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Here’s a Look at the Current & Former NC State Athletes/Coaches who will be Participating in the 2024 Summer Olympics

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2 months ago

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Here’s a look at the 13 former/current NC State athletes that will be competing, as well as 2 coaches.

NC State Athletics is sending 12 past, present, and future student-athletes and 2 coaches to the 2024 Paris Olympics in three different sports, including Swimming & Diving, Women's Tennis, and Men's Basketball.

Swimmer Katharine Berkoff will be representing the United States in the 100 Backstroke. Berkhoff came in 2nd in the Olympic Trials, and in the seminfinals of the Trials, she logged a time of 57.83, which is the 4th fastest time ever recorded.

This past season Berkhoff returned to NC State for her final year of eligibility (Covid year), and won the ACC and NCAA Championship in 100 Backstroke, and was also named All-American in 50 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay and 400 medley relay.

Berkhoff is a 3-time NCAA Champion in the 100 Backstroke, and she also is an NCAA Champion in the 400 and 200 Medley Relay. At NC State, Berkhoff was a 30-time All-American and a 6-time ACC Champion.

Diana Shnaider is the first former Wolfpack Women’s Tennis player to go on to be an Olympian. She will be participating in Singles and Doubles.

She will be an Individual Neutral Athlete in Paris.

Shnaider spent one year at NC State (2022-23) before turning professional. In that one season, she boasted a record of 20-3, earning 1st Team All-ACC honors, as well as earning the ACC Freshman of the Year Award. She advanced to the NCAA Tournament, and was named an ITA All-American in both Singles and Doubles. She finished her one year at NC State ranked 4th nationally. Shnaider helped the Wolfpack Women win their first ever ACC Championship.

Since turning professional, Shnaider has advanced to the 2nd Round of the Australian Open and French Open and the 3rd Round at Wimbledon. In Doubles, she advanced to the 2nd Round at Wimbledon, the 3rd Round at the Australian Open and the Quarterfinals at the French Open.

Shnaider is currently ranked 23rd in the world in Singles. She has won 3 WTA Titles (Thailand Open, Bad Homburg Open, Budapest Grand Prix).

Lorenzo Brown will be playing for the Spanish Men’s Basketball Team. While at NC State, Brown earned 3rd Team All-ACC honors in 2012, and 2nd Team honors in 2013. His 589 career assists, rank 4th in NC State history, and his 172 steals rank 7th. He has earned All-Euroleague honors the past two years.

Ryan Held will represent the United States in the 4×100 Freestyle Relay. This marks the 2nd time Held has been an Olympian, earning a Gold Medal in the same event back in 2016, alongside Michael Phelps, Caleb Dressel and Nathan Adrian. After dramatically missing the 2020 Olympics, seeing Held return is a heart warming story.

Held is 1 of 7 to win an Olympic Medal. He is 1 of 5 former Wolfpack Swimmers to win a Gold Medal

Held holds the record at NC State in the 50, 100 Free & 4X100 Free Relay, and ranks 3rd in the 200 Free.

At NC State, Held was a 25x All-American, an 8x ACC Champion

Sophie Hansson will be representing Sweden for the 3rd time in the Olympics (2016, 2020, 2024). She will be swimming in the 100 & 200 Breastroke.

Hansson still holds the NC State record in both events, setting the records back in 2022. She was also a part of the team that set the school record in the 4×100 Medley Relay, which included Berkhoff. Hansson also was a part of the team that set the school record for the 200 Free Relay.

At NC State, Hansson was a 22-time All-American and a 12-time ACC Champion.

Nyls Korstanje will be representing the Netherlands for the 2nd time in the Olympics (2020 & 2024). He will be swimming in the 100 Butterfly.

Korstanje ranks 2nd in NC State history in the 50 Free & 100 Butterfly. As a member of the Wolfpack, he was a 22-time All-American and a 10-time ACC Champion.

Andreas Vazaios will be representing Greece in the Olympics for the 4th time (2012, 2016, 2020, 2024). Vazaios has been to the Olympics more than any other former NC State Swimmer.

Vazaios was a 14-time All-American at NC State. He ranks 1st in NC State history in the 200 Butterfly, the 200 IM and the 800 Free Relay. Vazaios ranks 2nd in the 200 Free. While at NC State, Vazaios was a 6x ACC Champion.

Incoming Freshman Kaii Winkler will represent Germany in Paris, swimming the 100 Butterfly.

Winkler was the #1 swimmer in the state of Florida in the 2024 recruiting class, and at one point was the #3 ranked swimmer nationally.

Winkler, who holds dual citizenship in the United States and Germany, had a crazy journey to the 2024 Olympics.

Bartosz Piszczorowicz and Kacper Stokowski will be swimming for Poland. Piszczorowicz ranks 5th in the NC State record books in the 200 Free (2023). While swimming for the Wolfpack, he was a 4x All-American and 3x ACC Champion. Stokowski is the NC State record holder in 100 Backstroke (2024), 200 Medley Relay & 400 Medley Relay. He ranks 2nd in 200 Backstroke. Stokowski was a 20x All-American at NC State and a 9x ACC Champion.

Incoming Freshmen Swimmers David Betleham & Betti Fabian will be swimming for Hungary.

Even though she didn’t finish her collegiate career at NC State, Sprinter McKenzie Long did spend 4 years with the Wolfpack prior to transferring to Ole Miss for the past two years. Long will be representing the United States in the 200M. While at NC State, she set the outdoor school record in the event, and ranks 3rd in the 100M. Sprinting indoors, she ranks 2nd in the 60M and 4th in the 200M.

NC State Men’s Swimming & Diving Coach Braden Holloway will serve as an Assistant Coach for the United States, while former Wolfpack Associate Head Coach Todd Desorbo (current Women’s Head Coach at UVA) will serve as the Head Coach for the Olympic Team.

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Matthew is Publisher and Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He is also the Lead Pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

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NC State News

NC State’s Women’s Cross Country is Preseason #1 to Start 2024

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1 month ago

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September 3, 2024

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The 2024 USTFCCCA National Preseason Coaches’ Poll is out, and the NC State Women’s Cross Country team is ranked #1.

This isn’t shocking, considering the fact that the Wolfpack have won the National Championship the past three years consecutively.

The Women’s Wolfpack Cross Country team has won 8 consecutive ACC Championships.

The Wolfpack Women’s Cross Country team will get their season started on September 20th at the Adidas XC Challenge in Cary, NC.

 

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NC State News

Another NC State Swimmer Medals at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics

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2 months ago

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August 9, 2024

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Another NC State swimmer has medaled at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

Incoming Freshman David Betlehem (Hungary) took home the Bronze in the Outdoor Marathon Swimming 10km.

Betlehem is the first NC State Swimmer to ever medal in the 10km.

Also, incoming Freshman Betti Fabian (Hungary) placed 5th in the Outdoor Marathon Swimming 10km.

In the history of the Summer Olympics, 8 Wolfpack Swimmers have earned Medals (add Betlehem to the list in this article)

Check out how the rest of the NC State Swimmers fared in Paris. 

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NC State News

Former NC State Track Star McKenzie Long Finishes 7th in the 200m Final

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2 months ago

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August 7, 2024

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Even though she didn’t finish her collegiate career at NC State, Sprinter McKenzie Long did spend 4 years with the Wolfpack prior to transferring to Ole Miss for the past two years.

Yesterday, Long competed in the 200m Final, finishing 7th, with a time of 22.42.

While at NC State, she set the Outdoor school record in the event, and ranks 3rd in the 100M. Sprinting Indoors, she ranks 2nd in the 60M and 4th in the 200M.

Yesterday, Gabby Thomas of the United States, won the Gold, with a time of 21.83. Earlier this year, Long actually ran a 21.83, which was a personal best, and the exact time Thomas won with last night.

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NC State News

Recapping the Performances of NC State’s Swimmers in the 2024 Summer Olympics

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2 months ago

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August 5, 2024

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Swimming (Indoor) has wrapped up in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Here’s a recap of how NC State’s Former and Incoming Swimmers did.

Katharine Berkoff (United States) won the Bronze in the 100m Backstroke and Gold in the 400m Medley Relay. Berkoff is the first former NC State Women’s Swimmer to win a Medal at the Olympics.

She graduated NC State this year with the school record in 50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, 100 Backstroke, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay and 400 Free Relay. Berkoff is a 30x All-American, and a 6x ACC Champion.

Ryan Held (United States) won the Gold in the 400m Freestyle Relay. This marks the 2nd time Held has won Gold in this event.

Held holds the school record for the fastest times in NC State history 50 Free, 100 Free, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay. As a member of the Wolfpack, Held was a 25x All-American and a 25x ACC Champion.

This was Held’s 2nd time representing the United States in the Olympics.

Sophie Hansson (Sweden) finished 13th (out of 16 in Semifinals) in the 100m Breaststroke, 20th (out of 23 in the Heats) in the 200m Breaststroke and 7th (out of 8 in the Finals) in the 4x100m Medley Relay.

Hansson still holds the NC State records in 100m & 200m Breaststroke, setting the records back in 2022. She was also a part of the team that set the school record in the 4×100 Medley Relay, which included Berkhoff. Hansson also was a part of the team that set the school record for the 200 Free Relay.

At NC State, Hansson was a 22-time All-American and a 12-time ACC Champion.

This was Hansson’s 3rd time representing Sweden in the Olympics.

Nyls Korstanje (Netherlands) finished 6th (out of 8 in the Finals) in the 100m Butterfly, 6th (out of 8 in the Finals) in the Mixed 400m Medley Relay and 8th (out of 8 in the Finals) in the Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay.

Korstanje ranks 2nd in NC State history in the 50 Free & 100 Butterfly. As a member of the Wolfpack, he was a 22-time All-American and a 10-time ACC Champion.

This was Korstanje’s 2nd time representing the Netherlands in the Olympics.

Andreas Vazaios (Greece) finished 16th (out of 16 in the Heats) in the 4x100m Freestyle Relay and 11th (out of 16 in the Heats) in the 4x200m Freestyle Relay.

Vazaios was a 14-time All-American at NC State. He ranks 1st in NC State history in the 200 Butterfly, the 200 IM and the 800 Free Relay. Vazaios ranks 2nd in the 200 Free. While at NC State, Vazaios was a 6x ACC Champion.

This was Vazaios 4th time representing Greece in the Olympics.

Kaii Winkler (Germany) finished 28th (out of 40 in the Heats) in the 100m Butterfly.

Winkler is an incoming Freshman, and this was his first time in the Olympics.

Bartosz Piszczorowicz (Poland) finished 13th (out of 16 in the Heats) in the 4x100m Freestyle and 11th (out of 16 in the Heats) in the 4x100m Medley Relay.

Piszczorowicz ranks 5th in the NC State record books in the 200 Free (2023). While swimming for the Wolfpack, he was a 4x All-American and 3x ACC Champion.

Kacper Stokowski finished 14th (out of 16 in the Heats) in the 4x100m Mixed Medley Relay.

Stokowski is the NC State record holder in 100 Backstroke (2024), 200 Medley Relay & 400 Medley Relay. He ranks 2nd in 200 Backstroke. Stokowski was a 20x All-American at NC State and a 9x ACC Champion.

David Betleham (Hungary) finished 4th in the 1500m Freestyle Finals.

Betleham is an incoming Freshman, and this was his first time in the Olympics.

Incoming Freshman Betti Fabian (Hungary) will be swimming in the 10k Open Water on August 8th.

 

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