North Carolina Tar Heels 2022-2023 Patterson Medal Winners

The North Carolina Tar Heels Athletics Department has officially announced the Patterson Medal Award recipients for the 2022-2023 school year.

For the 100th time, the North Carolina Tar Heels Athletics Department has announced its annual Patterson Medal recipients for the 2022-2023 school year.

Patterson Medals are determined primarily on career athletic accomplishments, as they are presented to North Carolina’s most outstanding athletes. Dr. Joseph Patterson first presented the medal in 1924 to honor the memory of his brother, John Durand Patterson.

In order to be in contention for the award, athletes must have competed in at least three seasons for their respective Tar Heels team and must also have concluded their collegiate eligibility. Sportsmanship and leadership are also factors that are considered when selecting the annual recipients.

This year, Erin Matson of the UNC Field Hockey team and Austin O’Connor of the UNC Wrestling program are this year’s honorees.

Not many North Carolina Tar Heels athletes (if any) can say they have a more impressive resume than Matson. She was the anchor of four UNC Field Hockey national title teams and becomes the seventh member of the program to earn this respective honor.

Matson started all 101 games in which she played in, a stretch where the Tar Heels put together an incredible 95-6 record. She never lost in Chapel Hill, as she has a 46-0 record on her home field, a 12-0 mark with five championships in ACC Tournament play, as well as a 15-1 record in the NCAA Tournament.

Shortly after her playing career came to an end, Matson was tabbed as the next Field Hockey coach at North Carolina, replacing the legendary Karen Shelton.

O’Connor was a beast on the wrestling mat, earning two NCAA titles during his career (2021 and 2023). His first title came in the 149-pound division, and his latest, in his final collegiate season, came in the 157-pound weight class. With his two titles, O’Connor became the program’s first NCAA wrestling champion since T.J. Jaworsky (1993-1995), the only other multiple-time national champion in UNC wrestling history.

Both student-athletes left their marks on North Carolina Tar Heels Athletics, as their illustrious careers will always be highlighted by earning this prestigious award from the university.

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