From the Quad
1/31/2023 11:24:00 AM | General
Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Good Morning Demon Deacon Nation!
It might be the middle of winter, but it's been a white-hot month as January's ACC action comes to a close tonight with a big Tobacco Road men's basketball battle in Durham with our 14-8 (6-5 ACC) Deacs tipping off against the 15-6 (6-4 ACC) Blue Devils inside Cameron Indoor Stadium at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Meanwhile, after being the only ACC women's basketball team to play six of their first nine conference games on the road, Coach Megan Gebbia's women's basketball team came back home last Thursday to score the program's first-ever victory over Louisville as star guard Jewel Spear exploded for 34 points. In the locker room after the game, Coach Gebbia and her staff challenged the team to follow it up - and they sure did! The Deacs delivered a gutty defensive effort to take down Miami on Sunday, moving Wake Forest to 10-1 inside Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum this season. The biggest crowd of our conference slate saw it live inside the Joel and we especially appreciate our collaboration with the Wake Forest University LGBTQ+ Center for their help in putting on our first ever women's basketball Pride Game.
Coach Gebbia and the Deacs are on the road this Thursday at Florida State, tipping at 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra before coming back home on Sunday for a 4 p.m. contest against Clemson. Tickets for Sunday's game start at just $5 as we will celebrate National Girls & Women In Sports Day, which began in 1987 as a special day to recognize women in sports. Our hard-working Fan Experience staff will be giving away 500 NGWSD shirts and the Wake Forest Women's Center will be hosting a tailgate on the concourse!
The last two Saturday men's basketball games have seen great crowds pack Joel Coliseum, and although we've come up short in tough battles against UVA and NC State, we are grateful for the thousands of Wake Forest students and fans who are pouring in the emotional energy to once again raise the intensity of our venerable Coliseum. Last Saturday's contest also featured a special salute to our great former coach, "Gentleman" Carl Tacy, whose family was on hand to recognize the legendary Deacon who passed away during the pandemic. It was also alumni weekend for both programs and it's fun to see the ovations as our former Deacons are recognized on the court.
Sadly, but fittingly, we saluted the legendary Billy Packer last weekend. He was a member of our only Final Four team to this point, an assistant coach who helped change Wake Forest and the ACC for the better when he recruited Demon Deacons great Charlie Davis, and of course, he became nationally renowned for his transformational broadcasting career. Meanwhile, we have recently said farewell to another Wake Forest Hall of Famer, ACC Champion and gridiron great, Win Headley. All of Deacon Nation stands in remembrance of these two esteemed Wake Foresters and extend our condolences and prayers to their families and friends.
Football 2023 Schedule Set - Deacs Set for Pursuit of 8th-Straight Bowl Starting Aug 31.
With a fifth bowl championship in the last seven years behind us, our Fan Experience & Ticket Sales staff is hard at work getting ready for the 2023 season! Plans include an improved Ticket Purchase Assurance plan and more flexibility as we provide the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina.
Following the ACC's announcement last night of our 2023 schedule, fall weekend plans can now come to the forefront as our staff has already coordinated the dates of Homecoming (Oct. 21), Family Weekend (Sept. 23) and Unrivaled Weekend (Sept. 9) through radical collaboration with our campus partners! I encourage you to watch this fun video of our top-returning student-athletes guessing the schedule and start making your plans now! With multiple sellouts expected, the best way to secure your seats is through season tickets! For questions or assistance, please contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext 1 or tix@wfu.edu. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
While we're talking football, it was announced earlier today that a program record 16 Demon Deacons were selected to the All-ACC Academic Team! This marked the second-consecutive season that the program record has been set, totaling 27 honors between the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Additionally, this is the seventh-consecutive year the Demon Deacons have had four or more members on the All-Academic team and the fourth-consecutive season five players garnered honors.
I am so grateful for the leadership of Coach Dave Clawson and his staff for ensuring that our student-athletes are excelling on the field, in the classroom and in the community!
Spring Sports News & Notes
While we are just a few weeks into our spring sport seasons, Demon Deacons student-athletes are already earning big-time wins and showing how all the hard work they put in during the offseason with our talented and dedicated sports performance staff is paying off!
Wake Forest's No. 10-ranked men's tennis team defeated No. 6 Tennessee inside the Indoor Tennis Center more than a week ago, which you can relive by clicking here. Additionally, the Deacs advanced to the ITA Indoor National Championships last weekend by defeating No. 23 Auburn and Middle Tennessee! Meanwhile, Coach Tony Bresky has passed the legendary Jim Leighton to become Wake Forest's all-time wins leader as a head coach!
On the women's side, Coach Jeff Wyshner's team has captured a pair of early victories over Charlotte and Richmond. Join the Deacs at the Indoor Tennis Center on Sunday as our women's team hosts a pair of matches at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. And remember, admission is FREE! Check out this story on graduate student Anna Brylin being named a team captain.
Indoor track and field program has already competed at three events (see results here) and will host the Camel City Invitational at the JDL Fast Track here in Winston-Salem on Friday and Saturday! Stay tuned to @WakeTrack for news and updates as our student-athletes seek to improve their times in preparation for the ACC Championships at the end of next month!
Men's golf tee'd it up for the first time this spring in California at the Southwestern Invitational yesterday. Following Monday's first round a pair of Demon Deacons sit inside in the top 10!
Finally, we are just over two weeks away from Opening Day at Couch Ballpark for our preseason No. 5-ranked Diamond Deacs, and our No. 2 women's golf program opens their spring season at the UCF Challenge on Sunday.
ASM Global Partnership to Enhance Best Fan Experience in North Carolina
As was shared in our press release earlier today, Wake Forest University has partnered with ASM Global which has assumed the operation of Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. ASM's best-in-class arena and event management expertise is already helping us advance on our goal of providing the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina and continue to deliver on our goal of bringing Value to Wake Forest, Winston-Salem and Triad Communities.
The latter was demonstrated in Monday's announcement about LJVM hosting Winston-Salem State's Senior Day basketball games for men's and women's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 18.
We are confident that ASM Global's entertainment industry connections and reputation will help expand both the quantity and variety of concerts and special events to better serve the citizens of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, while attracting visitors from all over the region and country.
Wake Forest Awarded $30M Lilly Endowment Inc. Grant
Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded Wake Forest a $30.7 million grant to support the University's Program for Leadership and Character and create a national higher education network devoted to educating character.
As President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D. shared with our Board of Trustees last week, our focus on leadership and character reflects Wake Forest's values and aspirations, and it exemplifies our commitment to Pro Humanitate. This grant will enable campus programs to continue to flourish and will also lead the efforts of colleges and universities across the country in developing capacity to provide students with the skills and knowledge to become leaders with integrity.
This program has already helped more than 75 Wake Forest faculty develop new courses and modules on leadership and character that have reached more than 2,700 students. Additionally, it plans to build on that momentum to create teaching resources that can be used by faculty at other colleges and universities. Pro Humanitate at its finest!
Celebrating Wake Forest's 2023 'Building the Dream' Award Winners
For more than two decades, Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University have collaborated to host events honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of those is the annual 'Building the Dream' awards. Both universities present the honor to professors, administrators or students who exemplify Dr. King's qualities and promote diversity within their communities.
Six individuals were recognized a few weeks ago during a joint MLK celebration luncheon. Read about our three award recipients here and I encourage you to read this article where student-athletes from each of our Athletics programs shared what Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy means to them.
Wake Forest Celebrates Black History Month
February is Black History Month and we will be sharing content across all of our platforms throughout the month. Stay tuned to tomorrow's Deacon Sports Xtra story, written by Stephen Czarda, on men's soccer student-athlete Chase Oliver's trip to Selma last summer and the experiences he took away from that. In addition to excellent Black History Month content in the Deacon Sports Xtra (subscribe here), on GoDeacs.com and via all team social media accounts, go to Wake Forest Intercultural Center's website for more Black History Month activities and stories.
Wake Forest Student-Athletes Visit Truist in Charlotte for Career Trek
Eight student-athletes (Chase Jones, Football; Michael Jurgens, Football; DeVonte Gordon, Football; Malik Mustapha, Football; Taylor Morin, Football; Garrison Tubbs, Men's Soccer; Kaia Harrison, Women's Basketball; Olivia Summiel, Women's Basketball), through the leadership and coordination of Sr. Associate AD Arin Dunn, were provided a meaningful experiential learning opportunity at Truist in Charlotte to young men and women who have a career interest in the financial space.
This group was able to establish relationships for potential internship and career opportunities! Stay tuned to our social media feeds for a complete video recap with inspiring messages shared by our partners at Truist in the coming days! With that, I want to thank Truist for their hospitality and for making it a meaningful experience for our student-athletes!
From the Quad Big 3
Before we close, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
Finally, remember the lasting memories we are creating each day for our students through our collective support of Wake Forest University. I look forward to seeing you at a ballgame soon, and as always, send your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to me at wfuad@wfu.edu, and …
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
Good Morning Demon Deacon Nation!
It might be the middle of winter, but it's been a white-hot month as January's ACC action comes to a close tonight with a big Tobacco Road men's basketball battle in Durham with our 14-8 (6-5 ACC) Deacs tipping off against the 15-6 (6-4 ACC) Blue Devils inside Cameron Indoor Stadium at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Meanwhile, after being the only ACC women's basketball team to play six of their first nine conference games on the road, Coach Megan Gebbia's women's basketball team came back home last Thursday to score the program's first-ever victory over Louisville as star guard Jewel Spear exploded for 34 points. In the locker room after the game, Coach Gebbia and her staff challenged the team to follow it up - and they sure did! The Deacs delivered a gutty defensive effort to take down Miami on Sunday, moving Wake Forest to 10-1 inside Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum this season. The biggest crowd of our conference slate saw it live inside the Joel and we especially appreciate our collaboration with the Wake Forest University LGBTQ+ Center for their help in putting on our first ever women's basketball Pride Game.
Coach Gebbia and the Deacs are on the road this Thursday at Florida State, tipping at 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra before coming back home on Sunday for a 4 p.m. contest against Clemson. Tickets for Sunday's game start at just $5 as we will celebrate National Girls & Women In Sports Day, which began in 1987 as a special day to recognize women in sports. Our hard-working Fan Experience staff will be giving away 500 NGWSD shirts and the Wake Forest Women's Center will be hosting a tailgate on the concourse!
The last two Saturday men's basketball games have seen great crowds pack Joel Coliseum, and although we've come up short in tough battles against UVA and NC State, we are grateful for the thousands of Wake Forest students and fans who are pouring in the emotional energy to once again raise the intensity of our venerable Coliseum. Last Saturday's contest also featured a special salute to our great former coach, "Gentleman" Carl Tacy, whose family was on hand to recognize the legendary Deacon who passed away during the pandemic. It was also alumni weekend for both programs and it's fun to see the ovations as our former Deacons are recognized on the court.
Sadly, but fittingly, we saluted the legendary Billy Packer last weekend. He was a member of our only Final Four team to this point, an assistant coach who helped change Wake Forest and the ACC for the better when he recruited Demon Deacons great Charlie Davis, and of course, he became nationally renowned for his transformational broadcasting career. Meanwhile, we have recently said farewell to another Wake Forest Hall of Famer, ACC Champion and gridiron great, Win Headley. All of Deacon Nation stands in remembrance of these two esteemed Wake Foresters and extend our condolences and prayers to their families and friends.
Football 2023 Schedule Set - Deacs Set for Pursuit of 8th-Straight Bowl Starting Aug 31.
With a fifth bowl championship in the last seven years behind us, our Fan Experience & Ticket Sales staff is hard at work getting ready for the 2023 season! Plans include an improved Ticket Purchase Assurance plan and more flexibility as we provide the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina.
Following the ACC's announcement last night of our 2023 schedule, fall weekend plans can now come to the forefront as our staff has already coordinated the dates of Homecoming (Oct. 21), Family Weekend (Sept. 23) and Unrivaled Weekend (Sept. 9) through radical collaboration with our campus partners! I encourage you to watch this fun video of our top-returning student-athletes guessing the schedule and start making your plans now! With multiple sellouts expected, the best way to secure your seats is through season tickets! For questions or assistance, please contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext 1 or tix@wfu.edu. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
While we're talking football, it was announced earlier today that a program record 16 Demon Deacons were selected to the All-ACC Academic Team! This marked the second-consecutive season that the program record has been set, totaling 27 honors between the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Additionally, this is the seventh-consecutive year the Demon Deacons have had four or more members on the All-Academic team and the fourth-consecutive season five players garnered honors.
I am so grateful for the leadership of Coach Dave Clawson and his staff for ensuring that our student-athletes are excelling on the field, in the classroom and in the community!
Spring Sports News & Notes
While we are just a few weeks into our spring sport seasons, Demon Deacons student-athletes are already earning big-time wins and showing how all the hard work they put in during the offseason with our talented and dedicated sports performance staff is paying off!
Wake Forest's No. 10-ranked men's tennis team defeated No. 6 Tennessee inside the Indoor Tennis Center more than a week ago, which you can relive by clicking here. Additionally, the Deacs advanced to the ITA Indoor National Championships last weekend by defeating No. 23 Auburn and Middle Tennessee! Meanwhile, Coach Tony Bresky has passed the legendary Jim Leighton to become Wake Forest's all-time wins leader as a head coach!
On the women's side, Coach Jeff Wyshner's team has captured a pair of early victories over Charlotte and Richmond. Join the Deacs at the Indoor Tennis Center on Sunday as our women's team hosts a pair of matches at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. And remember, admission is FREE! Check out this story on graduate student Anna Brylin being named a team captain.
Indoor track and field program has already competed at three events (see results here) and will host the Camel City Invitational at the JDL Fast Track here in Winston-Salem on Friday and Saturday! Stay tuned to @WakeTrack for news and updates as our student-athletes seek to improve their times in preparation for the ACC Championships at the end of next month!
Men's golf tee'd it up for the first time this spring in California at the Southwestern Invitational yesterday. Following Monday's first round a pair of Demon Deacons sit inside in the top 10!
Finally, we are just over two weeks away from Opening Day at Couch Ballpark for our preseason No. 5-ranked Diamond Deacs, and our No. 2 women's golf program opens their spring season at the UCF Challenge on Sunday.
ASM Global Partnership to Enhance Best Fan Experience in North Carolina
As was shared in our press release earlier today, Wake Forest University has partnered with ASM Global which has assumed the operation of Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. ASM's best-in-class arena and event management expertise is already helping us advance on our goal of providing the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina and continue to deliver on our goal of bringing Value to Wake Forest, Winston-Salem and Triad Communities.
The latter was demonstrated in Monday's announcement about LJVM hosting Winston-Salem State's Senior Day basketball games for men's and women's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 18.
We are confident that ASM Global's entertainment industry connections and reputation will help expand both the quantity and variety of concerts and special events to better serve the citizens of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, while attracting visitors from all over the region and country.
Wake Forest Awarded $30M Lilly Endowment Inc. Grant
Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded Wake Forest a $30.7 million grant to support the University's Program for Leadership and Character and create a national higher education network devoted to educating character.
As President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D. shared with our Board of Trustees last week, our focus on leadership and character reflects Wake Forest's values and aspirations, and it exemplifies our commitment to Pro Humanitate. This grant will enable campus programs to continue to flourish and will also lead the efforts of colleges and universities across the country in developing capacity to provide students with the skills and knowledge to become leaders with integrity.
This program has already helped more than 75 Wake Forest faculty develop new courses and modules on leadership and character that have reached more than 2,700 students. Additionally, it plans to build on that momentum to create teaching resources that can be used by faculty at other colleges and universities. Pro Humanitate at its finest!
Celebrating Wake Forest's 2023 'Building the Dream' Award Winners
For more than two decades, Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University have collaborated to host events honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of those is the annual 'Building the Dream' awards. Both universities present the honor to professors, administrators or students who exemplify Dr. King's qualities and promote diversity within their communities.
Six individuals were recognized a few weeks ago during a joint MLK celebration luncheon. Read about our three award recipients here and I encourage you to read this article where student-athletes from each of our Athletics programs shared what Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy means to them.
Wake Forest Celebrates Black History Month
February is Black History Month and we will be sharing content across all of our platforms throughout the month. Stay tuned to tomorrow's Deacon Sports Xtra story, written by Stephen Czarda, on men's soccer student-athlete Chase Oliver's trip to Selma last summer and the experiences he took away from that. In addition to excellent Black History Month content in the Deacon Sports Xtra (subscribe here), on GoDeacs.com and via all team social media accounts, go to Wake Forest Intercultural Center's website for more Black History Month activities and stories.
Wake Forest Student-Athletes Visit Truist in Charlotte for Career Trek
Eight student-athletes (Chase Jones, Football; Michael Jurgens, Football; DeVonte Gordon, Football; Malik Mustapha, Football; Taylor Morin, Football; Garrison Tubbs, Men's Soccer; Kaia Harrison, Women's Basketball; Olivia Summiel, Women's Basketball), through the leadership and coordination of Sr. Associate AD Arin Dunn, were provided a meaningful experiential learning opportunity at Truist in Charlotte to young men and women who have a career interest in the financial space.
This group was able to establish relationships for potential internship and career opportunities! Stay tuned to our social media feeds for a complete video recap with inspiring messages shared by our partners at Truist in the coming days! With that, I want to thank Truist for their hospitality and for making it a meaningful experience for our student-athletes!
From the Quad Big 3
Before we close, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
- Join me in congratulating Demon Deacons golf legend Curtis Strange on his upcoming induction into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame! The 2007 World Golf Hall of Fame member captured back-to-back U.S. Open titles in 1988 and 1989, and is just one of just seven men to do so! Speaking of golf, the World Class Old Town Club golf course came in ranked No. 59 in the world in the latest golf rankings!
- Head over to Spry Stadium this spring as our men's and women's soccer programs released their spring schedules last week! Meanwhile, join me in congratulating Roald Mitchell on being named to the U.S. U-20 Men's Youth National Team Camp last month and Giovanna DeMarco being selected by San Diego Wave FC in the NWSL Draft.
- Make a commitment today to bring a group of friends, neighbors or colleagues to a Demon Deacons football game this fall. Remember the One More Rule - and start making your plans to catch the Deacs live one more time in 2023 than you did in 2022.
Finally, remember the lasting memories we are creating each day for our students through our collective support of Wake Forest University. I look forward to seeing you at a ballgame soon, and as always, send your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to me at wfuad@wfu.edu, and …
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
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Players Mentioned
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