MISSOULA — On the top floor of Missoula’s Press Box Sports Bar, pictures of Montanans who reached the NFL decorate the walls.
On Sunday, the room was decorated further with Olympic-themed balloons, trays set up for a taco bar and bounds of beaming family members, donning matching Team Berkoff shirts.
It was the day Katharine Berkoff , a Hellgate grad and Olympic medalist, returned to Missoula for her hometown celebration. Though there were NFL athletes on the walls, Berkoff was the most acclaimed athlete in the room.
“I was so focused on the end goal that it never felt like a huge moment until a little after it happened,” Berkoff told the Missoulian and 406 MT Sports. “My family was there (the night I won) telling me how cool it was and that really helped it set in.”
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Berkoff secured her first medal in the 100-meter backstroke, timing in at 57.98 seconds. Australia’s Kaylee McKeown earned gold with a 57.33, and fellow American Regan Smith secured a silver medal with a 57.66 time. Berkoff said she was grateful to earn a bronze medal for her country.
“It was a tight race. I was going for the win but I can’t be too disappointed with a bronze medal,” Berkoff said. “It was an amazing experience being in a crowd like that. Realizing I won a medal for team USA, it was pretty special.”
Berkoff then earned a gold medal when team USA took home first place in the 4×100 medley relay. Although she wasn’t a member of the winning four, as she only raced in the preliminary round, she still took home the rarest medal in sports.
“Being at the Olympics is super emotional, so I’ve been going through it a bit,” Katharine said. “I’m really happy to be back and super happy to see everyone.”
In the biggest stage of her life, calming her nerves was at the top of her to-do list. Berkoff said the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis, which set a record for attendance this year, helped her prepare for the high-adrenaline atmosphere.
“It’s really not different than any meets I’ve done before, it’s just much more televised and people are watching, which makes the difference,” Berkoff said.
Berkoff was able to see her father and fellow Olympic gold medalist David Berkoff in the immediate moments after her win, and celebrated with the rest of her family later in the evening in Paris.
Receiving the medal, Katharine said, was as poignant as one would expect.
“I had a moment where I almost started crying, but I held it together pretty well,” she said. “I’ve always felt like that was where I would be one day. I’ve been preparing for that moment for a really long time.”
Growing up in Missoula before heading to Raleigh, North Carolina to attend North Carolina State University for swimming, Berkoff believes not most other athletes get the hometown support she’s gotten from Missoula.
“I couldn’t keep up with the messages,” Berkoff said. “I’m still working on responding to those. I try not to think about it before I race because I’ll get emotional, but it was really amazing to realize how much support I had back home.”
After an accolade-ridden career as a Hellgate Knight and local club swimmer, Berkoff secured five NCAA championships, six Atlantic Coast Conference championships and 30 All-American nods in her time as a member of the Wolf Pack at NC State.
Berkoff was one of four Montanans to represent the United States at the Olympics, joining Ivan Roe of Manhattan (shooting), Brady Ellison of Billings (archery) and Cameron Wood of Bozeman (cycling BMX racing).
“I love Montana, and especially Missoula, so to be able to represent an area I really care about is really special,” Berkoff said.
As the Olympic cycle resets, Berkoff doesn’t have any plans of slowing down. She said she will continue training in Raleigh for at least four more years, gearing up for a couple of world championships before a potential return to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Beyond that? It’s tough to say.
“We’ll see how much I like it (swimming) in four years” Berkoff said.
As her family flowed into the reserved room for her celebration Sunday, Berkoff was incredibly gracious with allowing folks to hold her medals. It’s a glimpse of her down-to-earth nature that comes from both her family and growing up in Missoula.
The one stipulation, though: touch the medal before digging into the taco bar.
“I don’t want taco fingers all over them.”
Carson Cashion is a sports writer for 406 Mt sports, primarily covering the Bitterroot Valley. Follow him on X @CarsonCashion or contact him at carson. cashion@406mtsports.com.
