Ford, Vázquez Montaño, Strand & Wolfe Are 2024-25 Patterson Medal Recipients
July 28, 2025 | General, Men's Golf, Cross Country, Track & Field, Swimming & Diving
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – A four-time NCAA champion diver, the National Player of the Year in men's golf who rewrote the Tar Heel record book and a pair of national champion track stars are the 2024-25 recipients of the Patterson Medal, the University of North Carolina's most prestigious individual athletics award.
This year's medalists include men's golf's David Ford from Peachtree Corners, Ga.; diver Aranza Vázquez Montaño from La Paz, Mexico; and men's cross country/track and field's Ethan Strand, from Vestavia, Ala., and Parker Wolfe, from Denver, Colo.
Patterson Medals are awarded primarily for career athletic accomplishments. Dr. Joseph Patterson first presented the medal in 1924 to honor the memory of his brother, John Durand Patterson. Recipients must have competed in at least three seasons for the Tar Heels and concluded their collegiate eligibility.
Vázquez Montaño won both the 1- and 3-meter NCAA diving championships in 2023 and 2024, becoming the second diver in ACC history, and the first women's diver, to win four NCAA titles.
The two-time member of the Mexico Olympic Team (2020 and 2024) tied track and field thrower Laura Gerraughty and distance runner Shalane Flanagan for the second-most individual NCAA titles ever by a female Tar Heel athlete (trailing only swimmer Sue Walsh's eight).
Vázquez Montaño was an eight-time ACC champion and was named the Most Valuable Women's Diver at the ACC Championships in 2023, 2024 and 2025. She tied ACC records by winning the 1-meter and 3-meter titles three times apiece and added a pair of titles in platform diving.
She holds the Tar Heel records in all three disciplines, totaling 379.25 points on the 1 meter in 2023, 409.60 on 3 meters in 2023 and 337.10 on platform in 2021. She also holds the ACC Championship record in 1-meter diving.
Vázquez Montaño earned 11 All-America honors, including five first-team awards, and was selected ACC Women's Diver of the Week 18 times. She is the first Tar Heel diver, male or female, to win the Patterson Medal and the third member of the women's swimming and diving team to win the award (Bonny Brown in 1980, Sue Walsh in 1984 and Katie Hathaway in 2002).
"Aranza represents everything we hope for as a Tar Heel — excellence, humility and relentless drive," says head coach Mark Gangloff. "Her impact on our program goes far beyond the records and titles. She elevated the standard of what's possible here, inspired her teammates daily and led with quiet strength and unmatched consistency. Aranza will be remembered not only as one of the greatest divers in UNC history but as someone whose legacy will shape our program for years to come."
Strand and Wolfe led Carolina to the 2023 ACC Cross Country championship (UNC's first since 1985), the 2024 ACC Indoor title (its first in 28 years) and back-to-back top-10 finishes in the NCAA Indoor Championships (fifth in 2024 and tied for eighth in 2025). They are the only men's track and field athletes to win ACC Indoor and Outdoor Athlete-of-the-Year awards in the same year and were the first Tar Heel semifinalists for the Bowerman Award, the USTFCCCA's top award.
They are the first men's track and field athletes to win Patterson Medals since hurdler Kenny Selmon in 2018 and the first distance runners since Tony Waldrop in 1974.
"Parker and Ethan are two of the greatest distance runners in collegiate history and will undoubtedly be the next great Americans on the world and Olympic stage," says head coach Chris Miltenberg. "What makes their journey so special is that they've done it together every step of the way. Neither would have reached these heights without the other — and that partnership will only continue as they train side by side as professional athletes. They've been the driving force behind the rise of our entire program and have left an indelible mark on Carolina track and field."
Strand was the 2025 NCAA champion in the indoor 3,000 and became the first ever to break collegiate records in the indoor mile and 3,000 in the same season. He was the national runner-up as a senior in the indoor distance medley relay and the outdoor 1,500.
A five-time ACC champion, Strand became the first Tar Heel and only the fourth in ACC men's track history to win the outdoor 1,500 three times. He also won the indoor 3,000 in 2023 and the indoor 5,000 in 2025 and placed second in the 2024 ACC Cross Country Championship.
He was a seven-time All-America (five times first team), the 2025 ACC Men's Indoor and Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, 2025 USTFCAA National & Southeast Region Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, three-time national track athlete of the week (twice indoor, once outdoor) and 2025 ACC Indoor Track Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Strand ran the second-fastest outdoor 1,500 in NCAA history, setting the ACC/UNC records in 3:33.22. He also set UNC records in the indoor mile, 3,000 and DMR and the outdoor 1,500, the ACC meet record in winning the indoor 5,000 in 2025 and teamed with Wolfe as members of the indoor distance medley relay that set an unratified American record. He is the third-ranked indoor miler in U.S. history.
"Ethan is one of the most relentless and fierce competitors you'll ever meet," says Miltenberg. "His journey didn't begin with immediate success — he faced significant setbacks early in his collegiate career but never wavered in his belief that he could become one of the best in the NCAA and, ultimately, the world. Through his unwavering determination and deep love for competition, he's established himself — alongside Parker — as one of the next great American distance runners on the global stage. He elevated everyone around him, and I have no doubt he will continue to rise as one of the world's very best in the next phase of his career."
Wolfe, the 2024 NCAA champion in the outdoor 5,000, was the first four-time men's cross country All-America in UNC history and is the only individual to win ACC Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Performer-of-the-Year Awards in the same academic year (2023-24). He ran the second-fastest indoor 3,000 and eighth-fastest outdoor 5,000 in NCAA history.
He placed second in the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championship in the 3,000 and 5,000, becoming the first Tar Heel to medal in two events in the same year. He was a member of UNC's distance medley relay that finished second in the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championship
Wolfe won seven ACC titles (one cross country, two indoor and four outdoor), becoming the only individual to win the ACC 5,000 and 10,000 in consecutive seasons, and was a two-time ACC Meet MVP (2024 Indoor and 2025 Outdoor). He is the all-time ACC and ACC meet record holder in the outdoor 5,000.
A 11-time All-America (four cross country, five indoor and two outdoor), Wolfe was twice named ACC Cross Country Runner of the Year, a two-time USTFCCCA Southeast Region Cross Country Athlete of the Year, 2024 USTFCCCA Southeast Region Outdoor Athlete of the Year and won national track athlete-of-the-week honors four times.
He placed third in the 5,000 in a UNC-record time in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials.
"Parker made an immediate impact as a freshman, becoming one of the few athletes in NCAA history to earn All-America honors in cross country all four years," says Miltenberg. "He showed our entire team that we could compete with the very best in the country. Parker will forever be the pivotal figure who broke that ceiling for our program — and we've never looked back. He is one of the most fiercely driven and competitive athletes I've ever coached, with a relentless will to win. As he enters the next phase of his career, I have no doubt Parker will become one of the very best distance runners in the world."
This year's medalists include men's golf's David Ford from Peachtree Corners, Ga.; diver Aranza Vázquez Montaño from La Paz, Mexico; and men's cross country/track and field's Ethan Strand, from Vestavia, Ala., and Parker Wolfe, from Denver, Colo.
Patterson Medals are awarded primarily for career athletic accomplishments. Dr. Joseph Patterson first presented the medal in 1924 to honor the memory of his brother, John Durand Patterson. Recipients must have competed in at least three seasons for the Tar Heels and concluded their collegiate eligibility.
Ford was the consensus National Player of the Year as a senior, won his second Atlantic Coast Conference Player-of-the-Year Award, was the ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and led the nation in scoring as he broke the single-season ACC scoring record. He was the No. 1-ranked player in the country, won PGA TOUR University to earn his PGA TOUR card and set the single-season UNC record with five wins.
He shattered nearly every standard in the Carolina record book, including single-season marks as a senior for scoring average (68.78), combined score to par (-89), combined score to par per round (-2.47) and rounds in the 60s (25); and career records for scoring (70.13), combined score to par (-162), combined score to par per round (-1.13), rounds in the 60s (66) and match play victories (10).
Ford was the first Tar Heel to win three consecutive tournaments and equaled Dustin Bray's career record for wins with seven. He helped UNC win 17 team tournaments, finish in the top five in the NCAA Championships an unprecedented three straight seasons and win the 2024 ACC Championship.
His 68.78 average in 2024-25 topped the previous UNC record by nearly a stroke and was the fourth-best in NCAA single-season history. He finished his career No. 2 in ACC history and No. 6 in NCAA history in scoring average. He was one of only three Tar Heels ever to shoot under par in their career (-162) and finished 128 strokes further under par than any other player in UNC history.
Ford made the Walker Cup-clinching putt for the United States in 2023 at the Old Course at St Andrews and represented the U.S. in two Palmer Cups and a World Amateur Team Championship. He is the second men's golfer to win a Patterson Medal and the second in as many years (Austin Greaser in 2024).
"David Ford is one of a kind," says head coach Andrew DiBitetto. "He's elite in all areas of life and is truly special. He rewrote the Carolina record books, but as good as he was on the course, he's even better off the course. He's a phenomenal student, and it's hard to find a better teammate and person than David. He's extremely disciplined, kind, consistent, competitive, thoughtful, humble and grateful. We are proud of him and appreciate all that he did for our program and the University of North Carolina."He shattered nearly every standard in the Carolina record book, including single-season marks as a senior for scoring average (68.78), combined score to par (-89), combined score to par per round (-2.47) and rounds in the 60s (25); and career records for scoring (70.13), combined score to par (-162), combined score to par per round (-1.13), rounds in the 60s (66) and match play victories (10).
Ford was the first Tar Heel to win three consecutive tournaments and equaled Dustin Bray's career record for wins with seven. He helped UNC win 17 team tournaments, finish in the top five in the NCAA Championships an unprecedented three straight seasons and win the 2024 ACC Championship.
His 68.78 average in 2024-25 topped the previous UNC record by nearly a stroke and was the fourth-best in NCAA single-season history. He finished his career No. 2 in ACC history and No. 6 in NCAA history in scoring average. He was one of only three Tar Heels ever to shoot under par in their career (-162) and finished 128 strokes further under par than any other player in UNC history.
Ford made the Walker Cup-clinching putt for the United States in 2023 at the Old Course at St Andrews and represented the U.S. in two Palmer Cups and a World Amateur Team Championship. He is the second men's golfer to win a Patterson Medal and the second in as many years (Austin Greaser in 2024).
Vázquez Montaño won both the 1- and 3-meter NCAA diving championships in 2023 and 2024, becoming the second diver in ACC history, and the first women's diver, to win four NCAA titles.
The two-time member of the Mexico Olympic Team (2020 and 2024) tied track and field thrower Laura Gerraughty and distance runner Shalane Flanagan for the second-most individual NCAA titles ever by a female Tar Heel athlete (trailing only swimmer Sue Walsh's eight).
Vázquez Montaño was an eight-time ACC champion and was named the Most Valuable Women's Diver at the ACC Championships in 2023, 2024 and 2025. She tied ACC records by winning the 1-meter and 3-meter titles three times apiece and added a pair of titles in platform diving.
She holds the Tar Heel records in all three disciplines, totaling 379.25 points on the 1 meter in 2023, 409.60 on 3 meters in 2023 and 337.10 on platform in 2021. She also holds the ACC Championship record in 1-meter diving.
Vázquez Montaño earned 11 All-America honors, including five first-team awards, and was selected ACC Women's Diver of the Week 18 times. She is the first Tar Heel diver, male or female, to win the Patterson Medal and the third member of the women's swimming and diving team to win the award (Bonny Brown in 1980, Sue Walsh in 1984 and Katie Hathaway in 2002).
"Aranza represents everything we hope for as a Tar Heel — excellence, humility and relentless drive," says head coach Mark Gangloff. "Her impact on our program goes far beyond the records and titles. She elevated the standard of what's possible here, inspired her teammates daily and led with quiet strength and unmatched consistency. Aranza will be remembered not only as one of the greatest divers in UNC history but as someone whose legacy will shape our program for years to come."
Strand and Wolfe led Carolina to the 2023 ACC Cross Country championship (UNC's first since 1985), the 2024 ACC Indoor title (its first in 28 years) and back-to-back top-10 finishes in the NCAA Indoor Championships (fifth in 2024 and tied for eighth in 2025). They are the only men's track and field athletes to win ACC Indoor and Outdoor Athlete-of-the-Year awards in the same year and were the first Tar Heel semifinalists for the Bowerman Award, the USTFCCCA's top award.
They are the first men's track and field athletes to win Patterson Medals since hurdler Kenny Selmon in 2018 and the first distance runners since Tony Waldrop in 1974.
"Parker and Ethan are two of the greatest distance runners in collegiate history and will undoubtedly be the next great Americans on the world and Olympic stage," says head coach Chris Miltenberg. "What makes their journey so special is that they've done it together every step of the way. Neither would have reached these heights without the other — and that partnership will only continue as they train side by side as professional athletes. They've been the driving force behind the rise of our entire program and have left an indelible mark on Carolina track and field."
Strand was the 2025 NCAA champion in the indoor 3,000 and became the first ever to break collegiate records in the indoor mile and 3,000 in the same season. He was the national runner-up as a senior in the indoor distance medley relay and the outdoor 1,500.
A five-time ACC champion, Strand became the first Tar Heel and only the fourth in ACC men's track history to win the outdoor 1,500 three times. He also won the indoor 3,000 in 2023 and the indoor 5,000 in 2025 and placed second in the 2024 ACC Cross Country Championship.
He was a seven-time All-America (five times first team), the 2025 ACC Men's Indoor and Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, 2025 USTFCAA National & Southeast Region Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, three-time national track athlete of the week (twice indoor, once outdoor) and 2025 ACC Indoor Track Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Strand ran the second-fastest outdoor 1,500 in NCAA history, setting the ACC/UNC records in 3:33.22. He also set UNC records in the indoor mile, 3,000 and DMR and the outdoor 1,500, the ACC meet record in winning the indoor 5,000 in 2025 and teamed with Wolfe as members of the indoor distance medley relay that set an unratified American record. He is the third-ranked indoor miler in U.S. history.
"Ethan is one of the most relentless and fierce competitors you'll ever meet," says Miltenberg. "His journey didn't begin with immediate success — he faced significant setbacks early in his collegiate career but never wavered in his belief that he could become one of the best in the NCAA and, ultimately, the world. Through his unwavering determination and deep love for competition, he's established himself — alongside Parker — as one of the next great American distance runners on the global stage. He elevated everyone around him, and I have no doubt he will continue to rise as one of the world's very best in the next phase of his career."
Wolfe, the 2024 NCAA champion in the outdoor 5,000, was the first four-time men's cross country All-America in UNC history and is the only individual to win ACC Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Performer-of-the-Year Awards in the same academic year (2023-24). He ran the second-fastest indoor 3,000 and eighth-fastest outdoor 5,000 in NCAA history.
He placed second in the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championship in the 3,000 and 5,000, becoming the first Tar Heel to medal in two events in the same year. He was a member of UNC's distance medley relay that finished second in the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championship
Wolfe won seven ACC titles (one cross country, two indoor and four outdoor), becoming the only individual to win the ACC 5,000 and 10,000 in consecutive seasons, and was a two-time ACC Meet MVP (2024 Indoor and 2025 Outdoor). He is the all-time ACC and ACC meet record holder in the outdoor 5,000.
A 11-time All-America (four cross country, five indoor and two outdoor), Wolfe was twice named ACC Cross Country Runner of the Year, a two-time USTFCCCA Southeast Region Cross Country Athlete of the Year, 2024 USTFCCCA Southeast Region Outdoor Athlete of the Year and won national track athlete-of-the-week honors four times.
He placed third in the 5,000 in a UNC-record time in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials.
"Parker made an immediate impact as a freshman, becoming one of the few athletes in NCAA history to earn All-America honors in cross country all four years," says Miltenberg. "He showed our entire team that we could compete with the very best in the country. Parker will forever be the pivotal figure who broke that ceiling for our program — and we've never looked back. He is one of the most fiercely driven and competitive athletes I've ever coached, with a relentless will to win. As he enters the next phase of his career, I have no doubt Parker will become one of the very best distance runners in the world."
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