NC State Newsstand: Payton Wilson, Katharine Berkoff headline Wolfie Awards
NC State honored its student-athletes from the 2023 calendar year with its annual Wolfie Awards Monday night at Reynolds Coliseum.
The Wolfpack honored dozens of student-athletes with various awards, but NC State linebacker Payton Wilson and swimming and diving’s Katharine Berkoff received the H.C. Kennett Award — the highest athletic honor at the university.
Berkoff became the first woman in ACC history to win five straight conference titles in the same event after she took the crown in the 100-yard backstroke in the 2024 league tournament. She also won her third national title in the event with the fourth-fastest time in program history.
The elite swimmer finished her NC State career as a 27-time All-American, six-time ACC champion, five-time NCAA champion and the 2022 Honda Sports Award Finalist.
Wilson, meanwhile, claimed the 2023 Butkus (best linebacker) and Bednarik (top defensive player) awards. He was a unanimous All-American selection and the 2023 ACC Defensive Player of the Year after he logged 138 total tackles, including a conference-best 17.5 for a loss.
Here’s a look at the other major awards that were handed out:
Rookie of the Year: Diana Shnaider (women’s tennis) and Kevin “KC” Concepcion (football)
Comeback Player of the Year: Alana Smith (women’s tennis)
Heart of the Pack Award: Jaiden Thomas (women’s soccer) and Trent Hidlay (wrestling)
Kay Yow Award: Abby Arens (swim and dive)
Chris Combs Award: Sam Highfill (baseball)
ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year: Kelsey Chmiel (women’s cross country and track) and Trent Hidlay (wrestling)
Individual Performance of the Year: Katharine Berkoff (women’s swimming, five All-America honors and a national title at the NCAA championships) and DJ Burns Jr. (men’s basketball, 29-points in the Elite Eight win over Duke)
Team Performance of the Year: Women’s cross country (third straight NCAA title) and men’s basketball (ACC Tournament Championship game).
Pride of the Pack Award: Emily Shepard (gymnastics) and Kendall Edwards (men’s soccer)
Team of the Year: Women’s basketball and men’s basketball
Chancellor’s Cup: Women’s swimming and diving and men’s tennis
Tweets of the day
NC State’s coaching staff is back on the recruiting trail.
The Wolfpack honored two former football players in the athletic department’s Hall of Fame over the weekend.
Former UNC quarterback Drake Maye has been working out with former NC State signal caller Philip Rivers to prepare for the NFL draft.
Quote of the day
Georgetown transfer Dontrez Styles brings a versatile skill set to the Wolfpack next season. Here’s what Perry Tyndall, his high school coach, had to say about Styles.
“One of the biggest things is ‘Trez is such a hard worker,” Tyndall told TheWolfpacker.com in a recent interview. “He wants to be great. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to continue to improve. I think his work ethic is what always separated him, and it’s always what has separated the ones that come out of Kinston — they just love the game so much that they’re willing to work and do whatever it takes.”
Today’s top headlines
Georgetown transfer Dontrez Styles brings versatility to NC State
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The latest updates where NC State’s NFL draft prospects stand
NC State Newsstand: Wolfpack baseball rises in rankings after top-15 series wins over Clemson, UNC
