As new and returning students arrive on campus, there is a lot of buzz surrounding Wolfpack athletics. With strong seasons recorded last year, there seems to be a shared sense of optimism about what this year has in store for NC State. Here’s a list of a few names every Pack fan should know.
Football: Devin Leary
For the entirety of this offseason, expectations for Wolfpack football have been sky-high. In the midst of the hype is redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary. Last season, he was instrumental in guiding the Pack to a 9-3 record as he tossed 3,433 yards, 35 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Those 35 touchdowns broke the single season record set by Philip Rivers in 2003.
Some of his best performances came when the lights were the brightest. One such occasion came against Clemson where he threw for 238 yards and four touchdowns, two of which came during overtime as the Pack upset the then-No. 9 Tigers. Another moment came later in the season as the Wolfpack battled back against UNC in the final minutes as Leary put up very similar numbers. He threw for 247 yards and four touchdowns to help seal the win. This summer, he was voted as the 2022 ACC preseason player of the year and is primed for an even better season this year.
Men’s Cross Country: Ian Shanklin
Graduate student Ian Shanklin has had quite an impressive career at NC State. Even though he was not able to compete last season, he is definitely a force to be reckoned with. He was an All-American for the Pack in the 2019 campaign. He has earned All-ACC honors three times for cross country and he has also been named to the All-Region team three times.
Women’s Cross Country: Katelyn Tuohy
Last season was one for the ages for the women’s cross country team as they took home the NCAA national championship. This was in large part due to the efforts of the rising junior. Katelyn Tuohy, once a highly touted recruit, has been nothing short of remarkable so far in her Wolfpack career.
In the Adidas XC challenge, she claimed first place with a 5k time of 16:29.6. Later in the season, she would finish runner up in the ACC championship which would earn her All-ACC honors. She would also finish runner up in the regional race which put her on the All-Region team. In the national championship meet, she put forth a great performance as she clocked in with a 6k time of 19:43.0.
Men’s Soccer: Luke Hille
Sophomore forward Luke Hille aims to build off of a very strong freshman campaign in which he led the team with six goals. He was very clutch as three of the goals were game winners. In only eight games played, he would muster a team-leading 13 points on the season. Of his 22 shots, 14 came on target. Hille gathered some offseason praise as he earned a place on the 2022 ACC Preseason watch list.
Women’s Soccer: Jameese Joseph
Women’s soccer’s senior forward Jameese Joseph looks to add onto a very impressive career this fall. She started all 20 of the Pack’s games last season and totaled an impressive 1,602 total minutes. She totaled 20 points on the season, including nine goals and two assists. Two of her goals were very crucial as they were the game winning shots to take down UNC and Duke, which was the first time the Pack took down both teams in the same season. At the conclusion of the season, she took home Second Team All-ACC honors along with being named to the United Soccer Coaches Atlantic All-Region First Team.
Volleyball: Priscilla Hernandez
The NC State volleyball team should greatly benefit from the addition of defensive specialist/libero Priscilla Hernandez, a graduate transfer from Miami. She undoubtedly left her mark with the Hurricanes as she played in all 30 matches last season. She racked up 435 digs on the season along with 108 assists and 28 service aces . Her total digs would help raise her career total to 1,011 which ranks eighth in Miami history. During the season, Hernandez was able to put forth 15 digs in 13 different matches. After the conclusion of the season, she was named to the All-ACC Second Team.
