio of post-season events, the NCAA Raleigh Regional for women’s basketball and the EAGL Championships and NCAA Southeast Regional for gymnastics. Dozens of members of our athletics department staff spend hundreds of hours preparing for these events and they contribute to our reputation as one of the best host schools in the nation. I thank them all for their efforts.
The gymnastics team won its fourth EAGL Championship and junior Taylor Seaman became just the second NC State individual performer to advance to the NCAA Championships.
We have had a handful of individual conference champions, including gymnasts Lauren Deuser and Brittany Vontz, indoor distance runner Bobby Moldovan, outdoor shot putter Lawanda Henry and men's golfer Matt Hill, who set the school record for the most tournament wins in a season.
Two weeks ago, I attended the Caterpillar Student-Athlete Awards Banquet, one of my favorite events of the year because it celebrates our athletes’ academic achievements. We invite every student-athlete who has posted a 3.0 or better grade point average over the last academic year. More than half of our student-athletes were eligible to attend, and Caterpillar recognized NC State’s top 10 performers in the classroom. That included seven that had perfect 4.0 grade point averages.
Last Thursday, of course, we introduced our new women’s basketball coach, Kellie Jolly Harper, who comes here after five years (and three conference championships) at Western Carolina. I think she is a rising star among the ranks of women’s college basketball coaches, just as Kay Yow was when Willis Casey hired her in 1975.
Please welcome warmly and graciously to NC State.
Friday, I visited with some 300 former football players who were invited to the Dail Practice Facility adjacent to Carter-Finley Stadium for the next-to-last workout of the spring. This event, created by football coach Tom O’Brien as part of a football alumni weekend, has been an overwhelming success in its first three years. I greatly appreciate the effort Coach O’Brien has made to reconnect all our former players with the program.
Saturday morning, I met with 270 Wolfpack Club district representatives at the annual rep workshop prior to the spring game, updating them on what is happening inside our athletics department. Among the many things we talked about is the renovations that are currently underway on the field of Carter-Finley Stadium. We are tearing up the old crowned field and replacing it with a well-drained, sand-based turf that will be one of the best in the country.
Overall, Saturday was an amazing display of Wolfpack pride. Coach O’Brien asked all adult fans to donate at least $1 to attend the inaugural Kay Yow Spring Football Game, with all funds being split between the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund and the Wolfpack Club’s Kay Yow Memorial Scholarship Fund.
By my estimate, about two-thirds of the 21,075 fans at the game were adults, which meant practically everyone there doubled Coach O’Brien’s requested contribution. That’s a testament to the devotion NC State fans have for Coach Yow and the excitement that has been generated for football by Coach O’Brien. I’d like to thank Coach O’Brien and his staff for turning Saturday’s game into more than just an intra-squad scrimmage.
Coach O’Brien is already hoping for greater support for both the game and the fundraising efforts next year.
Saturday’s display of support more people were at the NC State spring game than the combined attendance of the other four Division I-A schools in the state shows that Wolfpack fans are hungry to support the successful program Coach O'Brien is building here. Even in this difficult economy, we fully anticipate yet another season-ticket sellout this fall.
We are now on the homestretch of our Wolfpack Club Caravan stops around the state. Wednesday is the Wake County Wolfpack Club event, which is generally the biggest on the schedule. I encourage all local members to come join us at the Dail Practice Fields next to Carter-Finley.
