Athletes with North Carolina ties to follow at the 2024 Paris Olympics

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The 2024 Summer Olympics will soon be upon us.

As the best athletes in the world travel to Paris to take on the mantle of representing their countries on the global stage, several of the world-class competitors have ties to North Carolina.

Along with nearly a half of dozen Olympians who are natives of the state, many spent their college years at North Carolina universities, including 16 athletes that will fly to France as part of Team USA.

The pursuit for Olympic fame and glory begins with the opening ceremony, which is scheduled for Friday, July 26. The Games will come to a close on Sunday, Aug. 11.

Here’s a list of Paris 2024 Olympic athletes with connections to North Carolina.

Note: Did we miss an athlete? Let us know so we can update the list.

Katharine Berkoff (NC State) – Swimming (USA)

Berkoff, who competed for the North Carolina State Wolfpack from 2019-2024 and became a five-time NCAA champion, secured her spot with Team USA after cruising to a second-place finish in the 100-meter backstroke. This comes three years after falling short of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.

During her time in Raleigh, she swam her way into ACC history by becoming the first woman to win five straight titles in the same event after coming out on top in the 100-yard backstroke event at the 2024 ACC Tournament.

She is also the daughter of former Olympic gold medalist David Berkoff.

Ryan Held (NC State) – Swimming (USA)

The former N.C. State swimmer punched his ticket to Paris in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, which is a spot that he lost out on three years ago due to roster limitations. Now, the 28-year-old aims to return to Olympic glory after winning a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Held enjoyed monumental success with the Wolfpack, taking home four national championships, including the 400 freestyle relay in 2016 and 2018, as well as the 800 freestyle relay in 2017 and 2018. He was crowned the ACC Most Valuable Swimmer twice in back-to-back seasons, while being awarded the 2017 ACC Swimmer of the Year.

Emily Fox (UNC) – Women’s Soccer (USA)

Fox, a standout for the North Carolina women’s soccer program from 2017-2020 and earning a first-team All-American selection in 2019, is set to play at her first Olympic Games this summer in Paris.

Widely regarded as a world-class defender, she started three games at the 2022 Concacaf W Championships, helping the U.S. women’s national team qualify for both the 2023 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games. Fox was also a member of the World Cup roster.

Crystal Dunn (UNC) – Women’s Soccer (USA)

Another notable UNC graduate who led the Tar Heels to a national title while winning National Player of the Year honors in 2012, Dunn has been a staple for the U.S. women’s national team since 2013. She’s netted 25 goals and dished out 19 assists during her 147 appearances in a Team USA uniform. Dunn also played every minute on the national team’s run to winning the FIFA World Cup in 2019.

This marks her third straight Olympic appearance.

Katie Bowen (UNC) – Women’s Soccer (New Zealand)

Bowen, who played in 66 games for the Tar Heels and was a valuable member of the 2012 NCAA championship team, will represent her native New Zealand in the upcoming Summer Olympics. She’s taken the field for New Zealand over 100 times, including the previous two Olympic Games in Rio and Tokyo, as well as the last four Women’s World Cups.

Kerolin Nicoli (NC Courage) – Women’s Soccer (Brazil)

The North Carolina Courage forward is among the 18 players selected for the Brazilian women’s national team roster that’s set to compete in Paris. Nicoli, the reigning NWSL Most Valuable Player, wrapped up the 2023 season as the Golden Boot runner-up with 10 goals and three assists during regular season play. She also scored the ultimate game-winner in the Challenge Cup Final in September to clinch the Courage’s second consecutive championship.

This marks the first Olympic appearance for Kerolin and her second major tournament after suiting up for Brazil in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Sydney Collins (NC Courage) – Women’s Soccer (Canada)

Also set to take part in her first Olympic experience, Collins earned six caps and four starts for Canada since her international debut in April 2023. She’s produced one assist so far in her career on the world stage. Collins and her Canadian teammates seek to defend their gold medal from the Tokyo Olympics.

The second-year defender made 10 appearances for the Courage in her rookie season, spreading out across four regular season games and six postseason matches in the Challenge Cup.

Cortnee Vine (NC Courage) – Women’s Soccer (Australia)

Vine, who recently signed a three-year deal with the Courage one month ago, fulfilled a lifetime objective of facing off against the best in the world as a member of the Australian Olympic team. The forward attracted fame after hitting the match-winning goal for her country in the quarterfinal victory over France in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Casey Murphy (NC Courage) – Women’s Soccer (USA)

N.C. Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy is slated to compete at her first Olympics after being named on the 18-player USWNT roster.

One of only two goalkeepers on the entire roster, the 28-year-old has 19 international senior caps under her belt. She also previously clinched a spot on the 2023 World Cup team.

Bartosz Piszczorowicz (NC State) – Swimming (Poland)

Polish swimmer Bartosz Piszczorowicz is making his Olympic debut after an administrative error sent him and five other competitors back home prior to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The N.C. State alum and three-time ACC champion will compete in the freestyle relay.

Kacper Stokowski (NC State) – Swimming (Poland)

A second Wolfpack alumni will also swim for Team Poland this summer, as Kacper Stokowski joins his college teammate Piszczorowicz on the Olympic stage. The two-time NCAA champion is set to compete in the medley relay.

Sophie Hansson (NC State) – Swimming (Sweden)

Another former standout from the N.C. State swimming program, Hansson is once again representing her home country, previously competing for Sweden during the 100-meter breaststroke event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. She’s scheduled to take part in the same event from eight years ago after breaking the meet record at the Swim Open Stockholm back in April.

Nyls Korstanje (NC State) – Swimming (Netherlands)

Korstanje, who took home an NCAA title in the 200-meter medley relay in 2023, will also make his Olympic debut in Paris. He has been named in the 100-meter butterfly event.

Andreas Vazaios (NC State) – Swimming (Greece)

Vazaios is the fifth N.C. State swimming alum to be a part of the competition at the Paris Olympics this year. The Greek swimmer previously competed in the 200-meter individual medley event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. During his time with the Wolfpack, he captured the NCAA title twice in the 200-yard butterfly medley, as well as was a member of the two-time NCAA championship-winning 800-meter freestyle relay team.

Bam Adebayo (Pinetown, NC native) – Men’s Basketball (USA)

Adebayo, a three-time NBA All-Star selection with the Miami Heat, is making his second consecutive Olympic appearance after assisting Team USA in taking home the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The Pinetown native played his first three years at Northside-Pinetown before transferring to High Point Christian Academy for his senior season.

He won several awards during his playing days on the high school level, including North Carolina Mr. Basketball in 2016. Adebayo was a one-and-done prospect out of Kentucky before the Heat selected him with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He’s averaged 15.4 points and 8.7 rebounds over the course of his seven-year pro career.

Stephen Curry (Charlotte native) – Men’s Basketball (USA)

The Charlotte native is widely viewed as one of the best shooters to ever play the game of basketball. On top of being a four-time world champion and a two-time MVP winner with the Golden State Warriors, Curry is the all-time leader in three-pointers in NBA history.

Prior to his exploits on the professional level, the Charlotte Christian product played three years at Davidson College, even leading the Wildcats to an Elite Eight appearance in 2008 as a sophomore before falling to eventual national champion Kansas. In his final collegiate season, Curry led the country in scoring with 28.6 points per game.

This is the first time that Curry has suited up for Team USA at the Olympic Games.

Jayson Tatum (Duke) – Men’s Basketball (USA)

A former Duke one-and-done is heading to the Paris Olympics following a recent NBA title run with the Boston Celtics. The five-time NBA All-Star is suiting up a second time for Team USA on the Olympic stage, previously winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics.

While playing for the Blue Devils in the 2016-17 season, Tatum averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists, securing third-team All-ACC honors in the process. He then declared for the NBA Draft, as he was taken with the No. 3 pick by the Celtics.

Tatum just signed a five-year contract extension with the reigning NBA champions worth up to $315 million.

Chelsea Gray (Duke) – Women’s Basketball (USA)

Gray, who starred for the Blue Devils from 2010-2014, is donning the red, white and blue once again after helping the U.S. women’s national team come away with gold at the Tokyo Olympics . She racked up 7.3 points, 3.2 assists and 1.7 rebounds per game for the Americans, even posting a tournament-best 14 points against Serbia in the semifinals. Gray also put together a six-point, four-assist performance in the gold medal game versus Japan.

Dearica Hamby (Wake Forest) – Women’s Basketball (USA)

Hamby, arguably the most decorated women’s basketball player in the history of Wake Forest athletics, was named to the USA Basketball 3×3 women’s national team. She replaces Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink, who suffered a torn ACL in mid-June.

Since joining the professional ranks, Hamby has gathered numerous accolades over her nine-year WNBA career, including multiple Sixth Woman of the Year awards, three All-Star team selections as well as winning the 2022 WNBA championship.

Cierra Burdick (Charlotte native) – Women’s Basketball (USA)

The Butler High School product out of Charlotte will be participating on the Olympic level for the very first time as a member of the USA Basketball 3×3 women’s national team in Paris. After a four-year college career at Tennessee, Burdick was picked in the second round of the 2015 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks, embarking on a six-year pro career that spanned eight different franchises.

Ashley Hoffman (UNC) – Field Hockey (USA)

Hoffman, one of the most decorated players in the history of the UNC field hockey program , enters the Paris Olympics as the captain of Team USA. She started all 96 games during her time in a UNC uniform, eventually succeeding in leading the Tar Heels to NCAA and ACC championships as a senior in 2018. That year was the third undefeated season in program history.

Olympic success runs in the family as her mother Brenda was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic field hockey team that won a bronze medal in Los Angeles.

Meredith Sholder (UNC) – Field Hockey (USA)

An additional UNC connection on the U.S. Olympic field hockey team , Sholder was a first-team All-American while helping the Tar Heels win their fourth NCAA title in five years during her final college season in 2022. She also made her first appearance for the senior national team in the same year.

Ashley Sessa (UNC) – Field Hockey (USA)

Sessa played only one year with the Tar Heels, starting all 21 games as a freshman during UNC’s undefeated season in 2022. She then entered the transfer portal and took the next school year off to train full-time in Charlotte with the U.S. women’s national team. She plans on transferring to Northwestern University in the fall once the Paris Olympics wrap up.

Leah Crouse (Duke) – Field Hockey (USA)

The 2022 Blue Devil graduate will also be one of the 16 players suiting up for the red, white and blue in Paris. A star midfielder during her time in Durham, she scored 18 goals and dished out 16 assists throughout her college career, garnering an All-ACC second-team pick in 2019.

Crouse becomes the second Duke field hockey athlete to ever take part in the Olympics.

Anna Cockrell (Charlotte native) – Track and Field (USA)

Cockrell, a graduate of Providence Day School in Charlotte, is heading back to the Olympics for a second time after finishing second in the 400-meter women’s hurdle event at the U.S. Olympic Trials earlier this month. She’s seeking redemption after being disqualified in the same event in the Tokyo Olympic finals for stepping on a lane line during the race.

The 26-year-old is the younger sister of former Carolina Panthers cornerback Ross Cockrell, as well as the daughter of Keith Cockrell, who’s the president of Bank of America Charlotte.

Veronica Fraley (Raleigh native) – Track and Field (USA)

Fraley is set to make her first appearance in the Olympics after qualifying by placing third in the discus at the U.S. Olympic Trials. This marks the fourth time she’s ever represented the Americans on the international stage, following the 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Championships and the 2023 Pan American Games.

The Wakefield High School graduate clinched the third-ever individual NCAA championship in Vanderbilt track and field history after claiming the discus title last June.

McKenzie Long (NC State) – Track and Field (USA)

Long secured a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash final at the Olympic Trials, firmly confirming her spot on the U.S. team. She completed her undergraduate degree from N.C. State before transferring to Ole Miss as a graduate student in 2023. With the Rebels this year, Long emerged victorious in three NCAA outdoor championships, including the 200-meter event.

She left the Wolfpack as the school record holder in the outdoor 200-meter race, 4×100-meter relay and 4×400-meter relay.

Brynn King (Duke) – Track and Field (USA)

King booked her trip to Paris following her third-place outing at the trials, officially making the three-person U.S. Olympic women’s pole vaulting team. The Texas native competed for the Blue Devils until transferring to Roberts Wesleyan in New York for her fifth year to train with former Olympic gold medalist Jenn Suhr.

Despite never qualifying for an NCAA title at Duke, she ended up winning both indoor and outdoor national Division II championships during her final season of eligibility.

Morgan Pearson (Duke) – Triathlon (USA)

Entering his second-ever Olympics this summer, the former Blue Devil previously anchored the silver-medal-winning U.S. Mixed Relay team at the Tokyo Games. Earlier this year, Pearson became the first American man to come away in first place at a World Triathlon Championship Series event since 2009.

Naya Tapper (UNC) – Rugby (USA)

Tapper, a co-captain for the U.S. women’s rugby team, got her start in the sport playing with UNC club rugby during her time in Chapel Hill. Years later, she evolved into the all-time leading try scorer in American history. This marks her second Olympic appearance following the Tokyo Games.

Prior to her historic exploits on the rugby field, Tapper was an All-American athlete in track at West Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte.

Greg Duncan (UNC) – Diving (USA)

Duncan is heading to his first Olympic Games after securing the top spot in the synchronized three-meter diving event at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June. He stood out for the Tar Heels in his one and only season in Chapel Hill, winning ACC Freshman of the Year honors before transferring to Purdue. Duncan excelled as a four-time All-American selection for the Boilermakers.

Aranza Vasquez Montaño (UNC) – Diving (Mexico)

Representing Team Mexico for the second time on the Olympic stage, Montaño is months removed from taking home the 2024 NCAA women’s one-meter diving championship, which marks her second straight national title in the event. She’s won three total national championship at UNC, becoming the first Tar Heel to repeat as a national champion since 1984.

Patrick Hussey (UNC) – Swimming (Canada)

Hussey is slated to make his Olympic debut in Paris, solidifying himself on Canada’s national team following a second-place finish in the 200-meter freestyle at the swimming trials. He’s the first UNC swimmer to compete at the Olympic Games since 2004.

Other international experience on his resume includes breaking a Canadian record in the 4×200 freestyle relay at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Japan. It was the fastest time for Canada since 2009.

Rinky Hijikata (UNC) – Men’s Singles Tennis (Australia)

Hijikata, the 2021 All-American selection who led the Tar Heels to the program’s second-ever ITA National Team Indoor Championship in the same year, is traveling to Paris as a member of the Australian Olympic team. Slated to appear in his first Olympic Games, the Australian Open doubles champion currently holds a top-75 world ranking. He will compete in singles during the Games.

Ethan Ramos (UNC) – Wrestling (Puerto Rico)

The former UNC wrestler finished on the podium at the 2024 Pan-Am Olympic Games last March, punching his ticket to represent Puerto Rico at the Summer Olympics in Paris. Ramos is the first Tar Heel wrestler in program history to qualify for the Olympic Games.

Currently an assistant coach at Duke, he wrestled at UNC from 2013-2018, winning the ACC championship two times while earning All-American honors in 2015.

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