Wake Forest Athletics

Douglass and Specht Named ACC Performers of the Week
10/11/2023 9:56:00 AM | Cross Country
The Demon Deacons swept the league’s weekly honors after a solid performance last weekend.
CHARLOTTE – Following a pair of top-10 individual finishes at the Royals XC Challenge Friday, junior Emma Douglass and sophomore Paul Specht were tabbed ACC Performers of the Week, as announced by the league office Wednesday.
With the honors, Wake Forest became the first school to have both programs garner Performer of the Week accolades in the same week since Syracuse achieved the distinction on Sept. 12. Additionally, the Demon Deacons became one of only four schools to have both the Men's and Women's Performer of the Week simultaneously in the last three seasons.
In her first race of the 2023 campaign, Douglass clocked an impressive 18:04.14 in the 5k, en route to an eighth-place individual finish.
Behind Douglass' impressive performance, the Demon Deacons recorded a sixth-place team finish, marking their third-consecutive top-10 finish to open the 2023 season.
For the men, Specht finished eighth (24:54.19) in the men's 8k, leading the Demon Deacons to a third-place team finish.
Of note, with Specht's nod, he became the first member of the Demon Deacons' men's program to earn the weekly award since Zach Facioni garnered accolades last season.
Up Next
Both squads will face their final regular season test this week as the women will travel to Charlottesville, Va., for the XC23 College & Open Pre-Nationals, while the men will head to Madison, Wisc., for the Nuttycombe Invitational.
Follow The Demon Deacons
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | #GoDeacs
With the honors, Wake Forest became the first school to have both programs garner Performer of the Week accolades in the same week since Syracuse achieved the distinction on Sept. 12. Additionally, the Demon Deacons became one of only four schools to have both the Men's and Women's Performer of the Week simultaneously in the last three seasons.
In her first race of the 2023 campaign, Douglass clocked an impressive 18:04.14 in the 5k, en route to an eighth-place individual finish.
Behind Douglass' impressive performance, the Demon Deacons recorded a sixth-place team finish, marking their third-consecutive top-10 finish to open the 2023 season.
For the men, Specht finished eighth (24:54.19) in the men's 8k, leading the Demon Deacons to a third-place team finish.
Of note, with Specht's nod, he became the first member of the Demon Deacons' men's program to earn the weekly award since Zach Facioni garnered accolades last season.
Up Next
Both squads will face their final regular season test this week as the women will travel to Charlottesville, Va., for the XC23 College & Open Pre-Nationals, while the men will head to Madison, Wisc., for the Nuttycombe Invitational.
Follow The Demon Deacons
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | #GoDeacs
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