Special to IFN

RALEIGH — Gov. Josh Stein inducted six people into The Order of the Long Leaf Pine on Friday in recognition of their contributions to the State of North Carolina.

“These exceptional athletes and coaches have strengthened our state through their outstanding achievements and their leadership on and off the field and court,” Stein said. “I am proud to honor their contributions to our state in the field of athletics.”

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine honorees are:

Torry Holt – Vice President of Holt Brothers Construction; former NC State and St Louis Rams wide receiver; Super Bowl champion and seven-time Pro Bowl selection;

Heather O’Reilly – World Cup champion and three-time Olympic women’s soccer gold medalist; two-time national champion for UNC Women’s Soccer;

Jenny Levy – UNC women’s lacrosse coach and four-time national champion; former head coach of the gold medal-winning US National Team;

Elliott Avent – NC State baseball coach; winningest coach in program history;

LeVelle Moton – NC Central men’s basketball coach; winningest coach in program history; and

Jordan Staal – NHL Carolina Hurricanes team captain, including through six consecutive playoff trips

Leave a Reply