Carolina Athletics Presents the 2022 Patterson Medal Recipients

The North Carolina Athletics Department has announced the three student-athlete recipients of the prestigious Patterson Medal award.

Each year, the University of North Carolina presents its annual Patterson Medal awards.

This honor serves as the oldest and most prestigious award that a North Carolina student-athlete can achieve. Dating back to 1924, the award has been presented yearly to student-athletes in recognition of their career athletic achievements at the University of North Carolina.

In order to be considered for the award, a student-athlete must have played at least three seasons for the Tar Heels, and their collegiate careers must be concluded. Other factors, such as leadership and sportsmanship, are also taken into consideration.

This year, three very noteworthy recipients have earned this illustrious honor.

Chris Gray (Men’s Lacrosse), Sam Howell (Football), and Jamie Ortega (Women’s Lacrosse) have been named the 2022 Paterson Medal award recipients. It was announced via a press release from the official North Carolina Athletics website.

All three student-athletes put together tremendous careers during their time in Chapel Hill.

Gray became the all-time leading scorer in Division I men’s lacrosse history, while Howell put together a career that one can argue makes him the greatest quarterback to ever wear the Carolina Blue.

Ortega did not only re-write the UNC record books but the ACC conference and the NCAA as a whole as well.  She became the first five-time All-American in Carolina history and helped lead the Tar Heels to an undefeated women’s lacrosse national championship.

These three student-athletes will forever be remembered for their impact on North Carolina Athletics as a whole. This award goes to show just how special their time in Chapel Hill truly was.

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