Joel Berry II, Marie McCool, and Kenny Selmon awarded UNC’s Patterson Medals

Three champion Tar Heels are the latest recipients of UNC’s highest athletic honor, the Patterson Medal. Men’s basketball’s Joel Berry II, women’s lacrosse’s Marie McCool, and track and field’s Kenny Selmon brought home the award for 2018.

Berry was instrumental in the Heels’ run to the 2017 national championship victory over Gonzaga. His leadership on the team was unquestioned, and being awarded a Patterson medal is just another example of the fantastic career he had in Carolina blue. Berry recently signed on with the Los Angeles Lakers as an undrafted free agent in the NBA.

McCool also helped lead her team to a national championship back in 2016. She won ACC Midfielder of the Year twice and was a national Player of the Year finalist twice in her career. McCool is the third women’s lacrosse player to be awarded the Patterson Medal with all of them coming in the last eight years as the program has flourished.

Selmon was able to emerge victorious in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2018 Track and Field Championships. It was his last race as a Tar Heel, but he certainly made it count. He was also an ACC champion in the 4x400 race as a senior to go along with multiple school records he set in his time at Carolina.

Recipients of the Patterson Medal must have played at least three years at UNC while exhibiting sportsmanship and leadership in their respective sports. All three of these athletes did just that in their time in a UNC uniform. The awards are generally presented during a men’s basketball home game, so all three could be returning to Chapel Hill later this year to pick up their hardware.