(Editor’s note: N.C. State Athletics release.)
Katharine Berkoff, one of NC State’s most decorated swimmers in program history, can now add Olympian to her long list of honors and accolades.
Berkoff, a Missoula Hellgate alum, 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.
She joins a long list of Wolfpack Olympians, becoming the 43rd NC State athlete to make the Olympic Games and the 24th in swimming.
Continuing a legacy, Berkoff will be the second Olympian in the family. She will follow in the footsteps of her father, Dave Berkoff, who competed in four events in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics, winning medals in all four events, including two gold medals in the medley relay.
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.
Berkoff helped lead her NC State to a top 10 finish in her final NCAA championships meet, earning All-American status in five events. 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.
Swimming at the 2024 Olympic Games will be held at the Paris La Defense Arena, located in the city of Nanterre. Indoor swimming kicks off July 27 and runs through August 4; 35 medal events will be competed in total.
The Olympic swimming competition concludes with the men’s and women’s open water (10km marathon swimming) races on Aug. 8-9. The entire Team USA roster for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will be confirmed in July.
At the 2020 Olympic Games, 91% of U.S. swimmers (48 of 53 athletes) competed collegiately; another strong collegiate footprint is expected on the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team. During the 2020 Olympic Games, Team USA swimmers earned 30 medals — more than any other country at the Games. American swimmers earned 11 golds, 10 silvers, and nine bronze medals.
