GREENSBORO, N.C. — Averett University alumnae Amy Cross '97 and Kelly Gregory '02 were inducted into the USA South Athletic Conference's Hall of Fame during a ceremony hosted Sunday on the campus of Greensboro College.

The USA South inducted members from its classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022. Cross and Gregory give Averett nine members of the USA South Hall of Fame, which began in 2010.

Cross, a member of the Class of 2020, played three sports — tennis, cross country and basketball — at Averett while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. Cross was also a two-time recipient of the Don Scalf Award, which is presented to the top student-athlete in the conference. As a cross country runner, she was the first Averett female to win a race and was elected to the All-Conference First Team in 1996 and All-Conference Second Team in 1995. In tennis, Cross helped Cougars win four consecutive conference titles. She was on the All-Conference Team for singles in 1995 and on the All-Conference Team for  Doubles in 1995, 1996 and 1997. She was also a team captain on the basketball team. She was named to the USA South's 50th anniversary teams for both cross country and tennis. Cross was inducted into the Averett Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 2, 2010.

Cross is presently a special assistant United States attorney where in federal court she prosecutes complex drug and gang cases and violent crimes. This fall, she will return to state practice after more than a decade. She'll be running a team as a deputy commonwealth attorney while prosecuting the same things — drugs, guns, gangs and murder cases. Read more about her journey.

During her speech, Cross offered advice to her two kids in attendance, as well as others aspiring to go to college.

"Find what you're passionate about," Cross said. "But more than that, find your Averett. That is a place that makes you the very best version of yourself so that maybe 30 years from today, they can maybe look back and they can say they ran their race, they overcame adversity, and they're so proud of their successes and the people they met along the way. That is how I feel today. Thank you all for this amazing honor."

Gregory was the lone member of the Class of 2022 for the conference. A multisport student-athlete, Gregory was mostly known for her prowess on the soccer field. The four-year standout scored 34 career goals with seven assists for the Cougars from 1997-2000. Playing on Averett's back line, Gregory earned USA South All-Conference Second Team honors in 1998 and 1999. In addition to soccer, Gregory played three seasons of tennis, earning First Team All-Conference honors in 2000 at No. 5 singles as a junior and First Team All-Conference recognition at No. 2 doubles and Second Team All-Conference accolades at No. 3 singles during her senior season in 2001. Gregory played two seasons of basketball and one season of volleyball as well. In 2001, she was the female recipient of the USA South's prestigious Don Scalf Award, which serves as the league's Student-Athlete of the Year Award, and was nominated for the NCAA's Woman of the Year award. Gregory also received the 2000-01 Barbara Kushubar Female Student-Athlete of the Year award from Averett. Following her playing career, Gregory later returned to Averett as a head coach for women's soccer and women's lacrosse. During the 2013-14 school year, Gregory was selected to the USA South Conference's 50th Anniversary Team for both women's soccer and tennis. Gregory was inducted into the Averett Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 15, 2016.

Currently, Gregory is a high school teacher and coach in Kingston, Ontario. Read more about her journey.

"It was the coaches, my professors and everyone around who supported me," Gregory said. "They became my village, where I could take risks, jump on opportunities and grow as an athlete, student and positive leader. I'm so grateful of my village at Averett, who prepared me to do the same in my own village."