Published: Mon, Jan. 05, 2009 12:30AM

Modified Mon, Jan. 05, 2009 05:16AM

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When Russell Wilson sprints out of the pocket, defenders don't know whether N.C. State's quarterback is passing or running until he releases the ball or crosses the line of scrimmage with the leather in his hand.

If reporters ask whether he prefers baseball or football, he says he enjoys whichever sport he is playing at the time. This semester he is likely to participate in both sports, leading spring drills for the Wolfpack football team while trying to improve on the .296 batting average he posted for the baseball team last season.

Healthy or not, baseball or football, running or passing, Wilson will keep us guessing in 2009.

That will make the first freshman to be chosen as first-team All-ACC quarterback one of the most fascinating area sports figures to watch.

-- Ken Tysiac

TRACEY CLINE: SCRUTINY IS ON FOR NEW DURHAM D.A.

Tracey Cline, to be sworn in today as Durham's new district attorney, will have her mettle tested as she assumes leadership of an office still tainted by the prosecutorial misconduct exposed in the Duke lacrosse case.

In her campaign, the veteran prosecutor billed herself as someone who would work with school and community groups to try to curb the gang and juvenile violence that pulls so many youngsters into the courts.

Cline will face scrutiny from a public whose confidence in the Durham justice system has waned in recent years. Lawyers and others familiar with the Durham legal system are anxious to see whether Cline will chart a more even-keeled approach or return to the stormy days of the Mike Nifong era.

-- Anne Blythe

BEV PERDUE: A CHANGE COMES, A CHALLENGE AWAITS

"Just look at me and you see change," Beverly Perdue said shortly after she was elected North Carolina's first female governor. It remains to be seen whether Perdue, who has held office in Raleigh for 22 years, will bring about a big shift in state government after two terms of Gov. Mike Easley. Perdue has close ties to the Democratic leadership in the state Senate, which could hinder her independence.

Perdue has major issues ahead of her, including a growing budget shortfall, a troubled mental health system and probation problems. She has promised more accountability and transparency, including a reworking of the state Board of Transportation and its tradition of political patronage. Perdue, who began announcing her cabinet last week, will be sworn in Jan. 10.

-- Jane Stancill

ROBERT GIBBS: N.C. STATE GRAD PLAYS DEFENSE IN D.C.

Robert Gibbs, a 1992 graduate of N.C. State University, will be the face of Obama's administration come Jan. 20. As White House press secretary, Gibbs will be the one fielding tough questions from the Washington press corps every day. He proved pretty adept at defense when he was a goalie for the Wolfpack men's soccer team from 1990 to 1992.

A high school debater and political science major at NCSU, Gibbs was destined for politics. One of his early jobs was as press secretary for U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat, starting in 1997. When Gibbs takes the podium in front of the cameras at the White House, he'll have plenty of fans in North Carolina watching -- including his parents, who live in Apex.

-- Jane Stancill

CHRIS TOMMERDAHL: A TOP FEMALE TRIATHLETE

The Triangle is rife with elite triathletes, but Chris Tommerdahl may be the most promising. She handily won the National Championship in the 20-24 age group (she's 22) in 2008 and is turning pro. Locally, she was the overall female winner of the popular Triangle Triathlon with more than 1,000 participants and finished the season ranked as the third woman in the open category in a tight race for the North Carolina Triathlon Series.

-- Joe Miller