The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1364233
MAY/JUNE 2021 ■ 23 swimming and diving program on June 29, 2011. An alum and former All-American for NC State, Holloway is well versed in the history of the sport in Raleigh. He also knew that it was mostly on the men's side. "I have done a pretty solid job, but I am nowhere near close to what the coaches did in the '70s," Holloway said on the Wolfpack Club's 'State of the Pack' in April. "Don Easterling, Willis Casey, guys in our Hall of Fame, I am nowhere near what they have accomplished here, but the history on the women wasn't there. I didn't come here just to lead the men's team. I came here to lead both the men's and women's teams." Last year, Holloway thought that the breakout was coming for the women. He told his wife, Mary, another former NC State swimmer, that they were going to be better than the men in 2020 at the NCAA meet. Then the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sports world before that championship was held. "They didn't get to show it," Holloway said. "This year, they got to show it." Led by Hansson and sophomore Katharine Berkoff, NC State came in with the goal of getting a podium finish, a top-four showing in the standings that earns a coveted team trophy. The best the women's program had ever previously done at the NCAA Champi- onships was seventh place in 2017 and 2019. (It did have a sixth-place finish in 1980 and 1981 in what was called the AIAW.) With one race left, the 400-yard freestyle relay, NC State was guaranteed at least third place, but there was a chance for even more. Runner-up, a position occupied at that point by Texas behind Virginia, who had already clinched the title, was in the Pack's sights. "We knew if we beat Texas by two teams that we would get second," Berkoff said. "At least for me, that made me really nervous and really excited. I would be so upset if we were that close to getting second and missed it." With Berkoff swimming leadoff followed by junior Kylee Alons, Hansson and senior Julia Poole, NC State sent a message by swimming the race in 3:11.25 to win its heat. Due to COVID-19, relays were swam differ- ently this year. Twenty teams, going in groups of four, swam in time trials and then the final results were tabulated based on those times. In this race, Texas was up during the heat after NC State. With the pressure set by NC State, the Longhorns swam considerably slower at 3:13.82. The Pack would be fourth fastest when everyone was done. Texas was ninth. NC State would conclude the meet in second place, but perhaps more exciting, it had Hansson and Berkoff bringing home the first-ever individual women's national titles, and two relays also winning gold. Make room on that championship plaque for the women. Taking Two Relay National Titles The first breakthrough came on day two in the 400-yard medley relay. NC State had a strong team. Berkoff was one of the fastest backstrokers in the country, a fact about to be proven a day later. Hansson was a premier breaststroke performer, another truth soon to be realized. Alons was a great butterfly swim- mer. She would finish third in the race at the NCAA meet to earn All-America honors. The veteran Poole is a former ACC cham- pion in the 200 IM and entered the meet a five-time All-American. She would swim anchor and the freestyle leg. The top chal- lenge would come from Virginia, the top seed in the event. By the time Alons had finished the butterfly, NC State was more than a second ahead of Virginia, more than enough for Poole to hold off Virginia star freestyle swimmer Kate Douglass. NC State set the NCAA record with a time of 3:24.59. Five Wolfpack women — from left to right: junior Kylee Alons, senior Sirena Rowe, junior Sophie Hansson, sophomore Katharine Berkoff and senior Julia Poole — combined to win five national titles at the NCAA Championships. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS