Three UNC student-athletes have been honored with the Patterson Medal, the most prestigious athletic award given by the university.

Kristen Brown. Photo via UNC.

Kristen Brown. Photo via UNC.

The honorees are Kristen Brown, Marcus Paige and Emily Wold, the university announced on Thursday.

Brown is the Atlantic Coast Conference’s all-time softball home run leader and is the first softball player to win a Patterson Medal since the award was established in 1924.

Paige – the all-time leader in three-point field goals at UNC – is the 28th men’s basketball player to receive the award and fifth in the last 25 years, following Antawn Jamison in 1998, Brendan Haywood in 2001, Tyler Hansbrough in 2009 and Tyler Zeller in 2012.

Wold is a midfielder for the field hockey team and is a three-time first-team All-American. Wold joins three prior recipients – Cindy Werley in 1998, Rachel Dawson in 2008 and Katelyn Falgowski in 2012 – from the field hockey program.

The Patterson Medal is based primarily on career athletic accomplishments, according to the university.

Emily Wold. Photo via UNC.

Emily Wold. Photo via UNC.

The recipients must have played at least three seasons for the Tar Heels. Sportsmanship and leadership are also considered. Dr. Joseph Patterson first presented the medal in 1924 to honor the memory of his brother, John Durand Patterson.

The Patterson family will help present the medals to Brown, Paige and Wold at ceremonies during the 2016-17 school year.