University of North Carolina Athletics
Brantmeier, DeCaro & Heck Earn UNC’S 2026 Patterson Medals
August 4, 2026 | Baseball, Field Hockey, General, Women's Tennis
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – A pair of NCAA champions and a hard-throwing All-America ace on two College World Series teams are the winners of the 2026 Patterson Medals, the University of North Carolina's most prestigious honor for athletics excellence and career achievement.
Women's tennis NCAA champion Reese Brantmeier, field hockey national champion Ryleigh Heck and right-handed pitcher Jason DeCaro are this year's recipients, the 103rd time the Patterson Medals have honored the Tar Heels' top student-athletes.
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 finished their collegiate eligibility.
Brantmeier, a senior from Whitewater, Wis., won the NCAA singles championship in 2025, was a member of Carolina's 2023 NCAA champions, 2023 ITA indoor national champions and 2024 and 2025 ACC championship teams.
She is the first Tar Heel women's tennis player to win 10 ITA All-America honors, was the second NCAA singles champion in Carolina women's tennis history and the fifth women's tennis player to win a Patterson Medal.
In addition to winning the NCAA singles title last fall, Brantmeier placed second in doubles in 2023 and won the ITA fall singles and doubles titles in 2023.
She compiled 85 singles wins and 98 doubles wins, was the ACC Player of the Year in 2025 and 2026, earned four All-ACC honors and was the ACC Championship MVP in 2025.
Brantmeier excelled in the classroom, earning first-team Academic All-America honors, the NCAA Elite Scholar Athlete Award and was the College Sports Communicators Academic Team Member of the Year in both 2025 and 2026.
Brantmeier is the first Tar Heel to win Academic All-America of the Year in a sport twice and joins Hayley Carter (women's tennis), Eric Montross (men's basketball) and Laura Gerraughty (women's track and field) as the fourth Tar Heel to earn first-team All-America honors competitively and academically in multiple seasons.
In 2026, she was ITA National and Regional Senior Player of the Year and won the Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award. She also was the 2024 ITA and 2025 ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
"Reese epitomizes a true student-athlete," says head coach Brian Kalbas. "She has accomplished everything on and off the tennis court, winning an NCAA singles title, a team NCAA title and earning entry into the US Open main draw. She was our program's first Elite 90 winner and won the award twice. 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."
DeCaro is a junior from North Port, N.Y. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected him in the third round of the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft.
He helped lead the Tar Heels to the Men's College World Series in 2024 and 2026 and an ACC Tournament championship in 2025.
Over three seasons, he went 26-7 with an earned run average of 3.46. He allowed a .236 batting average and is the first pitcher to strike out 200 or more batters under head coach Scott Forbes, punching out 247 in 270.1 innings.
DeCaro went 6-1, 9-3 and 11-3 in his three seasons and is tied for eighth all-time at UNC with 26 wins.
He earned first-team All-America honors in 2026, was a three-time All-ACC honoree and was a Freshman All-America in 2024.
His signature outing came at Boshamer Stadium this past June, as the Tar Heels staved off elimination in the NCAA Super Regionals on the strength of DeCaro's complete-game shutout in a 4-0 win over Southern California. He struck out eight, walked one and gave up only two hits. It was the first complete game shutout by a Tar Heel in the NCAA Tournament in 15 seasons.
One week later, DeCaro became the second Tar Heel pitcher to start two College World Series openers. He tied his career high with nine strikeouts in leading Carolina to a 6-2 win over Ole Miss in Game 1 of the 2026 CWS. The nine strikeouts were the second-most by a Tar Heel in a CWS game.
DeCaro is the 19th baseball player to win the Patterson Medal and the first pitcher since Robert Woodard in 2007.
"Jason is an extraordinary pitcher, a big-time competitor and exceptional young man," says head coach Scott Forbes. "He has been a leader in our program and a rock in our pitching rotation for three years, leading us to two College World Series appearances and two ACC championships. 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."
Heck, a senior forward from Ocean City, N.J., is one of the most decorated players in UNC field hockey history. Her No. 12 jersey will be retired after winning National Player-of-the-Year honors in 2023, when she led the Tar Heels to an NCAA title, scoring the game-winning goals in both the ACC and NCAA championship games.
Heck and Erin Matson are the only Carolina field hockey players to win National Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP, earn four All-America and All-ACC honors and make four All-NCAA Tournament and All-ACC Tournament teams.
She and Matson are also the only Tar Heels named All-NCAA Tournament and All-ACC Tournament four times. Heck scored the game-winner in a shootout in the 2023 NCAA final at Karen Shelton Stadium and scored the first Tar Heel goal in a 2-1 victory in the 2022 NCAA championship game.
Heck led Carolina to an 80-6 record, including 36-2 in ACC regular-season and Tournament play, four ACC Tournament titles, two national championships (2022 and 2023) and four Final Four appearances.
She became the fifth Tar Heel to earn All-America and All-ACC honors in each of her four seasons and one of eight to make first-team All-America three times. She was the South Region Player of the Year three times, the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2022, ACC Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 and ACC Tournament MVP in 2023.
Heck is fifth in UNC career scoring with 168 points and seventh in goals with 65. She scored 13 or more goals in each of her four seasons with a career-best 19 as a senior.
Heck is the eighth field hockey player to win the Patterson Medal and the first to play for Matson as head coach (Matson won the award in 2023).
"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," says Matson. "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."
Women's tennis NCAA champion Reese Brantmeier, field hockey national champion Ryleigh Heck and right-handed pitcher Jason DeCaro are this year's recipients, the 103rd time the Patterson Medals have honored the Tar Heels' top student-athletes.
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 finished their collegiate eligibility.
Brantmeier, a senior from Whitewater, Wis., won the NCAA singles championship in 2025, was a member of Carolina's 2023 NCAA champions, 2023 ITA indoor national champions and 2024 and 2025 ACC championship teams.
She is the first Tar Heel women's tennis player to win 10 ITA All-America honors, was the second NCAA singles champion in Carolina women's tennis history and the fifth women's tennis player to win a Patterson Medal.
In addition to winning the NCAA singles title last fall, Brantmeier placed second in doubles in 2023 and won the ITA fall singles and doubles titles in 2023.
She compiled 85 singles wins and 98 doubles wins, was the ACC Player of the Year in 2025 and 2026, earned four All-ACC honors and was the ACC Championship MVP in 2025.
Brantmeier excelled in the classroom, earning first-team Academic All-America honors, the NCAA Elite Scholar Athlete Award and was the College Sports Communicators Academic Team Member of the Year in both 2025 and 2026.
Brantmeier is the first Tar Heel to win Academic All-America of the Year in a sport twice and joins Hayley Carter (women's tennis), Eric Montross (men's basketball) and Laura Gerraughty (women's track and field) as the fourth Tar Heel to earn first-team All-America honors competitively and academically in multiple seasons.
In 2026, she was ITA National and Regional Senior Player of the Year and won the Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award. She also was the 2024 ITA and 2025 ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
"Reese epitomizes a true student-athlete," says head coach Brian Kalbas. "She has accomplished everything on and off the tennis court, winning an NCAA singles title, a team NCAA title and earning entry into the US Open main draw. She was our program's first Elite 90 winner and won the award twice. 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."
DeCaro is a junior from North Port, N.Y. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected him in the third round of the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft.
He helped lead the Tar Heels to the Men's College World Series in 2024 and 2026 and an ACC Tournament championship in 2025.
Over three seasons, he went 26-7 with an earned run average of 3.46. He allowed a .236 batting average and is the first pitcher to strike out 200 or more batters under head coach Scott Forbes, punching out 247 in 270.1 innings.
DeCaro went 6-1, 9-3 and 11-3 in his three seasons and is tied for eighth all-time at UNC with 26 wins.
He earned first-team All-America honors in 2026, was a three-time All-ACC honoree and was a Freshman All-America in 2024.
His signature outing came at Boshamer Stadium this past June, as the Tar Heels staved off elimination in the NCAA Super Regionals on the strength of DeCaro's complete-game shutout in a 4-0 win over Southern California. He struck out eight, walked one and gave up only two hits. It was the first complete game shutout by a Tar Heel in the NCAA Tournament in 15 seasons.
One week later, DeCaro became the second Tar Heel pitcher to start two College World Series openers. He tied his career high with nine strikeouts in leading Carolina to a 6-2 win over Ole Miss in Game 1 of the 2026 CWS. The nine strikeouts were the second-most by a Tar Heel in a CWS game.
DeCaro is the 19th baseball player to win the Patterson Medal and the first pitcher since Robert Woodard in 2007.
"Jason is an extraordinary pitcher, a big-time competitor and exceptional young man," says head coach Scott Forbes. "He has been a leader in our program and a rock in our pitching rotation for three years, leading us to two College World Series appearances and two ACC championships. 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."
Heck, a senior forward from Ocean City, N.J., is one of the most decorated players in UNC field hockey history. Her No. 12 jersey will be retired after winning National Player-of-the-Year honors in 2023, when she led the Tar Heels to an NCAA title, scoring the game-winning goals in both the ACC and NCAA championship games.
Heck and Erin Matson are the only Carolina field hockey players to win National Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP, earn four All-America and All-ACC honors and make four All-NCAA Tournament and All-ACC Tournament teams.
She and Matson are also the only Tar Heels named All-NCAA Tournament and All-ACC Tournament four times. Heck scored the game-winner in a shootout in the 2023 NCAA final at Karen Shelton Stadium and scored the first Tar Heel goal in a 2-1 victory in the 2022 NCAA championship game.
Heck led Carolina to an 80-6 record, including 36-2 in ACC regular-season and Tournament play, four ACC Tournament titles, two national championships (2022 and 2023) and four Final Four appearances.
She became the fifth Tar Heel to earn All-America and All-ACC honors in each of her four seasons and one of eight to make first-team All-America three times. She was the South Region Player of the Year three times, the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2022, ACC Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 and ACC Tournament MVP in 2023.
Heck is fifth in UNC career scoring with 168 points and seventh in goals with 65. She scored 13 or more goals in each of her four seasons with a career-best 19 as a senior.
Heck is the eighth field hockey player to win the Patterson Medal and the first to play for Matson as head coach (Matson won the award in 2023).
"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," says Matson. "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."
Forever proud of the way Reese has represented this program and university. Congrats on an incredible career! 🩵 https://t.co/WC11aGdWis pic.twitter.com/ORvYmdIsws
— Carolina Women's Tennis 🐏🎾 (@UNC_wtennis) August 4, 2026
A dawg from day 1️⃣
— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) August 4, 2026
Jason has exemplified what it means to be a Tar Heel from the moment he stepped on campus. Now he's our 19th Patterson Medal winner thanks to an extraordinaire career in Carolina blue! https://t.co/gLYoAAFlPP pic.twitter.com/cpA39zRFl7
𝐇𝐄𝐂𝐊 𝐘𝐄𝐒 🥳👏
— Carolina Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) August 4, 2026
The legend never stops growing! She is our 8th Patterson Medal winner, recognizing her incredible career in Carolina blue. We are forever proud of you Ry! https://t.co/FtirFuMgvk pic.twitter.com/gg0CaJsUlu
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