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Home > Featured Stories > Outside the Classroom > March 2009 > A Day of ChampionsA Day of Champions
Darrion Caldwell, left, was named the 2009 NCAA Most Outstanding Wrestler, while Kristin Davies became the first woman to win an individual national championship in the history of NC State swimming and diving.
By Tim Peeler, GoPack.com
It's never happened in more than 115 years of athletics competition at NC State: two NCAA titles in the same day.
But March 21, 2009, will go down as one of the best days in the history of Wolfpack athletics, as wrestler Darrion Caldwell won the 149-pound individual title at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis and women’s diver Kristin Davies won the platform diving title in College Station, Texas.
Caldwell, who surprised top-seeded Brent Metcalf with an 11-6 decision in the title match, was also named the 2009 NCAA Most Outstanding Wrestler. He is the fifth individual national champion in the history of NC State wrestling and the first since Sylvester Terkay won the heavyweight title in 1993.
"Metcalf's a great wrestler and I knew he was going to come at me hard," Caldwell said. "There was nothing he was going to do to take this national title from me. He’s tough, but he’s human.
"I felt that I was going to win, because I envisioned myself as a national champion when I prepared for that match," he continued. "I believe in my abilities and I thank God to give me the ability to do what I did."
Davies built a big lead with her second round dive and waited patiently as her competitors failed to catch up. She is the first woman to win an individual national champion in the history of NC State swimming and diving.
"Tonight was an awesome night," said Davies. "This is the end of my diving career and I’m really happy that it ended on such a good night. A personal best, and an NCAA title – I couldn’t ask for more."
