UNC announced the 2026 class of Patterson Medal winners Tuesday morning. The Patterson Medal, first awarded in 1924, is the school’s most prestigious honor for athletic excellence and career achievement. To receive the award, Tar Heel athletes must have competed in at least three seasons for UNC and have exhausted their collegiate eligibility.
The 2026 honorees are Jason DeCaro of the baseball team, Reese Brantmeier of the women’s tennis team and Ryleigh Heck of the field hockey team. They make up the 103rd class of Patterson Medal recipients. For a complete list of winners, click here.
Introducing our 2026 Patterson Medal winners! This class of student-athletes cap their Tar Heel careers with @UNC's most prestigious individual athletics award.
? Reese Brantmeier | @UNC_wtennis ? Jason DeCaro | @DiamondHeels ? Ryleigh Heck | @UNCFieldHockey #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/Jl8Lf2QLPi
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) August 4, 2026
Jason DeCaro was a program staple for the Diamond Heels while helping lead the team on one of its best three-year runs ever: three Super Regional appearances, two trips to the Men’s College World Series in Omaha and an ACC Tournament title.
Joining the team at just 17 years of age, DeCaro quickly became a critical part of UNC’s starting pitching rotation and eventually started Carolina’s opening game of the 2024 College World Series. With DeCaro in the fold, UNC reached the Super Regionals again in 2025 and got back to Omaha in 2026. The latter run would not have happened without a dominant DeCaro performance, as he tossed a complete game shutout in Game 2 of the Super Regional round against USC, striking out eight and not allowing a Trojan runner past first base. He then pitched twice in Omaha as UNC reached the national championship series for just the third time ever.
Individually, DeCaro accrued a 26-7 record and 3.46 earned run average across his three seasons. He is the first pitcher in head coach Scott Forbes’ six seasons in charge to strike out at least 200 batters, finishing with 247 in 270.1 innings pitched. His 26 wins are tied for the eighth-most in program history. DeCaro earned three All-ACC honors, a Freshman All-America nod in 2024 and a first team All-America spot in 2026. He is the 19th baseball player to win the Patterson Medal, and the first pitcher to do so since Robert Woodard in 2007.
“Jason is an extraordinary pitcher, a big-time competitor and exceptional young man,” Forbes said. “Jason has been and will continue to be a great representative of our program and this university both on the field and in the community. There is no one more deserving of this honor.”
Jason DeCaro was a three-year starter at UNC and led the Diamond Heels to a pair of College World Series appearances. (Image via Chapel Hill Media Group/Chance Bragg)
Reese Brantmeier is a multi-time national champion, having led the Tar Heel women’s tennis team to its first ever NCAA team title in 2023 and an ITA indoor national title the same year. Additionally, Brantmeier won the NCAA Women’s Singles title in November 2025, becoming only the second Tar Heel to do so. Also in Brantmeier’s crowded trophy case are two ACC Tournament titles, an ITA singles and doubles title, two ACC Player of the Year awards, an ITA National Player of the Year Award and an ACC Tournament MVP award. She competed in the main draw of the U.S. Open in doubles in 2025, reaching the second round with partner Alanis Hamilton.
Brantmeier became the first UNC women’s tennis player ever with 10 ITA All-America honors and finished her career with 85 singles wins and 98 doubles wins. Her performance on the court was matched in the classroom, as Brantmeier earned two first team Academic All-America honors, two NCAA Elite Scholar Athlete Awards and Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards from both the ACC and the ITA. She is only the fourth UNC student-athlete ever to receive first team All-America honors both competitively and academically in multiple seasons. Brantmeier is also the only Tar Heel ever with multiple Academic All-American of the Year honors.
A double major in Exercise & Sport Science as well as Studio Art, Brantmeier displayed her work at UNC’s Hanes Art Center, including a piece titled “Breaking Point.” Brantmeier is the fifth UNC women’s tennis player to win the Patterson Medal.
“Reese epitomizes a true student-athlete,” said UNC head coach Brian Kalbas. “Even with all her accomplishments, she’s an even better person and is the perfect embodiment of the Patterson award. Reese will be a terrific ambassador for the Patterson Award and the Patterson family.”
Reese Brantmeier won multiple awards both for her performance on the court and performance in the classroom. (Image via UNC Athletic Communications)
Ryleigh Heck had her number No. 12 jersey retired by the UNC field hockey program after one of the most decorated careers in program history. She led the program to two national championships, four ACC championships and four NCAA Final Four appearances.
Individually, Heck was named National Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2023, becoming just the second Tar Heel field hockey player ever to win National Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and ACC Tournament MVP while also earning four All-America and All-ACC honors and making four All-NCAA Tournament and All-ACC Tournament teams. She was also named ACC Freshman of the Year in 2022 and ACC Offensive Player of the Year in 2023.During Heck’s career, UNC compiled an 80-6 record and 36-2 mark in ACC games (conference tournament included). Her 168 points rank fifth in Carolina program history, and her 65 goals rank seventh. Her 19 goals during her senior season were a career best. Heck is the eighth UNC field hockey player to win the Patterson Medal.
“I’ve had the privilege of loving Ryleigh as a teammate and now as her coach, and she’s been the exact same person in both roles — selfless, fiercely competitive, and completely committed to the people around her,” said UNC head coach Erin Matson, herself a Patterson Medal winner. “She makes every team she’s on better. Ryleigh is completely deserving of this honor. She represents everything Carolina strives to be, and I couldn’t be prouder of her and the legacy she’s left at Carolina.”
In addition to winning the Patterson Medal, Ryleigh Heck will have her No. 12 jersey retired by the UNC field hockey program. (Image via UNC Athletic Communications/Nate Skvoretz)
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