Let’s create a cheering section for our Olympic and Paralympic athletes and coaches with UNC System ties, as well as other competitors you have a specific interest in! The System has 11 former student-athletes on Team USA – athletes in track and field, diving, field hockey, rugby, soccer, and swimming, as well as a paratriathlon coach – representing Appalachian State, NC State, and UNC-Chapel Hill. And this doesn’t include System student-athletes who may be representing a different country.
Who are you following during the Paris Games, and why? Maybe you know the family, or it’s a person from your hometown? Or maybe it’s just someone you truly admire? Email SystemHR@northcarolina.edu and we’ll share your rooting interest next week!
The following information is collected from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which tracks college affiliations of Team USA athletes and coaches.
From NC State:
- Katherine Berkoff, swimming
- Ryan Held, swimming
- McKenzie Long, track and field
From UNC-Chapel Hill:
- Greg Duncan, diving
- Crystal Dunn, soccer
- Emily Fox, soccer
- Ashley Hoffman, field hockey
- Ashley Sessa, field hockey
- Meredith Sholder, field hockey
- Naya Tapper, rugby
Coaches with a System affiliation include:
From Appalachian State:
- Derick Williamson, paratriathlon coach, formerly track and field athlete