Gap Year the Perfect Route for N.C. State’s Cameron Karkoska
When Cameron Karkoska began the college recruiting process during his junior year in high school, he realized that his journey would look a little bit different than what was considered the expected norm. After correspondence with a variety of universities, Karkoska came to the decision that he would take a gap year in order to further his chances of attending one of his dream schools.
He went to train with Austin Swim Club during winter break of his junior year in high school and after a positive experience with the club, made the decision to leave his home in California after graduating, to spend his gap year training in Austin with Brendan Hansen’s ASC.
“Brendan was someone who kind of believed in me throughout the whole process and reflected that on my winter break. He was very outspoken to me about his belief in me to be able to be faster,” Karkoska said.
His decision to take a gap year was met with varying levels of support, with some expressing concern over his decision or trying to figure out why he had decided not to commit to a specific program.
“The expectation is that you’re going to go to college after high school. And people were a little bit, like, ‘wow you’re taking a gap year, like there must be something wrong because he’s not going to college immediately, like he must have not been able to get into school, well you must not have been fast enough to swim for a team,’ like a bunch of different things,” he said.
Those closest to him knew that the decision was in his best interest, and it was actually his family and support system that encouraged him to consider taking the year to train under Hansen. With his family’s support, Karkoska moved to Austin where he soon became accustomed to living on his own, fully self-sufficient. He took classes through a community college to progress his degree and dedicated himself to his training with Hansen, who kept him accountable to the goals that he had set for himself.
“Being self-autonomous and learning to be responsible was something that I think gave me a huge leg up going into college,” Karkoska said.
By the time he shifted to university life, he felt well prepared for the challenges that being a student-athlete presents. Toward the end of his year with ASC, Karkoska again began the college recruiting process and set up trips to three universities, the first being Louisiana State. Karkoska was looking for a team on which he could create a positive impact, and he quickly realized LSU was a good fit. Confident in his decision, he canceled his next two recruiting trips and was ready to become an integral member of their team.
“On the last day of my recruit trip I called my parents and I was like, ‘Yeah I think I’m gonna go to school here, like there isn’t any question in my mind this is where I belong. This is where I need to be,’ ” he said.
His experience at LSU was special and fulfilled his dreams of a college experience. The student-athlete environment was a highlight of his time there, culminating in the football team’s national championship victory at the end of last year.
“At LSU, the coaching staff in terms of the swimming experience, it was great. They were really committed to my success, and they were understanding of me as an individual,” Karkoska said. “They wanted to do everything they could to help me succeed, and I think my performances reflected that which was great.”
Karkoska’s improvements have been impressive in his 100 and 200-yard breaststroke, dropping from a :57/2:05 combo out of high school to a :53/1:55 tandem by the end of his time at Louisiana State. After concluding his undergraduate career in his three years at LSU, Karkoska made the decision to transfer to N.C. State to pursue his graduate degree, as well as further his athletic success in swimming, with the remaining eligibility the gap year had provided.
“Coming out of high school, N.C. State was one of my dream schools. I really identified with the team culture they were working to build. But, at the time, I just wasn’t (fast enough) to be able to come here,” said Karkoska.
The coaching staff at N.C. State was a large part of Karkoska’s decision to transfer. The strong communications program under which he could earn his master’s degree was also a huge draw for him.
“He [head coach Braden Holloway] immediately off the jump had a game plan for me and, even before I had committed, was committed to my success whether that be at N.C. State or somewhere else, and that kind of passion for the program – because he actually swam here – was a big thing,” he said.
Karkoska’s combination of academic and athletic success while at LSU helped propel his dream to join the team at N.C. State to become a reality. Moving into this season he will be one of their top breaststrokers on the men’s roster, an impressive feat considering his reality coming out of high school. In the new world of COVID-19 with extended athletic eligibility through the NCAA, transfers to complete graduate degrees, as well as gap years, will be increasingly more common, as student-athletes work to fulfill their academic and athletic potential.
“I think it’d be a good option for a lot of swimmers to take the year, especially with the job market being a little bit tough right now, and I think it can help a lot of people, so I’m excited that the NCAA gave that year back to everyone,” said Karkoska.
Karkoska’s journey may not be the norm, but it demonstrates that through hard work and commitment he was able to stay on course.
“If you had told me in high school that I would get to travel nearly the whole country and swim for top programs, experience a football national championship, and drop loads of time I would have been pretty excited,” he said.
Through his unique journey, Karkoska has made once out-of-reach goals become a reality – and if you ask Karkoska, he is living his dream.