NC State Athletics’ 2022-2023 superlatives

As the 2022-23 school year comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on some of the great individual performances in NC State Athletics over the last year.

From breakout stars to champions doing their thing, our staff has composed a list of awards for the best athletic performances NC State had to offer.

Over the course of the 2022-23 school year, junior Katelyn Tuohy has captured three national titles — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Tuohy started the year off strong, finishing the 2022 cross country season as an ACC champion, Southeast Regional champion and national champion, leading her team to a second straight national title. She was recognized as the USTFCCCA Women’s Athlete of the Year, ACC Women’s Runner of the Year and Honda Award winner for her efforts.

Indoors for Tuohy was no different — she went on to win an ACC title in the 3000m and a national title in both the 3000m and the 5000m. As impressive as that all sounds, this list isn’t exhaustive, and the year isn’t over yet.

Entering the 2022 campaign, NC State football was already expected to have a strong defensive unit, but sophomore cornerback Aydan White’s emergence helped create one of the top defenses in the country. White made his presence known in the season opener at ECU, where he broke up three passes, and weeks later, he ran back an 84-yard picksix against Texas Tech. White appeared in all 13 games this season and racked up a team-high four interceptions and nine pass breakups.

While there are many great freshman athletes on campus, there’s only one that can claim a spot within the top-100 players in the world of their respective sport — Diana Shnaider of NC State women’s tennis.

Shnaider is a three-time Junior Grand Slam champion and is used to competing on a worldwide level against the best of the best. But this season, Shnaider — the No. 88 player in the world — joined the Wolfpack to take on college tennis, and the superstar has done nothing but shine since arriving on campus. She immediately assumed the first spot in a talented NC State lineup and made the red-and-white even more dangerous with her thunderous forehand and relentless drive.

State gymnastics this season. The East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) named Rutherford to the 2023 secondteam floor squad — her third time as an All-EAGL honoree. In addition to an impressive collegiate resume that only continues to grow, Rutherford demonstrates great poise at a young age, making her one of the most underrated athletes on campus.

Sophomore guard Aziaha James flew under the radar for the better part of the 2022-23 season, but when the lineup thinned out due to injury and the Pack needed someone to step up, she made herself known.

James’ most memorable performance of the year was undoubtedly her 18-point effort against UNC when she led her team to an overtime victory. After her breakout, James earned the starting nod in the last six games of the season. She notched a career-high 20 points against Virginia Tech and went on to score in the double digits in two of the Pack’s three postseason games. With many players graduating or entering the transfer portal, James is shaping up to be a key part of the Wolfpack’s lineup for the upcoming 2023-24 season.

While graduate guard Jarkel Joiner was only with NC State men’s basketball for one season, he made an immediate impact as soon as he stepped foot on campus. Joiner was a key part in leading the Wolfpack back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018, averaging 17 points per game along with 3.6 assists per game.

After joining the team in 2022, Joiner quickly became the leader of the Pack, creating bonds with his teammates in a short amount of time. He won’t be soon forgotten by Wolfpack fans for his clutch performances and killer mentality on the court.

Often overshadowed by a dominant group of seniors, sophomore Lauren Rutherford was a key contributor for NC

Graduate guard Jarkel Joiner celebrates after scoring during the quarterfinal round of the ACC Tournament against Clemson in Greensboro Coliseum on Thursday, March 9, 2023. Joiner scored 10 points, made three assists and had two steals for the Pack. The Wolfpack lost to the Tigers 80-54.

NC State Athletics benefitted across the board when it came to transfers finding success this year, but no athlete captured the hearts of Wolfpack nation quite like graduate forward DJ Burns.

Fans got up and rowdy practically every time Burns touched the ball once he got going halfway through the season. Burns reciprocated all of the love throughout a year where the Wolfpack greatly exceeded expectations, and fans would love nothing more than to see number 30 suit up once again for his last year of eligibility.

Graduate setter Kristen McDaniel is one of the most reliable athletes on campus. Throughout her four — and soon to be five — years with the Pack, McDaniel has racked up 313 sets played, and during the 2022 season she never missed a match.

Right now in college athletics, it’s normal to see transfers coming and going, but one thing that hasn’t changed in Reynolds Coliseum in recent seasons is McDaniel’s talent. In October, she reached the coveted 2,000 assist mark, which goes to show that McDaniel has been instrumental in leading the Pack on and off the court.