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 the Year this past season, on the way to leading the Tar Heels to the 2017 NCAA Championship.

The wiry forward–now with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings–helped UNC win 92 games during his three years on campus, including a 13-2 record in the NCAA Tournament.

“We are very proud of Justin for winning the Patterson Medal,” head coach Roy Williams said, in a statement released by the university. “Not only because of the exceptional basketball career he had as a Tar Heel, but also the hard work and success he had as a student and the type of young man that he is.”

Carter, meanwhile, became the ACC’s all-time leader in women’s tennis singles victories with 168–and took home the conference Player of the Year award for a second straight season.

She finished ranked among the top three players in the entire country in three of her four years at UNC.

“Hayley is arguably the most accomplished player in UNC women’s tennis history and to be recognized as the one of the best athletes at Carolina is remarkable,” Carter’s head coach Brian Kalbas said.

On the football field, Switzer shattered a number of school records as both a wide receiver and a punt returner. He holds the all-time UNC marks for receptions (244), receiving yards (2,907), punt return yards (1,082) and punt return touchdowns (seven).

The West Virginia native also became just the fifth Tar Heel to earn First Team All-ACC honors three times–which helped him become a fourth-round draft choice of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys this past spring.

“This is a tremendous honor for Ryan,” head football coach Larry Fedora said of Switzer’s Patterson Medal.

The Patterson family will present the medals to each of the three athletes during ceremonies during the 2017-18 school year.

Related Stories
‹
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, […]
ACC Supports New Proposed Transfer Rule Allowing Athletes to Avoid Sitting Out a Year
Earlier this week, the Atlantic Coast Conference came out with public support for a new proposed NCAA rule which would allow student-athletes to transfer one time without being forced to sit out an entire year before competing. This made the league the second major conference to voice support for the proposal, as the ACC joined […]
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 […]
The Rammys: Top Tar Heels Honored, Spiffy Uniforms Unveiled
The best and brightest in Carolina athletics were recognized Monday night inside Carmichael Arena. Once again, the blue carpet was rolled out for The Rammys.
Oakes' Outlook: Bowls, Roles, and Noles
And so the Tar Heels' disappointing 2014 campaign will come to a close in Motown. It's a fitting end (a dreary and cold one in the Midwest at that) for Carolina in a season that began with its head coach, Larry Fedora, proclaiming "it's time." Time for what, exactly, I'm not sure, but it certainly wasn't a trip to the Quick Lane Bowl to face the equally mediocre 7-5 Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Record-Breaking Season Earns UNC's David Ford Spot on PGA Tour — And Special Video Message
David Ford has reached several milestones in the last month, culminating in an entry to the PGA Tour and a video message from UNC legends.
Tylee Craft Posthumously Honored with Eric Montross Public Service Award
Former UNC football player Tylee Craft posthumously received the inaugural Eric Montross Public Service Award last week. The award was part of the Carolina Center for Public Service’s annual awards ceremony. Chancellor Lee Roberts and provost Chris Clemens presented the awards at a ceremony April 16. Craft played for the UNC football team before receiving […]
Art’s Angle: Hoodie High
UNC men's basketball’s season of uncertainly continued along with celebrating a big boost that could help the hoop Heels down the road.
Art’s Angle: 24 Hours of Glee
While UNC continued its 2024 turnaround in football, the men's basketball team showed its offensive might – as one struggling player got hot.
›