NC State Honors Student Athletes at 2014 Wolfies

Check out GoPack.com’s behind the scenes look at the ‘Wolfies’

RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State Athletic Department held its annual “Wolfie Awards” Monday evening inside historic Reynolds Coliseum. This gala event showcased the best and brightest in Wolfpack Athletics over the past calendar year.

Senior forward and recent WNBA Draft pick Kody Burke stole the show on Monday evening, winning a total of three awards. The Northridge, Calif., native won the Kay Yow Award, the ACC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year award, and one of the two H.C. Kennett Awards.

The highest athletic award at NC State, the H.C. Kennett Award is given annually to a male and female superior athlete who demonstrates the finest attributes of good sportsmanship and team play. Carlos Rodon of the baseball team joined Burke as the male recipient of the award.

Burke earned her third CoSIDA Academic All-American honors this year, becoming just the third women’s basketball player in school history to make the award’s first team. She also earned All-ACC second team honors and ended her senior season second in program history in career appearances (132) and career blocks (197), ninth in career rebounds (832), and 11th in career points scored (1,588).

Rodon was named National Player of the Year during the 2013 season, posting a 2.99 ERA in 19 starts (10-3 record). He had three complete games and totaled 132.1 innings and 184 strikeouts. Rodon was named a second team All-American by both Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA in addition to earning third team All-American honors from Baseball America.

Here’s a look at the other award winners on the Pack’s special night:

Female Rookie of the Year – Jackie Stengel (Women’s Soccer)
One of only three freshmen to be named All-ACC in the country’s most dominant conference, Stengel had an incredible freshman season for the Wolfpack, leading the team in goals, points, shots, and shots on goal (23). Stengel earned recognition on the All-ACC Third Team and the ACC All-Freshman Team. She was also selected for the U20 United States National Team in preparation for the 2014 FIFA U20 Women’s Word Cup in Canada.

Male Rookie of the Year – Andreas Schierllerup (Swimming and Diving)
Andreas Schiellerup is the school record holder in the 100 backstroke, 200 and 400 medley relays, and the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. He was a finalist at the ACC Championships in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke. In addition, Schiellerup was a member of the 100 freestyle ACC Championship team, the 200 medley relay, 200 & 400 freestyle relay and on the team that set a ACC Record in the 200 & 400 freestyle relays and the 200 medley relay.

Comeback Player of the Year – Emily Pritt (Women’s Cross Country)
After earning All-ACC and All-America honors during her sophomore year, NC State redshirt senior Pritt developed a hip injury that kept her away from cross country for three years. After a grueling rehab process, Pritt returned to compete for the team this season, racing for the first time in a cross country capacity since 2009. She also competed in the ACC Championships on Nov. 1 and ended up with the second-best result on the Wolfpack women’s team at that race. Pritt went on to earn All-Region honors for the Wolfpack at NCAA Regionals, helping the NC State women earn a third-place finish at the event.

Community Spirit Award – Gymnastics
In addition to excelling in the classroom, the gym, and holding a strong fan base, the team spends a great deal of its spare time reaching out to the community and volunteering its time. The team also wore pink at four meets this season in honor of a Breast Cancer Awareness theme. As a team, its community service activities include volunteering at Bright Horizons Daycare, ARC Food Bank, Interact Shelter for Women, Spare Some for Autism, Ronald McDonald House, and delivering food and money to families for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Female Performance of the Year – Emily Weiman (Softball)
Emily Weiman retired the final 13 batters in the ACC Championship Game against Florida State to seal the Wolfpack’s 1-0 victory. Weiman pitched a complete game in the process, going all seven innings and allowing just four hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

Male Performance of the Year – Nick Gwiazdowski (Wrestling)
Nick Gwiazdowski won the NCAA Title at 285 pounds by defeating two-time defending Champion Tony Nelson of Minnesota in the finals.

ACC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year – Jorge Risquez (Men’s Soccer)
Jorge has a 3.702 GPA in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and a minor in Accounting. He has been a member of the ACC Honor Roll for three years, recognized as a Caterpillar Scholar Athlete for three years, and named to the Dean’s list for five semesters.

Coach of the Year – Wes Moore (Women’s Basketball)
In his first season at the helm of the NC State women’s basketball program (2013-14), Wes Moore and his staff led the Wolfpack to the following accomplishments: a 25-8 record, a top-25 RPI, a fourth-place finish in the ACC despite preseason prediction of 10th, 11 straight weeks in the AP and USA Today polls, the program’s first AP top-10 ranking since 2001, four wins over AP top-20 teams, a 13-2 nonconference record, and a 14-2 record at home.

Wolfpack Unlimited Individual Award – T.J. Warren (Men’s Basketball)
T.J. Warren was nothing short of historic in 2013-14. An All-American and the ACC’s Player of the Year, Warren broke school records held by David Thompson and put his name among the ACC’s all-time greatest players. He led the ACC in scoring and field goal percentage, becoming just the third player in league history to do so in the same season. He also broke Rodney Monroe’s single-season record of games with 20+ points.

Wolfpack Unlimited Team Award – Women’s Basketball
The NC State women’s basketball team finished the 2013-14 sea¬son with a 25-8 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 22nd time in school history. The Wolfpack finished fourth in the conference standings despite a preseason prediction of 10th and advanced to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro. In addition, the Pack defeated four AP top-20 teams and finished with a 14-2 mark at home.

Men’s Team of the Year – Baseball
The baseball program set a school record for wins (50) and advanced to the College World Series in 2013 for the first time in 45 years. The squad posted 30 victories throughout the season at Doak Field at Dail Park, including each of its five postseason contests at home. State was led by two All-Americans, including Carlos Rodon and Trea Turner, as well as 2013 ABCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year Elliot Avent.

Women’s Team of the Year – Softball
In 2013, the NC State softball team accomplished what many would have considered to be a far-fetched goal at the beginning of the sea¬son winning the ACC Championship.

Under first-year head coach Shawn Rychcik, the squad flourished in nearly every offensive category. The Wolfpack set school records in runs scored, runs batted in and slugging percentage. The squad entered the ACC Championship on a nine-game winning streak and continued it with three wins in the tournament, highlighted by an upset win over the top-seeded Florida State Seminoles.

It was the program’s second ACC Championship crown and first since the 2006 season. Rychcik became the first head coach in the history of the ACC to win the championship title in his/her first season. With the ACC Championship win, the Pack automatically clinched a berth in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, making its first appearance there since 2007. State finished the year with a 35-20-1 record.