Kacper Stokowski, Giovanni Izzo Both On Track To Swim For NC State Next Fall

Olympic gap year swimmers Kacper Stokowski and Giovanni Izzo are both on track to compete for the NC State Wolfpack next fall, the program says.

Stokowski is a transfer from the University of Florida. An All-American as a freshman in 2018-2019, Stokowski announced his intent to transfer out of Florida while taking a gap year from the NCAA to train at home in Poland, where he was an Olympic hopeful. Stokowski eventually landed with NC State, and was on track to join the Wolfpack for the 2020-2021 school year when the 2020 Olympics were postponed a year.

NC State says Stokowski is still on track to enroll at NC State in the fall of 2020, though of course the academic and athletic schedule at the college level is still in flux with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Stokowski is a massive pickup for the Wolfpack, who just graduated NCAA champion backstroker Coleman Stewart.

Stokowski’s Top Times

• 100y back: 44.90
• 200y back: 1:41.31
• 100y fly: 45.72
• 50y free: 20.14
• 100y free: 44.30

Meanwhile Izzo will return from an Olympic gap year. The Italian sprinter was an NCAA qualifier as a freshman and an NCAA relay scorer as a sophomore for NC State. In 2019, he split 18.6 on the Wolfpack 200 free relay. Izzo took a gap year before what would have been his junior season, focusing on qualifying for Italy’s Olympic team. NC State says he should also be enrolled at the school in the fall of 2020.

Izzo’s Top Times

• 50y free: 19.37
• 100y free: 42.69
• 100y fly: 45.92

NC State also brings in an outstanding freshman class, and should have a huge influx of talent for the 2020-2021 NCAA season, provided the swim season is able to take place amidst the ongoing coronavirus restrictions.