Sharon Couch's Excellence On And Off The Track Posted Jun 15, 2022 Sharon Couch made her mark by excelling at firsts in both competition and professionally Her athletic career at UNC was distinguished; she was the first-African American woman to win the Patterson Medal as UNC's outstanding senior athlete in 1991. After Carolina, she was selected to the U.S. Olympic women's track and field teams in 1992 and 2000. (GoHeels.com)