Wake Forest Athletics
Heppenstall Named ACC Freshman of the Year
3/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeTrack)
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Wake Forest men's track and field freshman Robert Heppenstall was named the ACC Men's Indoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year, the conference announced Friday morning. The Hamilton, Ontario native became the Demon Deacons' first-ever recipient of the award.
Heppenstall wrapped up his first indoor season by placing fifth in the 800m dash final at the 2016 NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships last Saturday at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham Ala. to earn First Team All-American honors.
After becoming the school's first ACC champion in the event, Heppenstall qualified for the NCAA final with a 1:47.91 showing in last Friday's preliminary round. He posted a fifth-place finish with a 1:49.06 time in the championship race.
The All-American honor for Heppenstall was the third-ever for a Deacon men's indoor performer and the first since Michael Bingham and Brent LaRue earned the status in 2009 in the 400m and the heptathlon, respectively.
Bingham was the 400m dash national champion and went on to win the ACC Men's Track Performer of the Year. He was the last Deacon to win an ACC postseason honor. The only other Demon Deacon All-American in the 800m was Warren Sherman, who earned the honor outdoors in 1995.
Heppenstall became the Deacons' first-ever ACC champion in the 800m on Feb. 27 with a record-breaking performance at the conference meet at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury Crossing, Mass.
There, he clocked in at 1:47.35 to break the Wake Forest school record, ACC Championships meet record and the Canadian Junior record. The previous league meet record was set in 1998, while the school and Canadian Junior records had stood since 1991.
In regular-season competition, Heppenstall competed in the 800m at two meets, placing third at the Camel City Invitational and second in the Doc Hale Virginia Tech Elite meet.
The rookie also won the mile in his collegiate debut at the JDL College Kick-off Classic in December and helped the Deacs win the distance medley relay at the UNCG Spartan Team Challenge and the 4x400m relay at the Chipotle Marshall Invitational.
The Demon Deacons' outdoor season is underway with the Wake Forest Open at Kentner Stadium. There will be competition on Friday and Saturday.
Players Mentioned
