North Carolina State University Athletics
2019 World University Games Recap
7/10/2019 1:59:00 PM | Swimming
NC State swimmers take home 11 medals from international meet
NAPLES, Italy – The Wolfpack wrapped up a successful week of action at the 2019 World University Games on Wednesday afternoon. Over the course of the seven-day competition at the Piscina Scandone, NC State's swimmers won a total of 11 medals, including six gold medals.
A total of seven NC State swimmers finished on the podium at the World University Games, and all six members of the Pack who represented Team USA at the meet took home individual medals.
Head coach Braden Holloway, who served as the men's head coach for USA Swimming's squad, helped lead Team USA to a total of 40 medals at the meet. The American swimmers took home 19 gold, 12 silver and nine bronze medals, marking the most overall podium finishes and the most first-place finishes for the United States in World University Games history.
WOMEN'S 100 BACKSTROKE
GOLD – Katharine Berkoff
SILVER – Elise Haan
Two Wolfpack women secured podium finishes in the 100-meter backstroke at the World University Games. Incoming freshman Berkoff led the 1-2 punch in 59.29, and Haan followed closely behind with a 59.62 mark. Berkoff, who broke the meet record during the prelims, lowered that record in the finals and moved to 10th on the all-time list for Americans.
WOMEN'S 400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
GOLD – Makayla Sargent
Sargent took ownership of the team record for the 400-meter individual medley at last summer's 2018 Phillips 66 National Championships and went on to better that record on the first day of competition at the World University Games. After earning the top seed headed into the finals, the Bellport, N.Y., native dropped over two seconds, posting a 4:37.95 lifetime best to take home the victory.
MEN'S 50 BACKSTROKE
GOLD – Justin Ress
Ress added another gold medal for the Pack and for Team USA with an impressive 50-meter backstroke performance. The Cary, N.C., native took ownership of the meet record with a 24.52 in the first semifinal, but that time was broken in the next semifinal by South Africa's Zane Waddell. In dramatic fashion during the finals session, the two swimmers touched the wall in a time of 24.48 to tie for first place.
WOMEN'S 50 FREESTYLE
GOLD – Ky-lee Perry
The rising Wolfpack senior impressed at the World University Games as she took home gold from her first-ever international meet. Perry kicked off her meet by tying the 50-meter freestyle team record with a 25.08 in the prelims. After earning a spot in the finals, she went on to match her lifetime best of 25.08 for the win in the final.
4x100 MEDLEY RELAYS
GOLD – Team USA Women (Berkoff)
GOLD – Team USA Men (Ress)
Members of the Wolfpack helped Team USA sweep the 4x100-meter medley relay titles as both the men and the women squads won gold in the event to wrap up the World University Games.
Haan led off in the prelims, and her 59.88 backstroke split secured a top seed for the American women. Berkoff then took over in the final. Her 1:00.03 backstroke split helped lead the United States to another gold medal.
On the men's side, Coleman Stewart posted a 53.85 100-meter backstroke split in the morning prelims. His lifetime best mark advanced the United States to the final of the medley relay, where Ress went a meet-best 53.31 to open the relay. His leadoff split was just .05 seconds off of the fastest time of his career and helped propel the American men to the win.
WOMEN'S 50 BACKSTROKE
SILVER – Elise Haan
Haan also took second place in the 50-meter backstroke, marking her second medal in as many individual races at the World University Games. She clocked her fastest time of the meet in the finals, a 28.02, to win silver. Berkoff joined her in the finals, placing just off the podium at fourth in 28.57.
MEN'S 100 BUTTERFLY
BRONZE – Coleman Stewart
Stewart swam a lifetime best in the 100-meter butterfly finals to earn a medal in his first meet representing Team USA. His 52.11 was good for third place and set a new team record in the event.
MEN'S 100 BACKSTROKE
BRONZE – Justin Ress
Ress' first event of the meet saw him finish on the podium with a bronze medal. He broke the 54-second mark in all three rounds of the 100-meter backstroke, and Ress ultimately placed third in 53.81 in the finals session.
MEN'S 4x100 FREESTYLE RELAY
BRONZE – Giovanni Izzo
Swimming for Italy, Izzo helped his home nation to a third-place finish in the first relay of the World University Games. Italy won bronze in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay in 3:15.91 with Izzo anchoring the squad with a 49.03 split.
ADDITIONAL RACES
After advancing out of the 50-meter butterfly preliminary heats as the No. 11 seed, Stewart secured an eighth-place finish in the event. He checked in at 24.00 in the finals after swimming a lifetime best of 23.84 in the semifinals.
Gil Kiesler represented Israel in a trio of freestyle events. He placed in the top 15 in both the 800-meter freestyle (13th place – 8:08.96) and the 400-yard freestyle (14th place – 3:54.08).
In addition to racing on Italy's relay team, Izzo also competed in the 50-yard freestyle. He advanced to the semifinals, where he tied for 14th in 22.60.
UP NEXT
Members of NC State's swimming teams will prepare for the 18th FINA World Championships, which is set to run July 12-28 in Gwangju, South Korea.
#GoPack | @packswimdive
A total of seven NC State swimmers finished on the podium at the World University Games, and all six members of the Pack who represented Team USA at the meet took home individual medals.
Head coach Braden Holloway, who served as the men's head coach for USA Swimming's squad, helped lead Team USA to a total of 40 medals at the meet. The American swimmers took home 19 gold, 12 silver and nine bronze medals, marking the most overall podium finishes and the most first-place finishes for the United States in World University Games history.
WOMEN'S 100 BACKSTROKE
GOLD – Katharine Berkoff
SILVER – Elise Haan
Two Wolfpack women secured podium finishes in the 100-meter backstroke at the World University Games. Incoming freshman Berkoff led the 1-2 punch in 59.29, and Haan followed closely behind with a 59.62 mark. Berkoff, who broke the meet record during the prelims, lowered that record in the finals and moved to 10th on the all-time list for Americans.
WOMEN'S 400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
GOLD – Makayla Sargent
Sargent took ownership of the team record for the 400-meter individual medley at last summer's 2018 Phillips 66 National Championships and went on to better that record on the first day of competition at the World University Games. After earning the top seed headed into the finals, the Bellport, N.Y., native dropped over two seconds, posting a 4:37.95 lifetime best to take home the victory.
MEN'S 50 BACKSTROKE
GOLD – Justin Ress
Ress added another gold medal for the Pack and for Team USA with an impressive 50-meter backstroke performance. The Cary, N.C., native took ownership of the meet record with a 24.52 in the first semifinal, but that time was broken in the next semifinal by South Africa's Zane Waddell. In dramatic fashion during the finals session, the two swimmers touched the wall in a time of 24.48 to tie for first place.
WOMEN'S 50 FREESTYLE
GOLD – Ky-lee Perry
The rising Wolfpack senior impressed at the World University Games as she took home gold from her first-ever international meet. Perry kicked off her meet by tying the 50-meter freestyle team record with a 25.08 in the prelims. After earning a spot in the finals, she went on to match her lifetime best of 25.08 for the win in the final.
4x100 MEDLEY RELAYS
GOLD – Team USA Women (Berkoff)
GOLD – Team USA Men (Ress)
Members of the Wolfpack helped Team USA sweep the 4x100-meter medley relay titles as both the men and the women squads won gold in the event to wrap up the World University Games.
Haan led off in the prelims, and her 59.88 backstroke split secured a top seed for the American women. Berkoff then took over in the final. Her 1:00.03 backstroke split helped lead the United States to another gold medal.
On the men's side, Coleman Stewart posted a 53.85 100-meter backstroke split in the morning prelims. His lifetime best mark advanced the United States to the final of the medley relay, where Ress went a meet-best 53.31 to open the relay. His leadoff split was just .05 seconds off of the fastest time of his career and helped propel the American men to the win.
WOMEN'S 50 BACKSTROKE
SILVER – Elise Haan
Haan also took second place in the 50-meter backstroke, marking her second medal in as many individual races at the World University Games. She clocked her fastest time of the meet in the finals, a 28.02, to win silver. Berkoff joined her in the finals, placing just off the podium at fourth in 28.57.
MEN'S 100 BUTTERFLY
BRONZE – Coleman Stewart
Stewart swam a lifetime best in the 100-meter butterfly finals to earn a medal in his first meet representing Team USA. His 52.11 was good for third place and set a new team record in the event.
MEN'S 100 BACKSTROKE
BRONZE – Justin Ress
Ress' first event of the meet saw him finish on the podium with a bronze medal. He broke the 54-second mark in all three rounds of the 100-meter backstroke, and Ress ultimately placed third in 53.81 in the finals session.
MEN'S 4x100 FREESTYLE RELAY
BRONZE – Giovanni Izzo
Swimming for Italy, Izzo helped his home nation to a third-place finish in the first relay of the World University Games. Italy won bronze in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay in 3:15.91 with Izzo anchoring the squad with a 49.03 split.
ADDITIONAL RACES
After advancing out of the 50-meter butterfly preliminary heats as the No. 11 seed, Stewart secured an eighth-place finish in the event. He checked in at 24.00 in the finals after swimming a lifetime best of 23.84 in the semifinals.
Gil Kiesler represented Israel in a trio of freestyle events. He placed in the top 15 in both the 800-meter freestyle (13th place – 8:08.96) and the 400-yard freestyle (14th place – 3:54.08).
In addition to racing on Italy's relay team, Izzo also competed in the 50-yard freestyle. He advanced to the semifinals, where he tied for 14th in 22.60.
UP NEXT
Members of NC State's swimming teams will prepare for the 18th FINA World Championships, which is set to run July 12-28 in Gwangju, South Korea.
#GoPack | @packswimdive
Players Mentioned
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Back/IM
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