Deacons Prepare for Greensboro Invitational
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
September 22, 1998
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Wake Forest men's cross country team will compete in their third meet of the 1998 season this weekend at the Greensboro Invitational in Greensboro, N.C.
The Demon Deacons, led by senior Matt Shady and sophomore Stephan Pro, are looking for another strong showing in this early season race. Head coach John Goodridge will also have a close eye on a number of freshmen runners who are trying to earn a spot among the top eight in the lineup.
SHADY LOOKS TO LEAD THE DEMON DEACONS
Senior Matt Shady looks to 1998 as his chance to be the leader of the Wake Forest's men's cros country squad. With the departure of All-American Nolan Swanson, Shady is the top returning runner from the 1997 team which finished second in the ACC and 25th in the nation.
Shady has been one of the Deacs' top runners to date this season, leading the squad to the finish line at the Tennessee Invitional with a time of 25:58.22 and a seventh place finish individually.
With the addition of a number of new runners to this year's squad, the importance of Shady's leadership and experience cannot be underestimated.
FRESHMEN PERFORM WELL IN DEBUT
The large and talented freshman class will be counted on for solid results this season if the Demon Deacons are going to continue their impressive string of success in cross country. And from the look of early season results, they are well on their way to accomplishing just that.
Last week at the Tennessee Invitational, four of Wake Forest's top eight finishers were freshmen - Mike Altieri (12th, 26:06.61), Sean Nagorny (20th, 26:41.97), Steve O'Brien (24th, 26:47.25), and Garrick Hill (36th, 27:09.15).
The meet, which featured a strong field, gave a first look at what these young runners can accomplish this fall.
DEMON DEACONS LOOK TO CONTINUE ACC SUCCESS
The Wake Forest men's cross country team will look to continue their impressive run of success at the ACC Championships this November. The Demon Deacons have finished either first or second at the ACC meet evey year since 1988, including four ACC titles (1989, 1990, 1993 and 1994).
Wake Forest boasts 33 All-ACC runners in the program's storied history, the second highest figure of any conference school behind only NC State's mark of 36.
Additionally, Wake Forest is the only school to have at least one All-ACC performer in each of the last 10 years. In fact, Wake Forest has placed at least three members on the All-Conference team in eight of the last 10 years.
WAKE FOREST CROSS COUNTRY HISTORY
Both nationally and within the ACC, the words "success" and "Wake Forest Cross Country" have become synonymous over the last decade. Here is a closer look at the Demon Deacons' storied history:
The Demon Deacons have been ranked among the nation's Top 25 teams in each of the last 11 seasons. In seven of the last 10 years, Wake Forest has qualified for the NCAA Championships.
With a 3rd place finish in 1989, Wake Forest holds the ACC record for the highest NCAA finish in conference history.
Four Demon Deacons have earned All-America status: John Hume (1989), Ben Schoonover (1989), Jon Russell (1996) and Nolan Swanson (1998).
