North Carolina State University Athletics
Holmes, Crockett, Jenkins and Steele Honored as Inaugural ACC UNITE Award Recipients
9/23/2021 11:16:00 AM | Pack Athletics
GREENSBORO, N.C. - NC State athletics alumni Irwin Holmes, Manuel Crockett, Gwen Jenkins and Cynthia Steele have been named NC State's recipients of the ACC UNITE Award, as announced by the league office on Thursday.
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The UNITE Award is a new award created by the ACC to honor individuals affiliated with the league who have made an impact in the areas of racial and social justice. In its inaugural year, the award is being presented to individuals who, according to available information, are the first male and female athletes of color to integrate athletic teams at each current ACC institution.
NC State's male honorees, Holmes and Crockett, arrived on campus in the same year, 1957. The men both competed for the Wolfpack track & field program, and Holmes additionally competed for the NC State men's tennis team. During his time in school, Holmes became the first Black student-athlete in the ACC to be named captain of a varsity team. Together the duo integrated ACC athletics, competing at an indoor track meet against North Carolina in the 600-yard dash.
Both Crockett and Holmes earned their degrees from NC State, and with his graduation in 1960 Holmes became the first Black student to earn a degree from NC State. In 2018, the university renamed the University College Commons to Holmes Hall in his honor.
Gwen Jenkins and Cynthia Steele became the first Black female student-athletes at NC State when the university started its women's basketball program in the 1974. In the 1974-75 season the Wolfpack went 11-4, going 6-1 at home and winning all three neutral-site games it played in that year.
