One year ago, we weren’t even sure if college sports would be played this year. Thank goodness that wasn’t the case, because this year of NC State athletics has been one of the best of all time, despite it also being one of the most challenging years in recent history.
Beginning with fall 2020, the NC State football team came into the season under a lot of pressure after a disappointing 4-8 record in 2019. However, the Pack delivered, winning a school-record seven conference games en route to an 8-4 record that not many expected. The season featured a pair of wins over top-25 opponents and culminated in a trip to the Gator Bowl.
The NC State women’s basketball team had another outstanding season, beating not one, but two No. 1 ranked teams on the road, going undefeated at home, winning its second straight ACC Championships and earning its first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The season ended with a heartbreaking loss to Indiana in the team’s third straight Sweet 16 appearance, which was arguably the most heartbreaking loss of the NC State sports year. However, the fact that it was the most heartbreaking loss showed just how much NC State fans cared about the women’s basketball team this year and wanted to see the team win.
After a promising start to the season, the NC State men’s basketball team’s season did not end the way many probably hoped with a second-round loss in the NIT. However, the Pack did provide some good moments: a win over rival North Carolina and five straight wins to end the regular season, including a road win over then-defending national champion Virginia.
The NC State wrestling team continued to dominate this season, winning its third consecutive ACC Championship and placing sixth at the NCAA Championships. Five individuals from the Pack won their weight class at the ACC Championships, and Trent Hidlay finished as the national runner-up at the NCAA Championships.
The NC State men’s and women’s cross country teams crushed it this season, with the women taking first place for the fifth straight season and the men taking second place at the ACC Championships . The women also dominated at the NCAA Championships, finishing in second place.
Both the NC State men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams had great seasons as well, with both the men and women taking second place at the ACC Championships and having top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships. In particular, the women finished in a school-best second place, an outstanding feat for the team.
The NC State softball team had some great moments this season, beating a few ranked teams in Virginia Tech, LSU and eventual national runner-up Florida State. Plus, the Pack beat North Carolina in the first game of the ACC Tournament.
The NC State men’s golf team continued to improve this year, finishing in third place at the ACC Championships and advancing to the NCAA Championships, winning four tournaments along the way.
The NC State women’s tennis team had a historic season, advancing to its first Final Four in program history. The team won 20 matches, which is the second most in school history, with nearly half of its wins coming against ranked opponents.
The NC State track and field season was highlighted by championship performances. Ian Shanklin took home the top spot at the ACC Championships in the 10K, Hannah Steelman placed first in the 3000m steeplechase and Elly Henes won the ACC Championship in the 5K for the second time in her career. To cap it off, Henes took home the national championship in the 5K.
The NC State baseball season couldn’t have started much worse than it did as the team dropped eight of its first nine conference games, but that all started to turn around with a series sweep of North Carolina on the road. The Pack finished the regular season with four straight series wins, including two sweeps against ranked teams.
With a chance for its first ACC Championship in nearly three decades, the Pack fell to Duke 1-0 in the ACC Championship game in heartbreaking fashion. However, the team bounced back, going 3-0 in the NCAA Regional on the road and taking two of three games against No. 1 Arkansas in the Super Regional to advance to the College World Series, the third such appearance in school history and first since 2013.
In what was perhaps the most exciting few days of the entire year for NC State sports, the Pack knocked off No. 9 Stanford and No. 4 Vanderbilt in back-to-back games, putting the team one win away from the College World Series final.
Alas, NC State stuff kicked in as COVID-19 protocols forced the team out of the event without even having a chance to compete, but not before a shorthanded Pack squad put on a gutsy performance against Vanderbilt that ended in a loss.
Many NC State sports teams had great seasons this past year, and not just sports that typically get the most attention, but teams all across the board had seasons to remember.
It stinks that the NC State athletics year ended the way it did with the baseball team’s unfortunate exit, but that doesn’t take away from all the joy and memories this year has given fans.
This past year has been challenging, but NC State sports has been there as a source of entertainment and hope for Wolfpack fans for when things return to normal.
I have been very lucky to write for Technician this year, which has given me the opportunity to attend many sporting events that not everyone has been able to go to, such as volleyball, soccer, basketball, softball, tennis and baseball. It’s been a privilege to be able to attend all these events, but there was not a single game I went to that I didn’t wish I wasn’t among just a handful of people in attendance, and that I didn’t wish the stands were packed with fans cheering on the team they love.
While this NC State athletics year has been great, I am looking forward to this upcoming year perhaps more than any other, when great venues such as Carter-Finley Stadium, PNC Arena, Reynolds Coliseum and others are packed with fans.
