Two Tar Heels joined a prestigious group of North Carolinians on Friday, as the governor welcomed a group of inductees to the state’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
Gov. Josh Stein hosted a celebration on Friday for six “exceptional” athletes and coaches to join the ranks of North Carolina’s highest honorary society — which included UNC women’s lacrosse head coach Jenny Levy and former UNC and U.S. women’s soccer star Heather O’Reilly. The award is given to those who make “significant contributions to the state and their communities through their exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments.”
Levy, who is entering her 31st year leading the Tar Heel program, is a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and a four-time national champion, with her team having earned the 2025 national title. Having built the UNC program from scratch as its only head coach, she sits second in all-time wins for the sport and served as the head coach for the U.S. National Team during a five-year stretch that delivered gold and silver medal finishes at the 2017 and 2022 World Games.
O’Reilly, meanwhile, was a two-time national champion while suiting up for the Anson Dorrance’s UNC program — winning the title her freshman (2003) and senior (2006) seasons en route to winning the 2006 Honda Sports Award for women’s soccer. She continued her excellence with the U.S. women’s national team, winning a U-19 World Cup before being a contributor on the 2015 World Cup-winning senior team. O’Reilly also continued to play in North Carolina as a member of the NWSL’s North Carolina Courage, winning a title with the club team before retiring briefly in 2019.
“These exceptional athletes and coaches have strengthened our state through their outstanding achievements and their leadership on and off the field and court,” Governor Stein said in a release about all six of the honorees. “I am proud to honor their contributions to our state in the field of athletics.”
Alongside a being able to lead the North Carolina Toast at events, members of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine receive a certificate signed by the North Carolina governor — which confers the recipient “the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary” representing the state with their civic leadership.
Levy and O’Reilly are just the latest UNC community members to be recognized by Stein’s office so far in 2025. Field hockey head coach Erin Matson was inducted into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine alongside Carolina professor Jim Johnson in April, while former UNC men’s basketball star Phil Ford was granted the honor in June. Stein also announced former men’s basketball head coach and UNC icon Roy Williams will be given the North Carolina Award in November for his public service to the state.
Other inductees from Friday’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine ceremony included:
- Torry Holt, the former N.C. State and Super Bowl-winning wide receiver and current Vice President of Holt Brothers Construction
- Elliott Avent, the N.C. State baseball coach
- LeVelle Moton, the N.C. Central men’s basketball coach
- Jordan Staal, the Carolina Hurricanes’ team captain
Featured photo via the Office of Governor Josh Stein.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
Related Stories
‹
![]()
Danny Green Gives $1 Million to Endow UNC Men's Basketball ScholarshipFormer UNC national champion Danny Green–now with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers–is donating $1 million to the school to endow a scholarship within the men’s basketball program. “It’s a great way for me to honor something that I’m very passionate about,” Green said in an interview with Adam Lucas for GoHeels.com. “It was an easy decision for […]

Danny Green Claims Second Consecutive NBA Title, Third With Different TeamsMake it back-to-back NBA championships for former UNC standout Danny Green, as his Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat on Sunday night at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando to cap off one of the wildest seasons in the league’s history. LeBron James was named the NBA Finals MVP for the fourth time […]

Danny Green Breaks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Record for Most Points in Los Angeles Lakers DebutTuesday night marked the beginning of the NBA’s most highly anticipated regular season in a long time, with the Los Angeles Lakers taking on the Los Angeles Clippers in the second game of the evening. Behind 30 points from last year’s NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers managed to defeat a Lakers team led […]

Danny Green Agrees to Sign With Los Angeles LakersShockwaves were sent throughout the NBA in the wee hours of Saturday morning when it was announced that superstar Kawhi Leonard–who just led the Toronto Raptors to their first championship–decided to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers after they made a huge trade for All-Star Paul George as well. This move prompted Leonard’s longtime teammate–and […]
![]()
Wayne Ellington Traded to Phoenix Suns, Expected to be Released Into Free AgencyAction continued to heat up ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, another former Tar Heel is on the move. The Miami Heat agreed Wednesday to trade guard Wayne Ellington to the Phoenix Suns alongside teammate Tyler Johnson in exchange for forward Ryan Anderson. This comes one night after former Tar Heel Reggie Bullock was traded […]

Los Angeles Lakers Agree to Trade for Reggie BullockIt might not be Anthony Davis, but the Los Angeles Lakers made a move late Tuesday night to help add perimeter shooting by trading for Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Bullock. Bullock, who played at UNC for three years before being selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the NBA Draft back […]

Los Angeles Lakers Sign Joel Berry IINo it’s not Kawhi Leonard or Paul George, but the Los Angeles Lakers have signed themselves a free agent hoping to play alongside new acquisition LeBron James. The team announced Wednesday night that it has agreed to terms on a contract with recently graduated UNC star point guard Joel Berry II, who was not selected […]

Joel Berry, Theo Pinson Sign NBA Contracts as Undrafted Free AgentsA grand total of 60 names were called at Thursday night’s NBA Draft in New York City, but none of them happened to be UNC seniors Theo Pinson or Joel Berry–who ultimately went undrafted. Their dreams of playing professional basketball in the league, however, remained alive as each player agreed to a free agent contract […]

Charlotte Hornets Reportedly Offer GM Job to Mitch KupchakThe Charlotte Hornets have reportedly offered Mitch Kupchak a job as their general manager, but are a still waiting on a final decision. Hornets’ owner Michael Jordan fired the team’s former general manager, Rich Cho, back in February–and is looking for someone to help get the team back into playoff contention. Kupchak–who, like Jordan, starred […]

UNC Women's Lacrosse Coach, Former Soccer Star Welcomed Into Order of the Long Leaf PineThe governor inducted six people to the state's Order of the Long Leaf Pine on Friday, including two accomplished UNC sports figures.
›