North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State’s Katharine Berkoff and Ryan Held Officially Named to 2024 U.S. Olympic Team
7/11/2024 3:30:00 PM | Swimming
Berkoff and Held will represent Team USA at the Olympic Games Paris 2024
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, CSCAA Scholar All-American, and a 2022 Honda Sports Award Finalist.
Berkoff holds or is a part of the program record for fastest time in Wolfpack history in seven events: 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 2017 and 2018, Held was named the ACC's Most Valuable Swimmer and the 2017 ACC Swimmer of the Year. He was on the All-ACC Academic Team all four years with the Wolfpack and was an ACC champion 23 times.
A 25-time All-American, Held won four national championships with the Wolfpack, including the 400 freestyle relay in 2016 and 2018 and the 800 freestyle relay in 2017 and 2018.
Twenty-one teams have at least 80% collegiate participation on their U.S. Olympic rosters, including 15 teams that are comprised 100% of collegiate athletes: women's basketball, men's and women's 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, men's and women's indoor volleyball, diving, fencing, women's field hockey, women's rugby, modern pentathlon, men's and women's water polo, rowing, and triathlon. College athlete representation on the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team spans all three NCAA Divisions (I, II, and III), as well as junior colleges, NAIA schools, and collegiate club programs.
"We are incredibly grateful for the collegiate athletics administrators, coaches, and support staff who inspire greatness in the student-athletes who will represent Team USA in Paris this summer," said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. "With more than 440 current and former college athletes on the U.S. Olympic Team, we know they are competing not only for themselves and our country but also proudly for their schools and school communities."
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games kick off Friday, July 26, and run through Sunday, Aug. 11. During this time, the city of Paris will welcome more than 10,000 Olympians from around the world to compete in 32 different sports. In total, there will be 329 medal events, with Olympic competition spanning 40 different venues. Tune in to NBC and Peacock to watch the Opening Ceremony at noon ET on July 26, with Primetime coverage starting that evening at 7:30pm local time.
All collegiate data of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team was collected by the USOPC collegiate partnerships department. Team USA's collegiate footprint is defined by athletes who have or will represent their college in competition. This includes athletes who have finished their collegiate careers, those currently competing, and incomers who have signed National Letters of Intent. While the vast majority of athletes will have competed in NCAA intercollegiate athletics, athletes who competed in non-NCAA varsity programs, junior college programs, and club sports are also included in the USOPC's collegiate data collection. More information about the collegiate composition of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team can be found online at USOPC.org/2024college.
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, CSCAA Scholar All-American, and a 2022 Honda Sports Award Finalist.
Berkoff holds or is a part of the program record for fastest time in Wolfpack history in seven events: 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 2017 and 2018, Held was named the ACC's Most Valuable Swimmer and the 2017 ACC Swimmer of the Year. He was on the All-ACC Academic Team all four years with the Wolfpack and was an ACC champion 23 times.
A 25-time All-American, Held won four national championships with the Wolfpack, including the 400 freestyle relay in 2016 and 2018 and the 800 freestyle relay in 2017 and 2018.
Twenty-one teams have at least 80% collegiate participation on their U.S. Olympic rosters, including 15 teams that are comprised 100% of collegiate athletes: women's basketball, men's and women's 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, men's and women's indoor volleyball, diving, fencing, women's field hockey, women's rugby, modern pentathlon, men's and women's water polo, rowing, and triathlon. College athlete representation on the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team spans all three NCAA Divisions (I, II, and III), as well as junior colleges, NAIA schools, and collegiate club programs.
"We are incredibly grateful for the collegiate athletics administrators, coaches, and support staff who inspire greatness in the student-athletes who will represent Team USA in Paris this summer," said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. "With more than 440 current and former college athletes on the U.S. Olympic Team, we know they are competing not only for themselves and our country but also proudly for their schools and school communities."
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games kick off Friday, July 26, and run through Sunday, Aug. 11. During this time, the city of Paris will welcome more than 10,000 Olympians from around the world to compete in 32 different sports. In total, there will be 329 medal events, with Olympic competition spanning 40 different venues. Tune in to NBC and Peacock to watch the Opening Ceremony at noon ET on July 26, with Primetime coverage starting that evening at 7:30pm local time.
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All collegiate data of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team was collected by the USOPC collegiate partnerships department. Team USA's collegiate footprint is defined by athletes who have or will represent their college in competition. This includes athletes who have finished their collegiate careers, those currently competing, and incomers who have signed National Letters of Intent. While the vast majority of athletes will have competed in NCAA intercollegiate athletics, athletes who competed in non-NCAA varsity programs, junior college programs, and club sports are also included in the USOPC's collegiate data collection. More information about the collegiate composition of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team can be found online at USOPC.org/2024college.
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