North Carolina State University Athletics
Four Wolfpack Swimmers Qualify for Team USA World Championships Roster
7/1/2023 9:12:00 PM | Swimming
INDIANAPOLIS — Following action at the 2023 Phillips 66 U.S. National Championships, two current NC State swimmers and a pair Wolfpack alumni earned spots on the United States roster for the upcoming FINA World Aquatics Championships.
Katharine Berkoff, Ross Dant, Ryan Held (Class of 2017) and Justin Ress (Class of 2019) will all compete at the international event that is set to be held July 23-30 in Fukuoka, Japan.
Held won the 50-meter freestyle in Saturday night's closing session with a time of 21.50 to secure his spot on the roster. Over the course of the meet, he also finished fifth in the 100-meter freestyle, sixth in the 50-meter butterfly and fourth in the 50-meter backstroke to tie as the meet's highest point winner on the men's side.
Dant will head to the World Championships for the first time in his career following his second-place finish in the 800-meter freestyle on Saturday. He clocked in at a lifetime best 7:48.10, setting a new team record in the event.
They join Berkoff and Ress, who both punched their tickets with their victories in the 50-meter backstroke on Thursday. Berkoff also secured a spot to compete in the 100-meter backstroke after placing second in the event on Friday night.
Wolfpack head coach Braden Holloway will join Team USA in Japan in a few weeks serving as an assistant coach for the squad.
Players Mentioned
