From the Quad
2/15/2023 3:44:00 PM | General
Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Good Afternoon Demon Deacon Nation,
Sadly, today's From the Quad must begin with an expression of our heartfelt support for our colleagues at Michigan State as we extend our thoughts and prayers to the victims & their families from Monday's tragedy in East Lansing. I've connected with my good friend, MSU AD Alan Haller to let him know our entire Wake Forest family stands in solidarity with everyone impacted by this tragedy.
We remember our commitment to help one another as we transition to our updates.
Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Reminds Us of Everlasting Impact
Our latest Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony last Friday featured a star-studded group of five legendary Demon Deacons. This event truly reminds us why it is so important to strive each day to provide a World Class Student-Athlete Experience for our young men and women as we are creating a lasting impact on their lives during their time on our beautiful Reynolda Campus.
While each speech from our honorees evoked many emotions, two comments really stood out to me that I wanted to share with you today.
All-American and 2007 NCAA Champion men's soccer alum Sam Cronin spoke about the many people who have impacted his life in a positive way, but the aforementioned title and all his on-field success is not what he remembers most about his time at Wake Forest. Rather, it is the close bonds he created with his coaches and teammates that he holds most dearly now.
Additionally on that note, Aaron Curry, who is the only Demon Deacon to ever win the Dick Butkus Award and helped our football program win the 2006 ACC Championship, held back tears as he shared that opportunities in his life are limitless due to his experience at Wake Forest.
William Hessmer, Nikeya Green and Cory Parr all echoed those sentiments in their own way during their moving speeches. This annual ceremony is one of my favorite moments each year as our community comes together to celebrate the historic careers of legendary Deacs.
Demon Deacons Golf Bring Trophies Back to Winston-Salem as Spring Campaign Begins
As I was finishing this letter today, Coach Kim Lewellen and our women's golf program captured their second-straight team title at the Nexus Collegiate in the Bahamas! They entered today's competition with a double-digit stroke lead and Lauren Walsh finished the tourney as one of just two competitors to finish under-par. Not to be outdone, our men's program won the Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase just 48 hours ago!
Meanwhile, just over a week ago on Feb. 7 and for just the second time in the illustrious program history of the Wake Forest men's and women's golf programs, both teams captured team titles on the same day. Coach Jerry Haas' men's team claimed their first title of the season as the Deacs won the Battle at Briar's Creek by nine strokes in Johns Island, S.C. and our women's team dominated the UCF Challenge and recorded a program-record 42-under-par score, which is a top 5 final record tally in NCAA history. Additionally for the men in that tournament, senior Mark Power claimed individual medalist honors.
Basketball Deacs Hit the Road for Big ACC Contests
Coach Megan Gebbia's women's basketball team to the court tomorrow at Georgia Tech for a 7 p.m. tipoff on ACC Network Extra! Our team is a stellar 11-2 at home and has already earned more conference victories than we had all of last season with four games left until the ACC Tourney in Greensboro. Following the game in Atlanta, Wake Forest heads to Chapel Hill for a 4 p.m. game at North Carolina that will broadcasted on ACCN.
Meanwhile, Coach Steve Forbes and our men's basketball team are on a well-deserved bye this week coming off three-straight wins over Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Georgia Tech. Our squad sits in sixth place in the conference standings with five games remaining in the regular season as we fight for an upper-league finish and a high seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament in Greensboro, presented by New York Life. While we are at Miami on Saturday for a 2 p.m. tipoff (watch here), the Deacs head down Tobacco Road on Wednesday next week for a 9 p.m. contest at NC State.
Remember, if you are in the area when the Deacs are on the road, even a handful of passionate fans wearing the Old Gold & Black and showing their support can make a difference! Visit our resale partner Stubhub or the NC State Ticket Office for your tickets a week from tonight and I'll see you in PNC Arena!
Additionally, remember the 'One More Rule' and don't miss out on our final four home basketball games inside Joel Coliseum beginning with our women's team competing against Florida State on Feb. 23 at 6 p.m., which will be followed by our men's squad hosting Notre Dame on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. Our students have taken this motto to heart as we have brought the tie-dye shirts back and rolled the quad following some memorable victories!
Tyree Appleby Seizes NIL Opportunities; New "Shirseys" On Sale Now
Speaking of basketball, on a week when Tyree Appleby crossed the 2,000 point barrier for his collegiate career and he earned ACC and National Player of the Week accolades, you may have also seen him expanding his reach on your television screens or social media feeds.
This is a great example of how local companies in Winston-Salem and the Triad community are utilizing the new Name, Image & Likeness legislation to further their brands through now permissible deals with Demon Deacon student-athletes. While these young men and women capitalize on their NIL, they are learning about business and furthering their own brands.
To assist all student-athletes in accessing NIL opportunities, Wake Forest Athletics has facilitated the DEACTOWN Marketplace powered by Opendorse and a group licensing agreement with Brandr that enables student-athletes to benefit through personalized merchandise sales, such as "shirseys" co-branded with the player's last name and the "WF" logo.
Shirsey's are now available for baseball, women's soccer, men's soccer, field hockey and volleyball, and there is a new opportunity as well for unique merchandise through Athletes Thread! These, along with collectives such as "Roll the Quad," are important ways fans can support Wake Forest student-athletes.
In addition to contacting student-athletes directly through DEACTOWN Marketplace, if your business is interested in harnessing the brand power and dynamic personalities of Wake Forest student-athletes in advancing your business, contact Sr. Associate AD's Arin Dunn (dunna@wfu.edu) or Daren Koudele (koudeld@wfu.edu) and they will work with you to understand your needs and help facilitate potential student-athlete matches.
In line with taking advantage of opportunities, watch this tremendous video recap of our eight student-athletes that attended a career trek at Truist in Charlotte a few weeks ago! The comments from leaders at Truist on this LinkedIn thread remind us how impactful student-athletes can be as they showcase their limitless potential!
Welcome to Wake Forest, Banks Shepherd!
While we're on the topic of adding Value to Wake Forest, Winston-Salem and Triad Community, please join me in welcoming Banks Shepherd as our new Wake Forest Sports Properties General Manager through LEARFIELD.
We appreciate the diligence of Joe Baldini and his colleagues in identifying Banks and bringing him to Winston-Salem. His creativity and energy throughout the interview process gives us great confidence that he will have a big impact on delivering value to our partners while we continue to strive towards our goals of a World Class Student-Athlete Experience and delivering the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina.
If your company or business would like to become a partner of Wake Forest Athletics, please reach out to Banks directly (bshepherd@learfield.com // 336-896-9719).
Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum to Host WSSU Doubleheader on Saturday
Both Demon Deacons hoops squads are on the road this weekend, but we'll still have some great hometown basketball action inside Joel Coliseum on Saturday as we host our Winston-Salem State University colleagues for the Rams' Senior Day doubleheader.
The twinbill featuring the Rams women's and men's squads facing off against Livingstone College is set for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively, with doors opening an hour prior to tipoff. Tickets are on sale now here.
WSSU AD Etienne Thomas is doing an incredible job of elevating the profile of Rams Athletics and LJVM Coliseum is the perfect venue to enable as many fans as possible to experience this great moment for their seniors. In keeping with our goal of providing Value to Winston-Salem and the Triad Community, Wake Forest, together with our ASM Global partners, is honored to have the opportunity to host Coach Lamonte & Coach Hill's squads - Go Rams!
Dr. Derek Greenfield To Speak to Wake Forest Student-Athletes, Coaches and Staff
With Black History Month underway, we are excited to welcome Dr. Derek Greenfield to our campus next week to visit with our Wake Forest Athletics coaches, staff and student-athletes. I've had the pleasure of being in his audience several times and Dr. Greenfield's dynamic and interactive approach, creative ideas, and sense of humor, helps break down barriers and enables productive conversations about bias and inclusion. Intentionally expanding our perspectives is another way we help support our student-athletes.
Black History Month has featured some excellent topical stories in our Deacon Sports Xtra, including 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 DSX (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.
Play Ball! Baseball Season Begins Friday, First Pitch Set for 4PM at Couch Ballpark
Eleven-game winner and preseason All-America ace Rhett Lowder will toe the rubber on "Opening Day'' this Friday at the Couch for a 4 p.m. first pitch. Deacon Nation and college baseball fans across the state of North Carolina have the opportunity to select from expanded options, including new reserved chairback seating, multiple premium season ticket options, and general admission tickets to catch all 33 home contests inside David F. Couch Ballpark.
Opening weekend at the Couch includes games against Youngstown State and the Big Ten's Illinois on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As the weather continues to warm up, come catch some of the action of our top-five ranked Demon Deacons this spring!
From the Quad Big 3
Before we close, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
Remember to send your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to me at wfuad@wfu.edu, and …
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
Good Afternoon Demon Deacon Nation,
Sadly, today's From the Quad must begin with an expression of our heartfelt support for our colleagues at Michigan State as we extend our thoughts and prayers to the victims & their families from Monday's tragedy in East Lansing. I've connected with my good friend, MSU AD Alan Haller to let him know our entire Wake Forest family stands in solidarity with everyone impacted by this tragedy.
We remember our commitment to help one another as we transition to our updates.
Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Reminds Us of Everlasting Impact
Our latest Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony last Friday featured a star-studded group of five legendary Demon Deacons. This event truly reminds us why it is so important to strive each day to provide a World Class Student-Athlete Experience for our young men and women as we are creating a lasting impact on their lives during their time on our beautiful Reynolda Campus.
While each speech from our honorees evoked many emotions, two comments really stood out to me that I wanted to share with you today.
All-American and 2007 NCAA Champion men's soccer alum Sam Cronin spoke about the many people who have impacted his life in a positive way, but the aforementioned title and all his on-field success is not what he remembers most about his time at Wake Forest. Rather, it is the close bonds he created with his coaches and teammates that he holds most dearly now.
Additionally on that note, Aaron Curry, who is the only Demon Deacon to ever win the Dick Butkus Award and helped our football program win the 2006 ACC Championship, held back tears as he shared that opportunities in his life are limitless due to his experience at Wake Forest.
William Hessmer, Nikeya Green and Cory Parr all echoed those sentiments in their own way during their moving speeches. This annual ceremony is one of my favorite moments each year as our community comes together to celebrate the historic careers of legendary Deacs.
Demon Deacons Golf Bring Trophies Back to Winston-Salem as Spring Campaign Begins
As I was finishing this letter today, Coach Kim Lewellen and our women's golf program captured their second-straight team title at the Nexus Collegiate in the Bahamas! They entered today's competition with a double-digit stroke lead and Lauren Walsh finished the tourney as one of just two competitors to finish under-par. Not to be outdone, our men's program won the Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase just 48 hours ago!
Meanwhile, just over a week ago on Feb. 7 and for just the second time in the illustrious program history of the Wake Forest men's and women's golf programs, both teams captured team titles on the same day. Coach Jerry Haas' men's team claimed their first title of the season as the Deacs won the Battle at Briar's Creek by nine strokes in Johns Island, S.C. and our women's team dominated the UCF Challenge and recorded a program-record 42-under-par score, which is a top 5 final record tally in NCAA history. Additionally for the men in that tournament, senior Mark Power claimed individual medalist honors.
Basketball Deacs Hit the Road for Big ACC Contests
Coach Megan Gebbia's women's basketball team to the court tomorrow at Georgia Tech for a 7 p.m. tipoff on ACC Network Extra! Our team is a stellar 11-2 at home and has already earned more conference victories than we had all of last season with four games left until the ACC Tourney in Greensboro. Following the game in Atlanta, Wake Forest heads to Chapel Hill for a 4 p.m. game at North Carolina that will broadcasted on ACCN.
Meanwhile, Coach Steve Forbes and our men's basketball team are on a well-deserved bye this week coming off three-straight wins over Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Georgia Tech. Our squad sits in sixth place in the conference standings with five games remaining in the regular season as we fight for an upper-league finish and a high seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament in Greensboro, presented by New York Life. While we are at Miami on Saturday for a 2 p.m. tipoff (watch here), the Deacs head down Tobacco Road on Wednesday next week for a 9 p.m. contest at NC State.
Remember, if you are in the area when the Deacs are on the road, even a handful of passionate fans wearing the Old Gold & Black and showing their support can make a difference! Visit our resale partner Stubhub or the NC State Ticket Office for your tickets a week from tonight and I'll see you in PNC Arena!
Additionally, remember the 'One More Rule' and don't miss out on our final four home basketball games inside Joel Coliseum beginning with our women's team competing against Florida State on Feb. 23 at 6 p.m., which will be followed by our men's squad hosting Notre Dame on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. Our students have taken this motto to heart as we have brought the tie-dye shirts back and rolled the quad following some memorable victories!
Tyree Appleby Seizes NIL Opportunities; New "Shirseys" On Sale Now
Speaking of basketball, on a week when Tyree Appleby crossed the 2,000 point barrier for his collegiate career and he earned ACC and National Player of the Week accolades, you may have also seen him expanding his reach on your television screens or social media feeds.
This is a great example of how local companies in Winston-Salem and the Triad community are utilizing the new Name, Image & Likeness legislation to further their brands through now permissible deals with Demon Deacon student-athletes. While these young men and women capitalize on their NIL, they are learning about business and furthering their own brands.
To assist all student-athletes in accessing NIL opportunities, Wake Forest Athletics has facilitated the DEACTOWN Marketplace powered by Opendorse and a group licensing agreement with Brandr that enables student-athletes to benefit through personalized merchandise sales, such as "shirseys" co-branded with the player's last name and the "WF" logo.
Shirsey's are now available for baseball, women's soccer, men's soccer, field hockey and volleyball, and there is a new opportunity as well for unique merchandise through Athletes Thread! These, along with collectives such as "Roll the Quad," are important ways fans can support Wake Forest student-athletes.
In addition to contacting student-athletes directly through DEACTOWN Marketplace, if your business is interested in harnessing the brand power and dynamic personalities of Wake Forest student-athletes in advancing your business, contact Sr. Associate AD's Arin Dunn (dunna@wfu.edu) or Daren Koudele (koudeld@wfu.edu) and they will work with you to understand your needs and help facilitate potential student-athlete matches.
In line with taking advantage of opportunities, watch this tremendous video recap of our eight student-athletes that attended a career trek at Truist in Charlotte a few weeks ago! The comments from leaders at Truist on this LinkedIn thread remind us how impactful student-athletes can be as they showcase their limitless potential!
Welcome to Wake Forest, Banks Shepherd!
While we're on the topic of adding Value to Wake Forest, Winston-Salem and Triad Community, please join me in welcoming Banks Shepherd as our new Wake Forest Sports Properties General Manager through LEARFIELD.
We appreciate the diligence of Joe Baldini and his colleagues in identifying Banks and bringing him to Winston-Salem. His creativity and energy throughout the interview process gives us great confidence that he will have a big impact on delivering value to our partners while we continue to strive towards our goals of a World Class Student-Athlete Experience and delivering the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina.
If your company or business would like to become a partner of Wake Forest Athletics, please reach out to Banks directly (bshepherd@learfield.com // 336-896-9719).
Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum to Host WSSU Doubleheader on Saturday
Both Demon Deacons hoops squads are on the road this weekend, but we'll still have some great hometown basketball action inside Joel Coliseum on Saturday as we host our Winston-Salem State University colleagues for the Rams' Senior Day doubleheader.
The twinbill featuring the Rams women's and men's squads facing off against Livingstone College is set for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively, with doors opening an hour prior to tipoff. Tickets are on sale now here.
WSSU AD Etienne Thomas is doing an incredible job of elevating the profile of Rams Athletics and LJVM Coliseum is the perfect venue to enable as many fans as possible to experience this great moment for their seniors. In keeping with our goal of providing Value to Winston-Salem and the Triad Community, Wake Forest, together with our ASM Global partners, is honored to have the opportunity to host Coach Lamonte & Coach Hill's squads - Go Rams!
Dr. Derek Greenfield To Speak to Wake Forest Student-Athletes, Coaches and Staff
With Black History Month underway, we are excited to welcome Dr. Derek Greenfield to our campus next week to visit with our Wake Forest Athletics coaches, staff and student-athletes. I've had the pleasure of being in his audience several times and Dr. Greenfield's dynamic and interactive approach, creative ideas, and sense of humor, helps break down barriers and enables productive conversations about bias and inclusion. Intentionally expanding our perspectives is another way we help support our student-athletes.
Black History Month has featured some excellent topical stories in our Deacon Sports Xtra, including 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 DSX (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.
Play Ball! Baseball Season Begins Friday, First Pitch Set for 4PM at Couch Ballpark
Eleven-game winner and preseason All-America ace Rhett Lowder will toe the rubber on "Opening Day'' this Friday at the Couch for a 4 p.m. first pitch. Deacon Nation and college baseball fans across the state of North Carolina have the opportunity to select from expanded options, including new reserved chairback seating, multiple premium season ticket options, and general admission tickets to catch all 33 home contests inside David F. Couch Ballpark.
Opening weekend at the Couch includes games against Youngstown State and the Big Ten's Illinois on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As the weather continues to warm up, come catch some of the action of our top-five ranked Demon Deacons this spring!
From the Quad Big 3
Before we close, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
- Come see Wake Forest women's tennis battle Big Four foe NC State on Friday at the Indoor Tennis Center or on the Jim Leighton Courts (pending weather) at 4 p.m. Admission is FREE. Our Demon Deacons have won three-straight matches, headlined by the No. 10-ranked doubles team in the country (Anna Brylin and Brooke Killingsworth) and the No. 29 singles player (Casie Wooten). Meanwhile, follow @WakeMTennis for updates from the ITA Nationals on Friday.
- Our 2023 football schedule is now set and with multiple sellouts expected, let's continue to raise the standard together this fall by purchasing season tickets! For questions or assistance, please contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext 1 or tix@wfu.edu.
- Read this inspiring story from our talented colleagues in the Office of Communications & External Relations on women's soccer alum Erin Regan ('02) and her new goal of trying to increase the number of female firefighters.
Remember to send your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to me at wfuad@wfu.edu, and …
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
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