CHAPEL HILL – A trio of national champions – Final Four Most Outstanding Player Joel Berry II, women’s lacrosse midfield standout Marie McCool and USATF champion hurdler Kenny Selmon – are the 2018 recipients of the Patterson Medal, the most prestigious athletic honor awarded at the University of North Carolina.
The Patterson Medal is based primarily on career athletic accomplishments. 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.
Berry joined Hall of Famer James Worthy as one of only two Tar Heel men’s basketball players to win Most Outstanding Player honors at a Final Four and ACC Tournament MVP honors. The Apopka, Fla., native led UNC to the 2017 NCAA championship and an ACC title in 2016. A first-team All-ACC and third-team All-America point guard in 2018, Berry concluded a four-year career second in Carolina history in three-pointers (266), eighth in free throw percentage (.833), 13th in scoring (1,813) and 13th in assists (451). He was a finalist for the James A. Sullivan Award, which is given to the country’s top amateur athlete.
“The Patterson Medal means so much to me because it’s a testimony to the hard work and dedication I put into what I do,” says Berry. “It shows the sacrifices I made to be successful on and off the court. I know I have a unique platform to inspire young adults and kids to work hard at whatever they do, and that’s more important than anything. I want to become the best basketball player I can, but the ultimate goal is to become the strongest person I can be.”
Berry, the 31st men’s basketball player to win a Patterson Medal, scored a game-high 22 points against Gonzaga in the 2017 national championship game. A year earlier, he scored 20 points in the final vs. Villanova. He became the first player to score 20 points in consecutive championship games since Bill Walton in 1972-73. Berry is the only Tar Heel to be named to the All-Final Four team twice. He played in 109 wins and tied UNC records by playing in 14 NCAA Tournament wins and 10 ACC Tournament wins.
“Joel is one of the best shooters and most competitive players I’ve ever coached, and his toughness and leadership were so critical to us winning the 2017 national championship,”says UNC head coach Roy Williams. “He won a lot of games throughout his career, hit a lot of shots, and made winning plays in key moments in the most important games. Carolina Basketball has an amazing tradition of achievement, but there are only two players – Joel and James Worthy – who have won Final Four and ACC Tournament MVP honors. That puts him in pretty elite company. More than anything, his character and the trust he placed in us when choosing to play at UNC will endear him to me forever.”
Selmon won the 400-meter hurdles in his final race as a Tar Heel at the 2018 U.S. Track and Field Championships. An ACC champion as a senior in the 400 hurdles and the 4x400, he finished second in the 400 hurdles in the 2018 NCAA Championship. He set the UNC record in that event in the 2017 NCAA final and then established another school record (48.21) in the 2018 NCAA final. He was second at the NCAA Championships in the 400 hurdles in 2018, third in 2016 and fourth in 2017.
Selmon was a three-time first-team All-America, the 2018 USTWCCCA Southeast Region Track Athlete of the Year and an Academic All-ACC selection. The Mableton, Ga., native twice was ACC champion in the 400 hurdles and three times was a member of the ACC-winning 4x400.
“Kenny has done a tremendous job representing our university in all aspects — in the classroom, on the track, and just as an individual,” says UNC track and field head coach Harlis Meaders. “He’s a tremendous leader within our program. It’s quite a fraternity to be a part of, and Kenny has continued to excel as an athlete each year he has been in our program. It has really been a lot of fun watching him grow both as an athlete and as a young man; it’s an honor to see his hard work turn into a Patterson Medal.”
“Winning this award means so much to me,” says Selmon, the 10th men’s track and field athlete to win a Patterson Medal. “True Tar Heel legends such as Kenny Smith, Mia Hamm, Phil Ford and Shalane Flanagan have won this award, and I am honored to be even considered in their category. One of my goals at Carolina was to bring more attention to the track team and show we have athletes performing at very high levels in the classroom, on the track and in the community. I’m so thankful and blessed to see my hard work pay dividends. Winning the Patterson Medal is an honor and I’m so thankful to be recognized, but this one goes out to the entire track team. We’ve really got something special brewing there and I can’t wait to see what is to come.”
McCool, a member of UNC’s 2016 national champions, is the 2018 National Midfielder of the Year and the first player to win ACC Midfielder of the Year honors twice. The Moorestown, N.J., native was a three-time All-America and All-ACC selection; she is just the third Tar Heel women’s lacrosse player to earn first-team All-America honors three times and the first to be a national player of the year finalist twice.
She is second in UNC history in draw controls (295), third in points (246), fourth in goals (183) and eighth in assists (63). She led UNC to a 72-13 record, 25-3 ACC record, three ACC Tournament championships, three final fours, two title-game appearances and an NCAA title.
McCool was the 2017 ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women’s lacrosse and was the youngest player on the U.S. National Team that won gold in the 2017 World Cup. She is the third women’s lacrosse player to win a Patterson Medal, all in the last eight years.
“Marie is a champion in all ways,” says head coach Jenny Levy. “While at Carolina she excelled in the classroom, led our team on the field and in the community. The bigger the challenge, the more Marie shined. During her four years at Carolina, she brought a consistent level of excellence that was unparalleled and tremendously impacted our program’s success. She has a passion for her teammates, our lacrosse program and the University of North Carolina. There is not much more Marie could have accomplished during her four years at Carolina. To be a Patterson Medal winner is an elite honor bestowed upon the best in class, and it’s one Marie very much deserves.”
"Thank you to the University of North Carolina for honoring me with this prestigious award,” says McCool. “I am humbled to join the list of some of the Tar Heel legends. It has been a great honor to represent the Carolina Blue for the past four years, and I will continue support the Tar Heels as a proud alumna. A special thank you to Carolina Athletics, my coaches and teammates. Without you, I never would have accomplished what I have today.”
Carolina Athletics and the Patterson family will present the medals at ceremonies during the upcoming school year.
The Patterson Medal is based primarily on career athletic accomplishments. 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.
Berry joined Hall of Famer James Worthy as one of only two Tar Heel men’s basketball players to win Most Outstanding Player honors at a Final Four and ACC Tournament MVP honors. The Apopka, Fla., native led UNC to the 2017 NCAA championship and an ACC title in 2016. A first-team All-ACC and third-team All-America point guard in 2018, Berry concluded a four-year career second in Carolina history in three-pointers (266), eighth in free throw percentage (.833), 13th in scoring (1,813) and 13th in assists (451). He was a finalist for the James A. Sullivan Award, which is given to the country’s top amateur athlete.
“The Patterson Medal means so much to me because it’s a testimony to the hard work and dedication I put into what I do,” says Berry. “It shows the sacrifices I made to be successful on and off the court. I know I have a unique platform to inspire young adults and kids to work hard at whatever they do, and that’s more important than anything. I want to become the best basketball player I can, but the ultimate goal is to become the strongest person I can be.”
Berry, the 31st men’s basketball player to win a Patterson Medal, scored a game-high 22 points against Gonzaga in the 2017 national championship game. A year earlier, he scored 20 points in the final vs. Villanova. He became the first player to score 20 points in consecutive championship games since Bill Walton in 1972-73. Berry is the only Tar Heel to be named to the All-Final Four team twice. He played in 109 wins and tied UNC records by playing in 14 NCAA Tournament wins and 10 ACC Tournament wins.
“Joel is one of the best shooters and most competitive players I’ve ever coached, and his toughness and leadership were so critical to us winning the 2017 national championship,”says UNC head coach Roy Williams. “He won a lot of games throughout his career, hit a lot of shots, and made winning plays in key moments in the most important games. Carolina Basketball has an amazing tradition of achievement, but there are only two players – Joel and James Worthy – who have won Final Four and ACC Tournament MVP honors. That puts him in pretty elite company. More than anything, his character and the trust he placed in us when choosing to play at UNC will endear him to me forever.”
Selmon won the 400-meter hurdles in his final race as a Tar Heel at the 2018 U.S. Track and Field Championships. An ACC champion as a senior in the 400 hurdles and the 4x400, he finished second in the 400 hurdles in the 2018 NCAA Championship. He set the UNC record in that event in the 2017 NCAA final and then established another school record (48.21) in the 2018 NCAA final. He was second at the NCAA Championships in the 400 hurdles in 2018, third in 2016 and fourth in 2017.
Selmon was a three-time first-team All-America, the 2018 USTWCCCA Southeast Region Track Athlete of the Year and an Academic All-ACC selection. The Mableton, Ga., native twice was ACC champion in the 400 hurdles and three times was a member of the ACC-winning 4x400.
“Kenny has done a tremendous job representing our university in all aspects — in the classroom, on the track, and just as an individual,” says UNC track and field head coach Harlis Meaders. “He’s a tremendous leader within our program. It’s quite a fraternity to be a part of, and Kenny has continued to excel as an athlete each year he has been in our program. It has really been a lot of fun watching him grow both as an athlete and as a young man; it’s an honor to see his hard work turn into a Patterson Medal.”
“Winning this award means so much to me,” says Selmon, the 10th men’s track and field athlete to win a Patterson Medal. “True Tar Heel legends such as Kenny Smith, Mia Hamm, Phil Ford and Shalane Flanagan have won this award, and I am honored to be even considered in their category. One of my goals at Carolina was to bring more attention to the track team and show we have athletes performing at very high levels in the classroom, on the track and in the community. I’m so thankful and blessed to see my hard work pay dividends. Winning the Patterson Medal is an honor and I’m so thankful to be recognized, but this one goes out to the entire track team. We’ve really got something special brewing there and I can’t wait to see what is to come.”
McCool, a member of UNC’s 2016 national champions, is the 2018 National Midfielder of the Year and the first player to win ACC Midfielder of the Year honors twice. The Moorestown, N.J., native was a three-time All-America and All-ACC selection; she is just the third Tar Heel women’s lacrosse player to earn first-team All-America honors three times and the first to be a national player of the year finalist twice.
She is second in UNC history in draw controls (295), third in points (246), fourth in goals (183) and eighth in assists (63). She led UNC to a 72-13 record, 25-3 ACC record, three ACC Tournament championships, three final fours, two title-game appearances and an NCAA title.
McCool was the 2017 ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women’s lacrosse and was the youngest player on the U.S. National Team that won gold in the 2017 World Cup. She is the third women’s lacrosse player to win a Patterson Medal, all in the last eight years.
“Marie is a champion in all ways,” says head coach Jenny Levy. “While at Carolina she excelled in the classroom, led our team on the field and in the community. The bigger the challenge, the more Marie shined. During her four years at Carolina, she brought a consistent level of excellence that was unparalleled and tremendously impacted our program’s success. She has a passion for her teammates, our lacrosse program and the University of North Carolina. There is not much more Marie could have accomplished during her four years at Carolina. To be a Patterson Medal winner is an elite honor bestowed upon the best in class, and it’s one Marie very much deserves.”
"Thank you to the University of North Carolina for honoring me with this prestigious award,” says McCool. “I am humbled to join the list of some of the Tar Heel legends. It has been a great honor to represent the Carolina Blue for the past four years, and I will continue support the Tar Heels as a proud alumna. A special thank you to Carolina Athletics, my coaches and teammates. Without you, I never would have accomplished what I have today.”
Carolina Athletics and the Patterson family will present the medals at ceremonies during the upcoming school year.
