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High school junior Katherine Helms from Fairfax Station, Virginia has announced her verbal commitment to North Carolina State University for 2022-23.
“With great excitement, I announce that I have found my Pack and have verbally committed to NC State University! I am honored to join this esteemed swim program and pursue my academic goals in science and engineering. To my family, coaches, mentors, and friends: thank you for your support in this journey. Go Pack!”
A junior at South County High School, Helms swims year-round with Mason Makos Swim Team. She is a polyvalent talent, excelling in free (from sprint to distance), backstroke, and IM. She was runner-up in the 100 free (50.46) and 3rd in the 200 free (1:48.84) at the 2020 Virginia VHLS Class 6A Swimming and Diving State Championships. She also anchored the 14th-place 200 medley relay (23.64). Helms swam lifetime bests in the 50 free (23.05) and 500 free (4:55.69) at 6A Regionals.
Helms had a strong showing in March at the 2020 Potomac Valley Short Course Senior Championships, where she placed 3rd in the 1000 free, 4th in the 400 IM, 5th in the 50 free and 200 back, and 8th in the 100 back. She notched PBs in the 1000 free, both backstrokes, and 400 IM. In the summer of 2019, she won the 100m free (58.06), was runner-up in the 200m free (2:06.23), 3rd in the 50m free (27.24), 5th in the 400 free (4:31.95), and 14th in the 200m back (2:25.87) while earning new times in the 50/100/200 free.
Top SCY times:
- 50 free – 23.05
- 100 free – 50.46
- 200 free – 1:48.84
- 500 free – 4:55.69
- 1000 free – 10:08.20
- 1650 free – 17:22.44
- 100 back – 56.62
- 200 back – 2:02.61
- 200 IM – 2:05.16
- 400 IM – 4:20.01
Helms will suit up for the Wolfpack with class of 2026 verbal commits Emma Hastings, Grace Monahan, and Kennedy Noble. She is just off scoring range at the conference level. It took 22.75/50.06/1:47.73 to get second swims in the 50/100/200 free at 2020 ACC Women’s Championships.
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FFT is a SwimSwam partner.
She is one of the hardest working swimmers I have ever coached.
I had to look up “polyvalent” – good word!