Redshirt senior Ronnie Bouemboue, the Congo native hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y. is looking to garner his third ACC All-Tournament team award, and more importantly, win a championship to cap off his career.
“It’s a different mindset from the regular season into the postseason,” Bouemboue said. “The postseason, you know you’re fighting for a shot at the championship. We hope our game steps up, and it will. Hopefully we’ll get the results we want.”
The redshirt senior forward is one of ten finalists for the nationally acclaimed Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, awarded annually to top seniors in nine Division I sports. The winner is selected based on personal qualities that define a complete student athlete. These qualities include academic achievements and progress toward a degree, attributes including leadership and teamwork that define personal character, overcoming obstacles and utilizing status as a college athlete to make an impact in worthwhile causes.
“It’s definitely an honor to be nominated and it’s definitely a testament to this program and what coach [George] Tarantini tries to develop here,” Bouemboue said. “He not only emphasizes the game, which we are here to play for, he emphasizes the community, which is very important to me and also the classroom, the real reason we are here. We want to get our degrees and graduate. I am just thankful for the opportunity I have been given to be here at N.C. State and for all the staff that have helped me become the person that I am today.”
Head coach George Tarantini expressed his praise for Bouemboue and said he deserved the nomination beyond the shadow of a doubt.
“I think Ronnie is an example of what we try to accomplish,” Tarantini said. “Soccer is part of who he is, but the biggest part is the type of human being and the type of student he is. We try to get everything composed in one and Ronnie does a great job with that. We’re extremely proud of him and his future is very bright. We hope to continue to have those kinds of players to represent the University and our soccer team.”
The road for Bouemboue has not been an easy one. He struggled with injuries and had major knee surgery force him to sit out for the entirety of the 2007 season.
“Injuries — nobody likes injuries, but it’s about what you learn and what you do after it,” Bouemboue said. “Once you get knocked down it’s about how strong you come back up. I’m thankful for the opportunity that I’ve had here the past five years. I know that I’m leaving a stronger person and a better person than when I came here.”
Ronnie’s willpower and drive are critical aspects that have earned him the position of team captain for the past two seasons.
“I think Ronnie’s determination and his attitude set the tone for his teammates in many ways,” Tarantini said. “I think we want to bring to the game hope, desire and pride to compete. This is a very tough league and I think with the right attitude and hard work we’ll be able to make a good run in the post season.”
