UNC announced Tuesday that men’s basketball standout Luke Maye and field hockey star Ashley Hoffman are the winners of this year’s Patterson Medals, which is the most prestigious athletic achievement awarded by the school.

The Patterson Medal focuses on career athletic achievements, and winners must have spent at least three years playing for the Tar Heels.

Maye was a part of 121 wins and played a key role in helping UNC win the 2017 national championship with his famous last-second shot against Kentucky that sent the Tar Heels to the Final Four that year.

He was named a Third Team All-American as a junior, and would go on to become the first UNC player to end his career with 1,300 points, 900 rebounds and 100 made three-pointers.

Ashley Hoffman caps her storied UNC career with a Patterson Medal. (Photo via UNC Athletics)

The Huntersville native–a former walk-on–also tied a school record by playing in 59 ACC victories and the 750 rebounds he accumulated over his final two seasons set a school record for total rebounds in consecutive seasons.

“I am extremely honored to receive this incredible award,” Maye said. “Carolina has meant so much to me and provided me so many great opportunities. I did my best each day, each class, each practice and in each game to give all I had to represent the university and Tar Heel basketball the way they should be viewed, which is the best.”

In field hockey, Hoffman helped lead UNC to an undefeated season and a national championship this past season–while also earning National and ACC Player of the Year honors.

She became the first NCAA field hockey player ever to to win National and ACC Player of the Year honors and NCAA and ACC Tournament MVP awards in the same season.

Hoffman was a three-time All-ACC selection, started all 96 games in her career and helped UNC win three ACC championships.

“I was so surprised and honored to hear that I’d won the Patterson Medal,” Hoffman said. “”I knew when I decided to come to North Carolina that I was going to be part of an extremely successful tradition, and that proved true throughout my time in Chapel Hill. To now be recognized as a winner of the Patterson Medal is amazing. I’m so proud to be a UNC graduate and I’ll always be part of the Carolina family. “

 

Photo via Todd Melet

Related Stories
‹
Multiple UNC Teams Post Perfect Academic Progress Rates, New Report Says
Several UNC sports programs posted perfect single-year and multi-year academic progress rates for the 2024-25 academic year, according to the NCAA’s latest report. Academic progress rate (APR) is used to track performance of scholarship students who compete on varsity teams, and the score measures eligibility and retention each semester. A perfect score is 1000, and […]
Art’s Angle: Winning Ways
From pitches in South Bend and the Bluegrass State back to hardwood and gridiron in Chapel Hill, UNC teams showed up all weekend.
UNC Women's Lacrosse Coach, Former Soccer Star Welcomed Into Order of the Long Leaf Pine
The governor inducted six people to the state's Order of the Long Leaf Pine on Friday, including two accomplished UNC sports figures.
Michael Koh's Top 5 and Bottom 5 Moments of the 2022-23 UNC Sports Season
With the 2022-23 UNC sports season now in the books, it’s time to both look ahead to 2023-24 and look back on the year that was. Tar Heel teams across nearly 30 sports competed in various NCAA championships, with levels of success ranging from the top of the mountain to the depths of despair. I’m […]
The 2021-22 UNC Athletics Season In Review
With the conclusion of the Men’s College World Series in Omaha earlier this week, the 2021-22 NCAA season is officially over. Twenty-eight UNC varsity teams took to the fields, courts, diamonds, pools and tracks this past season, as well as several other teams at the non-NCAA club level (looking at you, ultimate). All in all, […]
William Blumberg and Marissa Creatore Selected by UNC as Patterson Medal Recipients
UNC men’s tennis star William Blumberg and field hockey standout Marissa Creatore were selected by the university as recipients of the Patterson Medals for the 2019-20 school year. The Patterson Medal is primarily based on career athletic accomplishments, and is the most prestigious athletic award the university hands out each year. Blumberg is an eight-time […]
UNC Awards Patterson Medals to Joel Berry, Marie McCool and Kenny Selmon
This year’s Patterson Medals–the most prestigious athletic honor awarded at UNC–will go to three athletes who excelled throughout their careers while also helping to win national championships for the Tar Heels. Men’s basketball standout Joel Berry II joins women’s lacrosse star Marie McCool and outstanding hurdler Kenny Selmon as recipients of the honor, which is […]
UNC Awards Patterson Medals to Justin Jackson, Hayley Carter and Ryan Switzer
Three of UNC’s top athletes from this past year were recognized Tuesday for their outstanding achievements, as they were awarded the Patterson Medals–the school’s most prestigious athletic honor. Based primarily on career accomplishments, this year’s winners were: Justin Jackson (men’s basketball), Hayley Carter (women’s tennis) and Ryan Switzer (football). Jackson was named ACC Player of […]
UNC Men's Basketball to Host Arkansas, Women to Host LSU in 2026 ACC-SEC Challenge
The matchups have been set for both the UNC men’s and women’s basketball programs in the upcoming ACC-SEC Challenge: the men will host Arkansas on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at the Smith Center, while the women will host LSU on Wednesday, Dec. 2 at Carmichael Arena. ACC/SEC challenge is set 🗓️ pic.twitter.com/AWzBSN1Cbv — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) […]
Greek Prospect Alexandros Samodurov Commits to UNC Men's Basketball
Another international prospect is making his way to Chapel Hill. Alexandros Samodurov, who has played professionally in Greece since 2022, announced his commitment to head coach Michael Malone and UNC Saturday. Samodurov, a 6-foot-11 forward, has played his entire professional career with the Greek club Panathinaikos. The club has seen sustained success during his time […]
›