From First Down to Forever: A Wolfpack Love Story

Story by Rachel Young | Video by Evan Kidd

The Baumanns’ love story kicked off at NC State and has been running up the scoreboard ever since.

Wil Baumann ’15, a punter for the football team, and Olivia Clapp Baumann ’15, a lifelong NC State fan, locked eyes in English 101 on their first day of class. Wil — who vividly remembers their seating arrangement — was immediately drawn to Olivia. “I was towards the front, she was in the back middle. My back was to her, but she does have a projecting voice and was very happy…so I knew her before she knew that I knew her,” he says.

Their first official date didn’t happen until the spring of freshman year when an evening at Pelican’s for snow cones turned into a trip to the driving range — and then, the very next day, an impromptu beach trip. From then on, it was clear they were destined for a lifetime of game days together.

This stadium has always felt like a really important part of our relationship.

As their relationship blossomed, NC State — and Carter-Finley Stadium — became the backdrop to some of their best plays. “We loved the North Carolina State Fair,” Olivia recalls. “We went a lot and watched the fireworks every night at the stadium.” It was after one of those firework-filled nights that Wil officially asked Olivia to be his girlfriend.

“This stadium has always felt like a really important part of our relationship,” she says. “Freshman year, my family sat three rows behind where the punters warmed up. We got to be really close to Wil on game days…some of my fondest memories of him are watching him play.”

After graduation, Carter-Finley continued to be the site of their biggest wins. With a little help from his former teammates, Wil proposed in front of the wolf statues where they had spent so many nights watching fireworks. “I had my former coach at the time hold onto the ring at the Murphy Center overnight…my friend Nicholas, who was the kicker, was hiding in the bushes with the camera!” Wil recalls.

Years later, Olivia returned to that same spot to surprise Wil with the news that their team was growing. Their daughter, and later their son, are growing up hearing stories of their parents’ time at NC State and experiencing game days firsthand.

Now, as Wolfpack Club members and season ticket holders, the Baumanns are raising the next generation of Pack fans. They bring their kids to games, gymnastics meets and even last-minute celebrations, like when NC State’s baseball team returned from their College World Series appearance last year.

“It’s fun to bring our family back here,” they say. “[Our daughter] thinks she’s going to be Ms. Wuf one day and that our son’s going to play football here.”

For Wil and Olivia, NC State is more than just a university — it’s where their love story began, where they built a community of lifelong friends and where they continue to make memories with their growing family.

Sometimes you think, oh, that was just a chapter in our life. That this was just four years of football and that was it. But as time goes on, this place really is a whole book, and we’re writing different chapters every year.

Veronica Dykes Jones ’18, ’22 and David Jones ’18, ’24

“I had just finished moving into my dorm room in Owen Hall. My roommate and I agreed it might be good to explore campus and find our buildings and rooms for our first day of classes. We were walking past Winston Hall, about to try to find Fox Hall for our chemistry labs, when we passed a group of three boys walking in the opposite direction. My intention was to make friends, so I stopped them and asked if they had already walked by Fox Hall. I’d like to emphasize I was NOT lost!

But my amazing husband will tell you differently. His perspective of the story is that I was very lost and begging for help to find the building. Regardless of who you believe, the five of us walked to Fox together, then to Witherspoon, then to Talley. Essentially all of campus, all day, all together. We realized that David and I were both in Owen Hall, just one floor apart!

We officially began dating in November 2014, got married in 2022, and between the two of us, we have four degrees from NC State.”

Brooke Brown Calloway ’17 and Sean Calloway ’17

“We met during our junior year at NC State. That year, Sean became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, while Brooke became a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority. The Friday after our probates, a mutual friend hosted a celebratory meetup in his dorm. Sean was already lounging on the couch when Brooke walked in, and a friendly exchange quickly turned into a deep conversation. We soon discovered we were from the same hometown, and before we knew it, we had talked until 5 a.m.

From that night on, our friendship grew effortlessly. We spent countless hours together — studying at D.H. Hill Library, grabbing late-night bites at Talley and supporting each other through college life. Our bond remained strong through graduation, and shortly after, Sean finally asked Brooke to be his girlfriend.

Seven years later, we are happily married and now building our life together in Charlotte.”

Brian and Megan Sytsma ’20

“When Brian moved from Indiana to North Carolina, he didn’t know a single person. All he knew about NC State was that it was in the state he wanted to live in, had a business school, and had cool school colors. Megan, on the other hand, grew up in Charlotte in a big Wolfpack family — her great-grandfather, grandfather, aunts, uncles and cousins all had NC State ties. Her grandfather, John, even played on the 1968 College World Series baseball team!

Poole College of Management’s New Student Orientation in 2016 was intimidating, and Brian was eager to make friends. A simple exchange of Goldfish crackers at one of the first group sessions led to a fast friendship. By mid-August, we reconnected, started spending more time together, and officially began dating on Sept. 1, 2016. From that day forward, we were inseparable.

On Dec. 4, 2020, Brian proposed — at the exact spot where he had asked Megan to be his girlfriend four years earlier. We were married on July 16, 2022.”

Jon ’94 and Jennifer Evans ’95

“We both lived in Metcalf Hall our freshman year and met in honors English. I read all the books — he read all the CliffsNotes.

That year, we spent countless hours on the dorm steps between the 8th and 11th floors. We’ve been best friends and State Mates ever since!”

Ashley and Bradley Cooper ’17

“Brad and I met during our sophomore year at NC State in 2015 while living on the same floor in Bragaw Hall. We had mutual friends, but Brad insists he first noticed me while I was working as a cashier at the C-Store — he thought I rocked my NC State Dining polo.

He asked a friend about me, and we eventually started spending more time together. I even brought him as my date to Kappa Alpha Theta functions and loved telling people I was bringing ‘Bradley Cooper.’

We got married nearly 10 years later on Oct. 12, 2024, overlooking our favorite city skyline.”

Ann Honeycutt Lawrance ’69 and John Stuart Lawrance ’68

“John and I were in the same history class in the fall of 1965. I was a freshman, John was a sophomore.

We didn’t meet until the next semester when my Sigma Kappa sorority sister suggested that I should meet her boyfriend’s fraternity brother. John was on the swim team, so we traveled to Columbia, SC, for a swim meet. She introduced us after the meet and the rest is history!

We married September 7, 1968, and have been happily married for 56 years.”