Bergsma, Pope inducted into NC Sports Hall of Fame

GREENSBORO – Two of High Point's most accomplished athletes have joined an elite group of those who have impacted North Carolina sports.

Heather Richardson Bergsma and Eddie Pope – two of the four High Pointers ever to compete in the Olympics – are among this year's class of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. They were inducted in a ceremony Friday evening at the Sheraton at Four Seasons Convention Center.

The 62nd class also includes golfer Chip Beck (Fayetteville), football player Louis Breeden (Hamlet), basketball coach Leonard Hamilton (Gastonia), former North Carolina basketball player Tyler Hansbrough, Winston-Salem State football player Richard Huntley, tennis player John Isner (Greensboro), basketball coach Norvell Lee (Smithfield), and wrestling coach Jerry Winterton (Cary).

"It really is a privilege and an honor to be here with so many legends," Bergsma said during Thursday's press event at the Greensboro Complex. "Once you get the phone call and you see the class that you're in, you start Googling and think, 'Am I worthy enough to be a part of this class?' You know? It's just really exciting and I'm honored to be here. It really shows that the hard work that I put into my sport of speedskating does pay off."

Bergsma competed at the highest levels of speedskating for over a decade – reaching the Olympics in 2010 in Vancouver, in 2014 in Sochi and in 2018 in Peyongchang. She took bronze in the team pursuit in 2018 – becoming the first High Pointer ever to earn an Olympic medal.

Bergsma recalled growing up in the Triad and graduating from High Point Central at the Greensboro Complex. Since then, speedskating has taken her around the world, winning 88 World Cup medals – including 34 gold – and becoming a four-time world champion in the 1,000 meters, her specialty.

Bergsma – the second speedskater selected for the Hall, joining Greensboro's Joey Cheek – also won the world title in the 1,500 meters and held four world records during her career.

"I'm really grateful for the community we had in speedskating in High Point with Bob Byerly," she said, recalling the longtime skating coach and Rol-a-Rink owner. "The rink he had and the community he had for speedskating, it gave a lot of us an opportunity in that sport.

"I met my husband through speedskating. I live in the Netherlands now with him and we have two children. And I'm very happy. It actually lines up perfectly – my kids are on spring break. They brought their skates and they've been to Skateland USA here in Greensboro. So it's fun to bring them to how I grew up, where my roots began."

Pope remains one of the top soccer players to come from the area. He played in the MLS and for the national team for over a decade – playing in the Olympics in 1996 in Atlanta and in three World Cups. Pope was selected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2011.

"Of course, when you're inducted into a hall of fame, it's always special," he said. "Most of them are soccer-specific, but this one is all-encompassing, representing all sports. It's kind of like you're getting a little bit of outside recognition. People are watching, paying attention. That's special."