PEMBROKE – UNC Pembroke athletics director Dick Christy announced Thursday that Jessica Newton, a two-time graduate of UNCP and a three-time state Olympic weightlifting champion in her respective weight-class (N.C., Fla.), has joined the department as its director of athletic performance and will lead the strength & conditioning and nutrition programs for the Braves.
 
An advisory board member of the National High School Strength & Conditioning Association, Newton comes to Pembroke from Pine Ridge High School in Deltona, Fla., where she has served the last 2-1/2 years as the school's strength coach, physical education teacher and head girls weightlifting coach. An accomplished weightlifter herself, Newton has already won three USA Weightlifting (USAW) state titles, including two in North Carolina (2016, 2017). She was also a regional finalist at the 2015 CrossFit Games and was named Best Female Lifter at the 2016 North Carolina State Open.
 
"We are very excited to welcome Jessica home to lead our athletic performance program," Christy said. "Her vision for our student-athletes was clear during the interview process, and she is dedicated to servant leadership on behalf of our 16 sports. Her energy and enthusiasm are infectious, and I believe those attributes, coupled with her unique expertise as a coach and elite competitor, will position our student-athletes to reach their full potential."
 
Newton began her professional career as assistant recreation director at the Bellamy Recreation Center in her hometown of Clinton, and later served a two-year stint as assistant volleyball coach and physical education instructor at Central High School in High Point where she helped develop the school's first girls weight training class. While serving as a sports medicine teacher at Middle College on the UNC Greensboro campus, she was also a CrossFit Level 2 coach and weightlifting coach at CrossFit Greensboro.
 
Following her CrossFit Greensboro team's run to the regional finals in 2015, Newton dove into the realm of Olympic weightlifting and has since competed at three-straight American Open (2015-17) and USAW National Championship (2016-18) events.
 
A member of the National Strength & Conditioning Association, Newton also possesses Level 2 certification as a USAW advance sports performance coach, a certification as a CrossFit Level 2 coach and is also a FMS Level 1 certified coach.
 
A member of the Coharie American Indian tribe, Newton was recognized as a Women to Watch Award recipient at the American Indian Women of Proud Nations conference in 2018. She has earned two degrees from UNCP – a bachelor's degree in exercise science (2010), as well as a master's degree in teaching with an emphasis in physical education (2013). In addition to her professional career, she also serves as the owner and operator of NativeStrong, LLC.
 
"I am pleased and honored to return to my alma mater and serve as the Director of Athletic Performance," Newton said. "It is my vision to develop well-rounded student-athletes in their respective sport, while upholding the values the program stands for. I intend to build on this strong foundation and help each student-athlete reach their full potential."