The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542201
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026 ■ 41 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? BY TIM PEELER rowing up in New Jersey in the late 1990s as the son of a college basket- ball player, Cullen Jones idolized Michael Jordan. He thought the best way to pursue his chosen ath- letic career in swimming would be to go to the University of North Carolina to become the "Michael Jordan of swim- ming." As a high school swimming recruit, he was offered the chance to visit Cha- pel Hill and NC State, both of which had long traditions of swimming suc- cess. When he went to Carolina, he didn't feel entirely comfortable. "There was just a vibe that wasn't for me at that time," Jones said. NC State, however, felt like home. He joined the Wolfpack, and that decision ended up serving as the springboard to a collegiate and professional swimming career that included a 2006 NCAA championship in the 50-yard freestyle race and Olympic gold and silver med- als in London and Beijing. A freestyle sprinter, Jones turned p ro fe ss i o n a l a f te r h i s se n i o r sea - son at State and eventually settled in Charlotte to train and begin his fam- ily, which includes wife Rupi and son Avyn. He became the most accom- plished Black swimmer in the history of the sport, while swimming with some of its biggest names. Jones made the U.S. Olympic teams in 2008 and 2012, winning gold as a member of the 4x100-meter freestyle relay team in Beijing and both individ- ual and relay silver in London. In 2018, MAKING A SPLASH Ambitious Swimmer Found The Perfect Fit In Raleigh G Jones shined at the collegiate and international levels. He won an NCAA title in the 50-yard freestyle race in 2006 and went on to become an Olympic gold medalist as a member of the U.S. 4x100-meter freestyle relay team at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS CULLEN JONES W H E R E A R E T H E Y N O W ?