Friday, October 30
Cary, N.C.
Men: 10 a.m.; Women: 11 a.m.
Wake Forest University
vs
ACC Cross Country Championships
Photo by: Jaylynn Nash LLC
Wake Forest Cross Country Set for ACC Championship
10/29/2020 11:31:00 AM | Cross Country
The men's race starts at 10 a.m. Friday, followed by the women's race at 11 a.m.
Link to Live Results
Watch the 10 a.m. men's 8k on ACCNX
Watch the 11 a.m. women's 6k on ACCNX
The Wake Forest men's and women's cross country teams are set for Friday's ACC Championship at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.
First, the men's 8k will kick off at 10 a.m., followed by the women's 6k at 11 a.m., and both races will air live on ACCNX.
While it will be just the third meet of the season for Wake Forest, expectations and excitement levels are high for both the men's and women's programs.
"They're pretty fired up," Director of Track & Field and Cross Country John Hayes said. "We're adding a few guys back into the lineup who we haven't seen this season. Everybody's excited to get them back in. The team has trained very hard and done a nice job so far. We've got one COVID test left to pass, and they've done a nice job to stay disciplined and healthy."
"The level of depth and competition in the ACC always presents an exciting challenge for the women and we could not be more excited to race this weekend," women's cross country coach Ashley Bastron said. "In a fall that has felt far from normal, racing at the ACC Championship gives us a glimpse of normalcy again and we are grateful for the opportunity to compete."
Wake Forest last competed on Oct. 16, when Jack Tiernan and Carter Coughlin earned a 1-2 finish and led the Deacs to a win over NC State and North Carolina, while Elise Wright added a third-place finish on the women's side.
"Training has been strong the last two weeks and I'm confident we are a sharper, tougher, and more fit team than we were two weeks ago," Bastron added. "The women will enter this race with fresher legs and a competitive fire that will allow them to compete well against a strong field."
Last year at the ACC Championship in Blacksburg, Virginia, the Wake Forest men finished fifth, fueled by top-10 performances from Zach Facioni and Tiernan. The women were a slot behind in sixth place, with All-ACC finishes from Wright and Samantha Halvorson. This year, Wake Forest will look to build on those finishes and rise even higher in the standings.
"I want to see everyone run to their capability, to be tough, to be courageous, and attack their goals," Hayes said. "They've done the work at this point, and now I just want to see them reap the rewards of all that hard work."
The goals are similar on the women's side. "I want to see the women trust themselves, compete to the best of their abilities, and fight for their teammates when the race gets hard. If they do that, they will run a race they are proud of and walk away knowing they gave everything they had for the team. We can't control what other teams do, but we can control our mindset and our effort," Bastron said.
Due to the pandemic, the third meet of the fall will also be the last. However, the NCAA rescheduled its cross country championship for March and a spring season will begin in late January, overlapping with the indoor track campaign.
"The ACC Championship is always important," Hayes concluded. "I'm very excited and happy to have had this opportunity to compete even in the shortened season we've had. In June, July and even early August, we didn't know if this was going to happen. I feel very fortunate to be part of an athletic department which has made it a priority to allow our kids to compete for a championship."
Watch the 10 a.m. men's 8k on ACCNX
Watch the 11 a.m. women's 6k on ACCNX
The Wake Forest men's and women's cross country teams are set for Friday's ACC Championship at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.
First, the men's 8k will kick off at 10 a.m., followed by the women's 6k at 11 a.m., and both races will air live on ACCNX.
While it will be just the third meet of the season for Wake Forest, expectations and excitement levels are high for both the men's and women's programs.
"They're pretty fired up," Director of Track & Field and Cross Country John Hayes said. "We're adding a few guys back into the lineup who we haven't seen this season. Everybody's excited to get them back in. The team has trained very hard and done a nice job so far. We've got one COVID test left to pass, and they've done a nice job to stay disciplined and healthy."
"The level of depth and competition in the ACC always presents an exciting challenge for the women and we could not be more excited to race this weekend," women's cross country coach Ashley Bastron said. "In a fall that has felt far from normal, racing at the ACC Championship gives us a glimpse of normalcy again and we are grateful for the opportunity to compete."
Wake Forest last competed on Oct. 16, when Jack Tiernan and Carter Coughlin earned a 1-2 finish and led the Deacs to a win over NC State and North Carolina, while Elise Wright added a third-place finish on the women's side.
"Training has been strong the last two weeks and I'm confident we are a sharper, tougher, and more fit team than we were two weeks ago," Bastron added. "The women will enter this race with fresher legs and a competitive fire that will allow them to compete well against a strong field."
Last year at the ACC Championship in Blacksburg, Virginia, the Wake Forest men finished fifth, fueled by top-10 performances from Zach Facioni and Tiernan. The women were a slot behind in sixth place, with All-ACC finishes from Wright and Samantha Halvorson. This year, Wake Forest will look to build on those finishes and rise even higher in the standings.
"I want to see everyone run to their capability, to be tough, to be courageous, and attack their goals," Hayes said. "They've done the work at this point, and now I just want to see them reap the rewards of all that hard work."
The goals are similar on the women's side. "I want to see the women trust themselves, compete to the best of their abilities, and fight for their teammates when the race gets hard. If they do that, they will run a race they are proud of and walk away knowing they gave everything they had for the team. We can't control what other teams do, but we can control our mindset and our effort," Bastron said.
Due to the pandemic, the third meet of the fall will also be the last. However, the NCAA rescheduled its cross country championship for March and a spring season will begin in late January, overlapping with the indoor track campaign.
"The ACC Championship is always important," Hayes concluded. "I'm very excited and happy to have had this opportunity to compete even in the shortened season we've had. In June, July and even early August, we didn't know if this was going to happen. I feel very fortunate to be part of an athletic department which has made it a priority to allow our kids to compete for a championship."
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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