South Raleigh News

RALEIGH, NC - The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee today announced its official roster for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team, and former NC State student-athletes Katharine Berkoff and Ryan Held are among the 592 athletes who will represent Team USA this summer in Paris.

The American collegiate athletics system plays a vital role in Team USA's success on the Olympic stage. This summer in Paris, 75% of U.S. Olympians will have competed collegiately as part of their journey to Team USA. In total, 169 schools from 45 different conferences will have one or more U.S. Olympians competing in Paris.

Berkoff secured her spot in Paris in the 100 backstroke after finishing in second place at the Olympic Trials from Lucas Oil Stadium. Berkoff began the trials with an entry time of 58.01; in preliminaries, she qualified for the semi-finals with a 58.09; in the semi-finals, she swam a 57.83, and then in the finals, her 57.91 placed her second, giving her an invite from the U.S. Olympic Team to compete in Paris.

During her time at NC State, Berkoff became the first woman in ACC history to win five straight titles in the same event after winning the 100-yard backstroke at the 2024 ACC Tournament. She won her third national title in the 100-yard backstroke after swimming a 48.55- the fastest time in program history at the 2024 NCAA Women's championship.

She finished her Wolfpack career as a 30-time All-American, six-time ACC Champion, five-time NCAA Champion, four-time ACC All-Academic team member, CSCAA Scholar All-American, and a 2022 Honda Sports Award Finalist.

Berkoff holds or is part of seven program records for fastest times in Wolfpack history: 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay, 400 freestyle relay, and 800 freestyle relay.

Held swam for the Wolfpack from 2014 to 2018. After competing in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this will be his second Olympic Games. There, Held won gold in the 4x100 freestyle relay and was a semifinalist in the 50 freestyle.

In both years of his final two seasons (2017 and '18), Held was named ACC's Most Valuable Swimmer and was honored as ACC Swimmer of the Year for his performances during those seasons' meets respectively . He was on every year's All-ACC Academic Team while with NC State; also notably amassing twenty-three championships within conference over that period alone too .

A multi-year decorated athlete , totaling twenty-five separate occasions where he received recognition by earning status as an All-American across various disciplines throughout collegiate competitions nationwide ; culminating into securing four national championships under his belt specifically around relays involving distances ranging between four-hundred up-to eight-hundred meters.

Twenty-one teams have at least eighty percent participation rates attributed towards having former college students represented on their respective rosters going into these upcoming games –including fifteen specific ones exclusively comprised solely via individuals who previously attended colleges/universities domestically here stateside already such sports encompassing women’s basketball alongside men/women variations pertaining three-on-three formats alike beach-volleyball indoor counterparts diving fencing field hockey rugby modern pentathlon amongst other categories similarly structured too rowing triathlons notably involved just mention few examples thereof representing significant portion overall delegations headed overseas soon enough

"We are incredibly grateful for collegiate athletics administrators coaches support staff inspiring greatness student-athletes representing our nation proudly ," said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland adding "With more than four hundred forty current/former college competitors making-up bulk entirety comprising contingent traveling abroad we know they're not only competing themselves but also doing so behalf schools communities alike ."

The Paris twenty-twenty-four Olympic Games commence Friday July twenty-sixth running through Sunday August eleventh hosting over ten thousand participants worldwide spanning thirty-two distinct sporting events totaling three-hundred twenty-nine medal opportunities distributed across forty venues altogether broadcasting live via NBC Peacock networks respectively

All relevant information collected regarding collegiate composition provided courtesy partnerships department affiliated USOPC defining footprint encompassing anyone either currently still active within varsity ranks those already graduated completed eligibility periods even incoming recruits who've signed National Letters Intent accordingly further details available online site usopc.org/2024college

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