Wake Forest Athletics
Seven Deacs Named to All-ACC Academic Team
6/27/2018 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeTrack)
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Seven members of the Wake Forest track and field team were named to the 2018 All-ACC Academic Team, the conference announced Wednesday.
Robert Heppenstall, Elijah Shalaway, Jordan Banks, Alexandria Florent, Sam Halvorsen, Rachel Kern and Mimi Smith were all honored for their achievements both inside the classroom and in competition.
Minimum academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one's academic career for undergraduate students. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team.
Heppenstall, a junior from Ontario, Canada, earned his sixth-career All-American honor after finishing eighth in the 800m at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships earlier this month. This is the fifth conference academic honor for the communication major, including his third All-ACC Academic Outdoor Team accolade.
Shalaway, a sophomore from Barto, Pennsylvania, is receiving academic team honors for the second time in his career. Shalway finished fifth in the javelin at the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, earning Second Team All-ACC honors. The English major also finished 16th at the NCAA East Preliminary, an improvement from his 37th-place finish last season.
Banks, a communication major from Woodbridge, Virginia, is receiving academic honors for the first time in her career. The senior finished sixth and earned Second Team All-ACC honors in the heptathlon at the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Her career-high 5,149 points is fifth on the Wake Forest all-time performers list.
A Santa Clarita, California native, Florent is earning All-ACC Academic Team honors for the second time in her career. The junior, majoring in sociology, tied for sixth in the high jump at the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, earning Second Team All-ACC honors.
Halvorsen, an English major, had a breakout season on the track that culminated in Second Team All-America honors. The sophomore from Ridgewood, New Jersey, finished 16th in the 10,000m run at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships earlier this month. She was the first Wake Forest NCAA qualifier and All-American in the women's 10k since Annie Bersagel in 2005.
Kern, a freshman from Farmingdale, New Jersey, had a stellar freshman campaign that saw a second-place finish and First Team All-ACC honors in the javelin at the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Kern finished 30th in the javelin at the NCAA East Preliminary and currently sits third on the Wake Forest all-time performers list.
A Wilmette, Illinois native, Smith is receiving All-ACC Academic Team honors in track and field for the first time in her career. The junior health and exercise science major has earned the honor twice in cross country. This season, Smith earned Second Team All-ACC honors in the 10,000m run at the ACC Track and Field Championships this season and finished 17th in the event at the NCAA East Preliminary.
Players Mentioned
