Now that we’re at the end of the fall semester, a few Technician sports writers took a look back at N.C. State’s fall sports teams. What follows is an evaluation of some of the good and bad moments from each of the Wolfpack’s five sports that finished play in the fall.

Football

Clark LeonardSports Editor

Best Moment: Eugene for the win Nov. 10 with 1:41 remaining in the team’s game against North Carolina. Running back Jamelle Eugene was holding up the football for everyone to see after his one-yard touchdown gave the team the lead for the final time in a 31-27 win against UNC.It was his third score of the day. The score came on third-and-goal, and by that time State fans were probably remembering three years earlier, when T.A. McLendon couldn’t reach the end zone in a 30-24 loss in Chapel Hill. Eugene made sure it didn’t happen again.

Worst Moment: Miserable opener

Ask almost anyone, and they’ll say a season-ending 37-0 loss to Maryland. But what about the shock of trailing 25-3 to Central Florida before halftime of the first game of the Tom O’Brien era before eventually losing by two? Sure, the Golden Knights went on to win Conference USA, but no one knew that would happen back on a rough September night in Raleigh.

MVP: Make way for the Hurricane

Without question, Jamelle Eugene carried the team to two of its biggest wins, at Miami and home against UNC. In fact, his performance against Carolina was nothing short of heroic: 159 yards rushing on 32 carries, three rushing touchdowns (including the game-winner) and 33 yards receiving on six catches. By season’s end, on top of his 667 rushing yards, he had also become one of the team’s most reliable receivers. For that much and his admirable performance filling in after injuries to Toney Baker and Andre Brown, he was most valuable to the team.

Quarterbacks quandary remains: Inconsistency reigns

Four seasons and counting since Philip Rivers took a snap for N.C. State, and the school has yet to find another consistent quarterback, much less someone anywhere near the talent of Rivers. Daniel Evans had moments of greatness (300-plus-yard outings against East Carolina and Virginia), but outside of those games, the quarterbacks too often threw to the wrong team. It all adds up to more uncertainty at the position heading into 2008.

Cross Country

Daniel EllisStaff Writer

Best moment: New uniforms define the team’s strategy

N.C. State swept the Southeast Regional meet in Louisville, Ky. Not only was this the highlight of the season, but it was a huge change in momentum for both teams. The women’s team had been struggling all season with getting solid performances from some of the lower runners.

With the lower tandem of sophomore Bona Jones and freshman Colleen Wetherbee finishing 14th and 15th, respectively, the women were able to coast their way into their 13th NCAA Championship meet.

The men’s performance at the meet was even more awe-inspiring, as they knocked off three nationally-ranked teams to gain the regional title. Their finish was a dramatic one, as they slid past then-No. 13 Louisville by just one point.

“Our new uniforms say ‘Pack’ on the front, because that’s exactly what we are, the Wolfpack. We ran together as a pack, and that was the key to our win,” redshirt sophomore John Martinez said of the meet.

Worst moment: Dynasty threatened at ACC Championships

Heading into Charlottesville, Va., the men had only lost one of the last six ACC titles, which was when they fell to Virginia in 2005. Prior to the meet, the Cavaliers had been “claiming themselves as the new dynasty of the ACC.” The Wolfpack men, however, set out to prove otherwise, but disappointment would soon follow as the Cavs defeated State for the title.

Men’s MVP: Kollar first ACC Champion since 2003

Regardless of the team’s performance at the ACC Championships, redshirt senior Chris Kollar came up big to win the race and the individual ACC title.

“I was kind of surprised, but very excited,” Kollar said after the meet.

His 24:02 finish on the 8K course was followed up by another strong showing at the Southeast Regional meet where he again finished first for the team and 10th overall. The “outstanding” group of six seniors was so well balanced that depth was never an issue for this team.

Women’s MVP: Senior Angelina Blackmon ends season on high note

In her senior year, Blackmon was instrumental in determining the outcome of her team’s victory at the Southeast Regionals. Realizing the importance of qualifying for the national meet, Blackmon led the team with a sixth-place finish. “Coming into a program that has such tradition, qualifying for nationals is so important,” she said. “We felt obligated to carry on that tradition.”

The South Carolina native also led the team with a 63rd-place finish in the competitive field at the NCAA Championships.

Men’s Soccer

Emily SeckSenior Staff Writer

Best Moment: Tarantini earns 200th-career win

Coach George Tarantini, in his 22nd season with the men’s soccer team, picked up his 200th-career victory in convincing fashion. N.C. State shut out High Point as its offense tallied five goals by five different players. As he made his was off the field, Tarantini was promptly soaked by a cooler of Gatorade before reflecting on his tenure with the Wolfpack.

“There are so many people I have to say thank you to,” he said. “There’s so many people I’ve coached in the past — great players. I’m very grateful to work at this unbelievable institution and for all the people I’ve met in my life who make my life better.”

Worst Moment: Virginia scores State’s only goal in first-round ACC tournament loss

Although the scoreboard read 4-1 at the end of the match, State never actually scored a goal in its first-round loss at the ACC tournament. The goal came courtesy of a Virginia defender, who accidentally headed it into the Cavaliers’ net following a free kick.

The game was the culmination of a disappointing season where “everything went wrong,” according to senior forward El Hadj Cisse.

N.C. State was missing three of its starters and Tarantini said the team’s organization suffered because there were players on the field with “no preparation and no [experience in] games.”

The Wolfpack ended the season at 6-9-3 overall, and the loss dropped State to last place in the ACC.

MVP: El Hadj Cisse

The senior forward proved to be more than a vocal leader on the field, as he was named to the All-ACC second team for his efforts on the offensive side of the ball. The captain was the first player on the team to collect five yellow cards and his most memorable came during the game against rival North Carolina. Cisse thought he was unfairly issued a card, and promptly told the referee he “should be wearing blue.” The senior paced the offense with five goals and finished second on the team in total points with 11.

Women’s Soccer

Kate ShefteStaff Writer

Best Moment: N.C. State extends its unbeaten streak to six games

N.C. State defeated Virginia Commonwealth on Sept. 23, extending its winning streak to three games and its undefeated streak to six games. The team was excited and talking about its playoff hopes, although the Wolfpack had yet to face a top-20 ACC opponent.

“More than anything was our fight, we really fought hard,” sophomore Meredith Parrilla said of her team’s effort against VCU. “It wasn’t two girls up top, it wasn’t four girls in the back. It was all 11 of us on the field and all the girls on the bench as well.”

Worst Moment: Down and out in Chapel Hill

Already mathematically eliminated from the ACC tournament, State headed to UNC on Oct. 25 for one of its final conference match-ups. The eventual ACC champion Tar Heels tossed State players up and down the field, out shooting them 22-3 with a final score of 4-1; although the outcome could have been a lot worse.

“I think we came in knowing we were the underdogs,” freshman Sabrina Lukasik said after the game. “We tried a little more toward the end after we scored — it was obvious that we kind of picked up the pressure — but we waited way too long to get it together.”

What could have been a heated battle between local teams quickly turned into a rout, and each and every one of State’s players and coaches wore a defeated look as they climbed into their vans and headed back to Raleigh.

MVP: Vera leads team in scoring

Junior forward Lindsay Vera led the Wolfpack in goals with eight and in scoring with 19 points. She started every game this season and was honored with an All-ACC acknowledgement for the second year in a row.

“She’s a very dangerous player on the attack,” coach Laura Kerrigan said of Vera. “Our players know it, and the players on the other team know it.”

Senior Troubles: O’Rourke loses captaincy

The team’s only senior and captain, Jessica O’Rourke, ran into some trouble midway through the season and was stripped of her captaincy. She was suspended for one game after she committed what Kerrigan called “a violation of team rules.” The rest of O’Rourke’s season was marred by injuries, including a concussion sustained at Boston College, and her team fell 4-2 against Wake Forest on Senior Day.

“It’s sad,” O’Rourke said. “It would be great if we could start winning some games, but we gave it all we had.”

Volleyball

Ty JohnsonStaff Writer

Best Moment: Three-Win Weekend

The best moment of the volleyball season came in its first weekend. Playing in Durham in the North Carolina Central Tournament, N.C. State collected a win over South Carolina State on Aug. 24 and defeated Campbell and Loyola College the following day.

The 3-1 start eclipsed last year’s win total and had expectations running high for the inexperienced team that was picked to finish last in the ACC.

Worst Moment: Wake and the Wizard

After the three-win weekend, the team spiraled into a losing streak that left the Wolfpack at 3-7 before its ACC opener at home against UNC. The Pack dropped that match and five more before playing Wake Forest in Reynolds two days after taking nationally-ranked Duke to four games in an emotional match.

State kept pace with the Demon Deacons throughout the first two games, losing 30-26 and 30-23, but then deflated completely in the final game, losing 30-9.

“I’m disgusted with the display we put out there today,” coach Charita Stubbs said after the match. “We need to learn to find a heart. We need to go to the wizard and find a heart.”

It seems the team never made it to the Emerald City, as the Pack dropped its next 15 matches and finished the year winless in the ACC (0-22) for the second year straight.

Most Valuable Player: Lauren Zaniboni The freshman in First Year College led N.C. State with 337 kills and emerged as one of the team’s leaders in a season that left much to be desired. The left-handed, opposite-side hitter was one of three players to play in all 32 matches. Averaging more than three kills a game, Zaniboni’s consistent output in her first year helped keep the Pack competitive and positive despite the shortage of wins.

Story of the Year: The Streak(s) and the Stats

N.C. State extended its ACC winless streak to 56 matches by losing all 22 conference contests this year. The Wolfpack’s last ACC win came in 2005, when State defeated Boston College 3-1 in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

State has also not won in Reynolds in the last 26 tries since going 1-2 in last year’s Wolfpack Classic. This season, N.C. State ranked last in the conference in hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage, assists and kills.