#PackInRio Five from nc state to compete in 2016 olympic games
NC State will be well represented next month at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, as four members of its men's swimming and diving team and one of its rifle team will compete in their respective sport competitions.
With a combined five wolves to make the trip to Rio, this marks the most that NC State has sent to an Olympic Games.
Lucas Kozeniesky became the first in Wolfpack rifle history to qualify for the Olympics by finishing first in the trials last month. In the 2015-16 season he qualified for the NCAA Championships in air rifle and was named an All-American by the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) and the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Swimmers Anton Ipsen, Simonas Bilis, Soren Dahl and Ryan Held (left to right), will represent the Wolfpack and their respective countries in Rio. This marks the highest number from the program to qualify for an Olympic Games.
Bilis was the first from NC State to qualify for Rio in 2016. He will represent Lithuania in the 50 and 100m freestyle. A recent graduate of the program, he finished his career as a 19-time All-American, 16-time ACC Champion and NCAA Champion in the 400 free relay.
Dahl is a member of Denmark's 4x200 freestyle relay. He swam the final leg of NC State's 400 free relay national title team and was a part of its 800 free relay that placed second at this year's NCAAs. He additionally helped both relay squads clinch titles at the 2016 ACC Championship.
Held qualified for Team USA last month at the Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb., where he finished third in the 100 free standings. He is also a member of the Pack's 400 free relay that captured a national title at this year's NCAAs and won six individual/relay events at the 2016 ACC Championship.
Ipsen is set to swim the 400 and 1500m freestyle events for Denmark. A distance free standout at NC State, he holds two conference titles a piece in the 500 and 1,650 free and finished in the top-eight of both events at the 2016 NCAA Championship.