Four Gold Medals and Five Records Earned at Pan Pacific Championships

IRVINE, CA. - After a week of competition, one former and four current NC State Wolfpack athletes representing Team USA and South Africa wrapped up competition at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, with a collection of standout performances, including four gold medals, one American record and four Pan Pacific Championship records.

The week was highlighted by a performance to remember from NC State alum and professional swimmer Katharine Berkoff , who claimed three gold medals while setting an American record and multiple Pan Pacific Championship records. Current Wolfpack swimmer Quintin McCarty also delivered a breakthrough performance, earning his first Pan Pacific Championships victory in the 50 backstroke while setting a championship record.

Berkoff opened the meet with a strong performance in the 100m backstroke. She finished first in her preliminary heat and briefly claimed the Pan Pacific Championships record before Regan Smith broke the mark in the following heat. Berkoff advanced to the A-final, while current Wolfpack swimmer Leah Shackley qualified for the B-final. In the 100m backstroke finals, Berkoff delivered when it mattered most, winning gold in 57.93 to become a Pan Pacific Champion. Shackley finished second in the B-final and 10th overall with a time of 59.59, while Daniel Diehl won his B-final heat in 53.67 taking 9th place.

The backstroke success continued in the 50m event. Berkoff captured gold while setting both a new American record and a Pan Pacific Championships record, adding another milestone to an already impressive week. Shackley also competed in the B-final, finishing second in 27.57 for another 10th place finish.

McCarty added another championship performance in the 50m backstroke, winning gold in 24.51 and setting a new Pan Pacific Championships record. The victory marked his first Pan Pacific Championships title and provided another highlight for the Wolfpack contingent.

Diehl also advanced to the championship final of the 200m backstroke, adding another championship-final appearance to his week of competition. Diehl finished 6th in his event at 1:58.21.

In the breaststroke events, Morgan Cope competed in the B-final of the 100m breaststroke, finishing sixth with a time of 1:10.15. Representing Team South Africa, Cope later competed in her first championship final as part of the country's 400m freestyle relay.

The meet concluded with another record-setting performance from Berkoff. As the leadoff swimmer for Team USA in the 400m medley relay, Berkoff split 58.35 to help the Americans secure gold. The performance earned her a third Pan Pacific Championships record of the meet and capped a remarkable week of competition.

With four gold medals, an American record and four Pan Pacific Championships records between the Wolfpack athletes and alumni, NC State was well represented throughout the week in Irvine. From Berkoff's record-setting performances to McCarty's first Pan Pacific title, the Wolfpack contingent closed out the championships with a series of statement performances on the international stage.

North Carolina State University Athletics

Four Gold Medals and Five Records Earned at Pan Pacific Championships

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Players Mentioned

Katharine Berkoff

Morgan Cope

Daniel Diehl

Quintin McCarty

Leah Shackley

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