University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Natalie Pearson Inducted into Big South Hall of Fame
06.01.2026 | General, Track and Field
HILTON HEAD, S.C. – Former UNC Asheville track and field standout Natalie Pearson was inducted into the Big South Hall of Fame last week during the conference's annual Spring Meeting Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner at the Westin Resort & Spa in Hilton Head, S.C.
Pearson was one of three inductees in the 2026 Hall of Fame class, which also included Chris Archer (High Point men's soccer and men's tennis), and Gary Gilmore (Coastal Carolina baseball coach). The induction brings the Big South Hall of Fame membership to 87 former student-athletes, coaches, administrators and contributors.
A member of UNC Asheville's women's track and field program from 2006-11, Pearson was one of the most decorated athletes in program and conference history. She earned Big South Women's Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year honors twice, receiving the award in both 2010 and 2011, and collected 11 All-Conference medals during her career across indoor and outdoor competition.
Pearson captured four Big South individual championships, winning the indoor 60-meter title in 2007, the outdoor 100-meter championship in 2011, and the outdoor 200-meter championship in both 2010 and 2011. She was named the 2007 Big South Women's Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year and earned Big South Women's Outdoor Track & Field Most Outstanding Track Performer honors in 2011.
A member of the Big South Women's Outdoor Track & Field All-Decade Team (2010-19), Pearson set school records in the 55-meter, 60-meter, 100-meter and 200-meter events during her time at UNC Asheville. She also became the program's first two-time NCAA national qualifier, advancing to the national championships in both 2010 and 2011.
At the 2011 NCAA Championships, Pearson finished 24th overall in the 200 meters with a time of 23.99 to earn Honorable Mention All-America recognition.
Beyond her collegiate career, Pearson competed in the United Kingdom Olympic Trials in 2008 and 2012. She later joined the United States bobsled team during the 2014-15 season and won a silver medal in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Pearson was inducted into the UNC Asheville Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.
For more information on the Big South Hall of Fame ceremony, click here.
