NC State Goes to the Olympics: Part I

This post was authored by Emma Eubank, Special Collections Graduate Assistant. 

Every two years, athletes from around the world compete at the Olympics, representing their nations in a display of global skills, passion, and dedication. Since the 1960s, NC State athletes and coaches have participated in this global event. In anticipation of the upcoming summer Olympics, NC State’s Special Collections Research Center explores the university’s role in the Olympics, highlighting events of particular importance for the Pack.

To continue learning about NC State’s participation in the Olympics, see the next blog post in this series, NC State Goes to the Olympics: Part II (coming out soon). 

The First Known Wolfpack Olympian

Swimmer Steve Rerych (‘69) won two gold medals at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics for his performance in the 4×100-meter and 4×200-meter relays. Rerych became a nine-time ACC Champion and in 1993 was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. After graduating from NC State, Rerych left the professional athletic world and became a general surgeon. 

For NC State, swimming remains the school’s strongest Olympic sport, and 22 alumni have become Olympic champions in swimming. To date, swimmer Cullen Jones (‘18), the first African American to hold part of a world record in swimming, maintains the title as the most decorated Wolfpack Olympian with two gold and two silver medals. 

It’s Not About the Destination, But the Timing

Joan Benoit Samuelson transferred from Bowdoin College to NC State on an athletic scholarship to participate in the university’s cross-country program. With Benoit as a team member, the NC State cross-country team became ACC Cross Country Champions in 1977 and 1978. Benoit would go on to earn an Olympic gold medal in 1984 in the women’s marathon event. 

After graduating from NC State, Benoit continued her passion for running. She won the Boston Marathon twice, in 1979 and 1983, altering the record for shortest run time in both races. Benoit also became an author and published two books about running as a woman. She was admitted to the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in 1998 and the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2004.

The Steadfast Mentor

Kay Yow is revered for her role in strengthening the reputation of women’s basketball nationally. After graduating with a degree in English from East Carolina University, Yow coached high school and collge basketball before taking a position at NC State. As the school’s first full-time women’s basketball coach, Yow exceeded expectations. Working with the Wolfpack women’s basketball team for over thirty years, Yow coached them to 20 NCAA tournaments and four Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championships.

Yow’s work at NC State

Yow was invited to work with the US Olympic national team several times in her career. Most notably, she coached the women’s basketball team to gold medal wins in three events: the 1979 Mexico City World University Games, the 1986 Moscow World Championships, and the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Yow would continue to advocate nationally for the growth of women’s basketball, bolstering the sport’s participation in the NCAA. 

Gooooal!-Oriented

Before competing in the Olympics, soccer player Dario Brose played for NC State from 1988 to 1991, during which time he helped take the men’s soccer team to the Final Four in the NCAA Championship Tournment. By the end of his college career, Brose earned All-American honors twice, and he was named an All-ACC soccer player three times.

In 1992, Dario Brose competed as a member of the U.S. national team in the Barcelona Olympics. After the Olympics, he would play with the national team three more times before playing for several state teams, including the Carolina Red-Hawks. Since 2001, Brose has coached teams in North Carolina, including the “NC Elite” during their participation in the 2019 SuperCupNI Globe Division Championship. When the ACC selected a 50-player roster for their 50th-anniversary celebration, Brose was selected among fellow Wolfpack players Henry Gutierrez, Roy Lassiter, Pablo Mastroeni, Chris Ogu, Sam Okpodu, Tab Ramos, Scott Schweitzer, and Chris Szanto. 

For more information about NC State in the Olympics, see our timelines on the Athletics department and individual sports teams. 

If you have any questions or are interested in viewing Special Collections materials, please contact us at library_specialcollections@ncsu.edu or submit a request online. The Special Collections Research Center is open by appointment only. Appointments are available Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm and Saturday, 1pm–5pm. Requests for a Saturday appointment must be received no later than Tuesday of the same week.