From the Quad
5/8/2023 9:18:00 AM | General
Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Good Morning Demon Deacon Nation,
Springtime in #DEACTOWN means playing for championships and this morning our No. 2 women's golf team is on the tee at the 2023 NCAA Raleigh Regional! Meanwhile, following yet another series victory, this time over No. 17 Boston College in front of the largest three-day crowd in David F. Couch Ballpark history, the now No. 1-ranked (!!) Diamond Deacs are surging down the stretch run of the regular season ACC race.
But before we get to the updates, let's kick off Mother's Day WEEK with early Happy Mother's Day wishes to all the moms in the Wake Forest family, including my wonderful wife Mary Lawrence and my own mother, Madeline. This coming Mother's Day Sunday will also include one of my favorite annual events as we host our student-athlete graduate reception at the Haddock House. The unique get-together honors our student-athlete graduates and their families as this event is a special part of the World Class Student-Athlete Experience we provide.
This graduating class, which includes 105 Demon Deacons from the 2023 spring or summer, and 22 graduates from last fall, has collectively worn the Old Gold and Black in over 1,500 athletic contests, won five ACC Championships, and two individual ACC titles! Bowl victories, NCAA tournament runs, and exciting ACC tournament victories are part of this group's heritage as their accomplishments, character and leadership over the course of their careers upheld the Pro Humanitate motto of our University.
Additionally, this special group of Demon Deacons excelled academically and in the community with 131 Academic ACC honor roll accolades and five ACC Postgraduate Scholarship recipients.
Next Monday morning's commencement ceremony on Hearn Plaza will be special and memorable for all Wake Forest class of 2023 members and their families. We salute the dedicated efforts of our hard working university facilities staff, CER (Communications & External Relations), campus police, advancement, the Provost's office, and many more unsung heroes behind the scenes who make it all happen! This year's keynote address will be given by renowned author, pastor and founder of Recovery Café, K. Killian Noe ('80).
Meanwhile, Demon Deacons basketball head coaches Megan Gebbia and Steve Forbes have been on the road recruiting and will also be out and about this week visiting with fans at the Drive Shack in Raleigh on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and at Steel Hands Brewing on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Click the aforementioned links to RSVP for these fun events by the end of today!
Top-Ranked Diamond Deacs Continue Winning Ways; Mark Your Calendars for Postseason Action
After a successful finals week in the classroom for our baseball student-athletes, strong pitching and timely hitting helped Coach Tom Walter's squad earn another ACC series victory over Boston College at Couch Ballpark. This series was witnessed by a record weekend crowd of 6,155 fans and our team was ranked No. 1 in D1 Baseball's weekly poll for the first time in program history this morning! Be there for our final $5 midweek contest of the regular season as we host UNC Greensboro at 6 p.m. tomorrow night. Additionally by ordering online, fans can save $5 per ticket for our final regular season home series against Virginia Tech (May 18-20). The May 19 game features the return of Friday Night Fireworks!
The Demon Deacons hit the road this weekend for a series in Tallahassee at Florida State (where all contests can be viewed on ACCNX). The Deacs are in the hunt to lock up the No. 1 overall seed for the ACC Baseball Tournament in Durham as well. The complete schedule, dates (May 23-28) and ticket information can be found here. If the Deacs are a top seed, our first game will be on Wednesday, May 25 or Thursday, May 26. Stay tuned to GoDeacs.com and our social media loop platforms for more information at the conclusion of the regular season.
NCAA Tournament action follows as 16 regional host sites will be announced on May 28 and the NCAA Selection show will take place the following day (May 29) at noon ET on ESPN2. As we get closer to those dates we'll have more information about presale opportunities so you can lock up your seats should Wake Forest host a regional inside David F. Couch Ballpark. Four teams will compete in each of the 16 regionals over the weekend of June 2-5. The top eight national seeds are guaranteed to host regionals, and if they advance, they'll host the best of three-game "Super Regionals" series over the weekend of June 9-12. Remember the 'One More Rule' down the stretch as the great environments inside Couch Ballpark have inspired our student-athletes to an astounding 26-2 home record.
Demon Deacons Golf Set for Postseason Action
Wake Forest's quest for a national championship in women's golf begins today as Coach Kim Lewellen's squad is the top seed at the Raleigh Regional. Other teams in the Triangle include ACC opponent Florida State and fellow top 26 teams in Arizona State, Florida and Arizona. Eight-seed and Big Four foe NC State will serve as host of the regional at NC State's Lonnie Poole Golf Course. The top five teams and the low individual on a non-advancing team from each regional will advance to the National Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club (Raptor Course) in Scottsdale, Arizona from May 19-24.
The Demon Deacons tee'd off today at 8 a.m. and you can follow the live scoring along via Golfstat.com. If you are able to attend, admission is free to watch our top-ranked women's squad compete! Remember, even a few passionate fans wearing Old Gold & Black can help propel our student-athletes to a higher competitive level!
Meanwhile, Coach Jerry Haas' men's golf team was selected to the Norman NCAA Regional, which begins one week from today. The Demon Deacons will be the No. 5 seed as they will look to continue their success in regional play after winning the New Haven Regional last year. Different from the women's championship, the low five teams at the Norman Regional and the low individual not on those teams will advance to the NCAA Championships at Greyhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. in late May. The Deacs will be looking to ride their momentum off their ACC Runner-Up finish in Pinehurst, N.C. where Michael Brennan won the ACC Individual Championship.
Tennis Teams Conclude Season in NCAA Tournaments
Speaking of NCAA action, our tennis teams each won their first-round match in the Knoxville Regional this past weekend to advance to the round of 32. Our women's team recorded a comeback win over No. 23 Arizona State while the men dispatched No. 36 Memphis, 4-1. Both squads fell to host Tennessee on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Coach Tony Bresky has led the men to 10-straight NCAA tournaments while Coach Jeff Wyshner's women earned their seventh-consecutive bid this spring.
With its team play officially wrapped for the spring, Wake Forest will soon be represented by four student-athletes in the 2023 NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. Senior Melios Efstathiou will represent the men in the singles championships, while Casie Wooten made the cut for women's singles and Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth earned a place within the women's doubles pool. Individual competition is slated to take place from May 22-27 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida.
Historic Lyons Family Gift Kicks Off New Coaching & Directorship Initiative
In support of our vision of A Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program and to help ensure a future success for Wake Forest's storied golf programs, Rich and Gertrude Lyons have generously given the largest single cash endowment commitment in Wake Forest Athletics history. Their quiet but active leadership within the Wake Forest community will inspire generations of Demon Deacons. I deeply enjoy spending time with Rich and Gertrude whose perspectives and values truly reflect Pro Humanitate.
Two Wake Foresters Earn Fulbright U.S. Scholar, Goldwater Scholar
We are proud to recognize Wake Forest junior and Mullen/Carswell Scholar Shelby Horth who has been named a 2023 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar. She is one of 413 college students from across the U.S. to receive the award for the 2023-24 academic year. Additionally, Abdou Lachgar, who is a professor of chemistry at Wake Forest, has been selected as a 2023-2024 Fulbright U.S. Scholar for Namibia. Lachgar will conduct research and teach in the materials science department at the University of Namibia. Congratulations Shelby and Professor Lachgar!
Welcome to Wake Forest, Brian White!
Wake Forest University has named Brian White its next Vice President and General Counsel beginning July 1. White comes to Wake Forest from the University of Kansas, where he currently serves as vice chancellor for legal affairs and general counsel. He succeeds J. Reid Morgan, who announced his planned retirement in December following a long and distinguished career in service to his alma mater. I enjoyed meeting Brian during his interview trip to Winston-Salem and I have since heard from my counterpart at KU and others about his good work there. Congratulations to President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D. and the members of the search committee for their good work in this important process.
All-ACC Honors for Many Demon Deacons!
As detailed in our last edition of From the Quad, we have experienced so many memorable moments and victories that have brought us to postseason time for all but one of our fall sports. Before we get into those news and notes, I wanted to congratulate our All-ACC honorees from this past week!
Wake Forest women's golfer Rachel Kuehn became the first player in program history to be a two-time ACC Player of the Year! Her storied career is still being written as the Deacs tee off at the Raleigh Regional today, but she is a three-time All-American, leads the team this season with two individual wins, a third-place finish at ACC Championships and a season stroke average of 70.10 over 29 rounds.
Alongside Rachel, Emilia Migliaccio, Lauren Walsh, Carolina Chacarra and Mimi Rhodes all earned a spot on the All-ACC Team. This marked the first time in program history that all five lineup players have earned All-League honors!
Not to be outdone, senior Melios Efstathiou on our men's tennis team was named the 2023 ACC Player of the Year too! The nod makes Melios the second player in program history to garner accolades, joining Noah Rubin who earned the award in 2015. He is currently ranked the No. 4 singles player nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and has an astounding 22-5 record this season. Melios was also tabbed to the All-ACC First Team, marking Wake Forest's 32nd honoree during the head coach Tony Bresky era.
Finally, we are still awaiting the All-ACC announcements for men's golf and we expect to have many all-league performances this weekend at the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships! Speaking of that, we're excited to see Coach John Hayes' team compete in Raleigh this weekend at the league championships! Admission to this event is free, so if you're in the triangle, stop by to cheer on our Demon Deacons runners, throwers and multi-event athletes!
Football Ticket Sales Continue on Record-Setting Pace
As Wake Forest Athletics pushes towards six expected sellouts this fall at Truist Field for our home football games, season tickets sales are up 60 percent year-over-year. Season tickets are easily the best value and ensure you have access to all six games in Winston-Salem this fall. While we've already sold out season tickets in the Flow Lexus Club and Touchdown Club (click here to be added to the waitlist), there are a few remaining packages for Deacon Hill, and good locations in the West and East stand Chairbacks and the Eastside Club.
There are many exclusive benefits and renewal prizes for season ticket members, including access to the team, tickets to various away football games, and much more. Season ticket holders also receive earlier access to single game ticket sales and package opportunities. 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 are on the topic of football, I am so grateful to our football student-athletes for participating in Dr. Shea Kidd Brown's initiative "Milkshake Monday" at the food court in Benson throughout this academic year! Additionally, it was fun to see Coach Dave Clawson join in last week ahead of finals!
From the Quad Big 3
Finally, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
As always, continue to 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,
Springtime in #DEACTOWN means playing for championships and this morning our No. 2 women's golf team is on the tee at the 2023 NCAA Raleigh Regional! Meanwhile, following yet another series victory, this time over No. 17 Boston College in front of the largest three-day crowd in David F. Couch Ballpark history, the now No. 1-ranked (!!) Diamond Deacs are surging down the stretch run of the regular season ACC race.
But before we get to the updates, let's kick off Mother's Day WEEK with early Happy Mother's Day wishes to all the moms in the Wake Forest family, including my wonderful wife Mary Lawrence and my own mother, Madeline. This coming Mother's Day Sunday will also include one of my favorite annual events as we host our student-athlete graduate reception at the Haddock House. The unique get-together honors our student-athlete graduates and their families as this event is a special part of the World Class Student-Athlete Experience we provide.
This graduating class, which includes 105 Demon Deacons from the 2023 spring or summer, and 22 graduates from last fall, has collectively worn the Old Gold and Black in over 1,500 athletic contests, won five ACC Championships, and two individual ACC titles! Bowl victories, NCAA tournament runs, and exciting ACC tournament victories are part of this group's heritage as their accomplishments, character and leadership over the course of their careers upheld the Pro Humanitate motto of our University.
Additionally, this special group of Demon Deacons excelled academically and in the community with 131 Academic ACC honor roll accolades and five ACC Postgraduate Scholarship recipients.
Next Monday morning's commencement ceremony on Hearn Plaza will be special and memorable for all Wake Forest class of 2023 members and their families. We salute the dedicated efforts of our hard working university facilities staff, CER (Communications & External Relations), campus police, advancement, the Provost's office, and many more unsung heroes behind the scenes who make it all happen! This year's keynote address will be given by renowned author, pastor and founder of Recovery Café, K. Killian Noe ('80).
Meanwhile, Demon Deacons basketball head coaches Megan Gebbia and Steve Forbes have been on the road recruiting and will also be out and about this week visiting with fans at the Drive Shack in Raleigh on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and at Steel Hands Brewing on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Click the aforementioned links to RSVP for these fun events by the end of today!
Top-Ranked Diamond Deacs Continue Winning Ways; Mark Your Calendars for Postseason Action
After a successful finals week in the classroom for our baseball student-athletes, strong pitching and timely hitting helped Coach Tom Walter's squad earn another ACC series victory over Boston College at Couch Ballpark. This series was witnessed by a record weekend crowd of 6,155 fans and our team was ranked No. 1 in D1 Baseball's weekly poll for the first time in program history this morning! Be there for our final $5 midweek contest of the regular season as we host UNC Greensboro at 6 p.m. tomorrow night. Additionally by ordering online, fans can save $5 per ticket for our final regular season home series against Virginia Tech (May 18-20). The May 19 game features the return of Friday Night Fireworks!
The Demon Deacons hit the road this weekend for a series in Tallahassee at Florida State (where all contests can be viewed on ACCNX). The Deacs are in the hunt to lock up the No. 1 overall seed for the ACC Baseball Tournament in Durham as well. The complete schedule, dates (May 23-28) and ticket information can be found here. If the Deacs are a top seed, our first game will be on Wednesday, May 25 or Thursday, May 26. Stay tuned to GoDeacs.com and our social media loop platforms for more information at the conclusion of the regular season.
NCAA Tournament action follows as 16 regional host sites will be announced on May 28 and the NCAA Selection show will take place the following day (May 29) at noon ET on ESPN2. As we get closer to those dates we'll have more information about presale opportunities so you can lock up your seats should Wake Forest host a regional inside David F. Couch Ballpark. Four teams will compete in each of the 16 regionals over the weekend of June 2-5. The top eight national seeds are guaranteed to host regionals, and if they advance, they'll host the best of three-game "Super Regionals" series over the weekend of June 9-12. Remember the 'One More Rule' down the stretch as the great environments inside Couch Ballpark have inspired our student-athletes to an astounding 26-2 home record.
Demon Deacons Golf Set for Postseason Action
Wake Forest's quest for a national championship in women's golf begins today as Coach Kim Lewellen's squad is the top seed at the Raleigh Regional. Other teams in the Triangle include ACC opponent Florida State and fellow top 26 teams in Arizona State, Florida and Arizona. Eight-seed and Big Four foe NC State will serve as host of the regional at NC State's Lonnie Poole Golf Course. The top five teams and the low individual on a non-advancing team from each regional will advance to the National Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club (Raptor Course) in Scottsdale, Arizona from May 19-24.
The Demon Deacons tee'd off today at 8 a.m. and you can follow the live scoring along via Golfstat.com. If you are able to attend, admission is free to watch our top-ranked women's squad compete! Remember, even a few passionate fans wearing Old Gold & Black can help propel our student-athletes to a higher competitive level!
Meanwhile, Coach Jerry Haas' men's golf team was selected to the Norman NCAA Regional, which begins one week from today. The Demon Deacons will be the No. 5 seed as they will look to continue their success in regional play after winning the New Haven Regional last year. Different from the women's championship, the low five teams at the Norman Regional and the low individual not on those teams will advance to the NCAA Championships at Greyhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. in late May. The Deacs will be looking to ride their momentum off their ACC Runner-Up finish in Pinehurst, N.C. where Michael Brennan won the ACC Individual Championship.
Tennis Teams Conclude Season in NCAA Tournaments
Speaking of NCAA action, our tennis teams each won their first-round match in the Knoxville Regional this past weekend to advance to the round of 32. Our women's team recorded a comeback win over No. 23 Arizona State while the men dispatched No. 36 Memphis, 4-1. Both squads fell to host Tennessee on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Coach Tony Bresky has led the men to 10-straight NCAA tournaments while Coach Jeff Wyshner's women earned their seventh-consecutive bid this spring.
With its team play officially wrapped for the spring, Wake Forest will soon be represented by four student-athletes in the 2023 NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. Senior Melios Efstathiou will represent the men in the singles championships, while Casie Wooten made the cut for women's singles and Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth earned a place within the women's doubles pool. Individual competition is slated to take place from May 22-27 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida.
Historic Lyons Family Gift Kicks Off New Coaching & Directorship Initiative
In support of our vision of A Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program and to help ensure a future success for Wake Forest's storied golf programs, Rich and Gertrude Lyons have generously given the largest single cash endowment commitment in Wake Forest Athletics history. Their quiet but active leadership within the Wake Forest community will inspire generations of Demon Deacons. I deeply enjoy spending time with Rich and Gertrude whose perspectives and values truly reflect Pro Humanitate.
Two Wake Foresters Earn Fulbright U.S. Scholar, Goldwater Scholar
We are proud to recognize Wake Forest junior and Mullen/Carswell Scholar Shelby Horth who has been named a 2023 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar. She is one of 413 college students from across the U.S. to receive the award for the 2023-24 academic year. Additionally, Abdou Lachgar, who is a professor of chemistry at Wake Forest, has been selected as a 2023-2024 Fulbright U.S. Scholar for Namibia. Lachgar will conduct research and teach in the materials science department at the University of Namibia. Congratulations Shelby and Professor Lachgar!
Welcome to Wake Forest, Brian White!
Wake Forest University has named Brian White its next Vice President and General Counsel beginning July 1. White comes to Wake Forest from the University of Kansas, where he currently serves as vice chancellor for legal affairs and general counsel. He succeeds J. Reid Morgan, who announced his planned retirement in December following a long and distinguished career in service to his alma mater. I enjoyed meeting Brian during his interview trip to Winston-Salem and I have since heard from my counterpart at KU and others about his good work there. Congratulations to President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D. and the members of the search committee for their good work in this important process.
All-ACC Honors for Many Demon Deacons!
As detailed in our last edition of From the Quad, we have experienced so many memorable moments and victories that have brought us to postseason time for all but one of our fall sports. Before we get into those news and notes, I wanted to congratulate our All-ACC honorees from this past week!
Wake Forest women's golfer Rachel Kuehn became the first player in program history to be a two-time ACC Player of the Year! Her storied career is still being written as the Deacs tee off at the Raleigh Regional today, but she is a three-time All-American, leads the team this season with two individual wins, a third-place finish at ACC Championships and a season stroke average of 70.10 over 29 rounds.
Alongside Rachel, Emilia Migliaccio, Lauren Walsh, Carolina Chacarra and Mimi Rhodes all earned a spot on the All-ACC Team. This marked the first time in program history that all five lineup players have earned All-League honors!
Not to be outdone, senior Melios Efstathiou on our men's tennis team was named the 2023 ACC Player of the Year too! The nod makes Melios the second player in program history to garner accolades, joining Noah Rubin who earned the award in 2015. He is currently ranked the No. 4 singles player nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and has an astounding 22-5 record this season. Melios was also tabbed to the All-ACC First Team, marking Wake Forest's 32nd honoree during the head coach Tony Bresky era.
Finally, we are still awaiting the All-ACC announcements for men's golf and we expect to have many all-league performances this weekend at the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships! Speaking of that, we're excited to see Coach John Hayes' team compete in Raleigh this weekend at the league championships! Admission to this event is free, so if you're in the triangle, stop by to cheer on our Demon Deacons runners, throwers and multi-event athletes!
Football Ticket Sales Continue on Record-Setting Pace
As Wake Forest Athletics pushes towards six expected sellouts this fall at Truist Field for our home football games, season tickets sales are up 60 percent year-over-year. Season tickets are easily the best value and ensure you have access to all six games in Winston-Salem this fall. While we've already sold out season tickets in the Flow Lexus Club and Touchdown Club (click here to be added to the waitlist), there are a few remaining packages for Deacon Hill, and good locations in the West and East stand Chairbacks and the Eastside Club.
There are many exclusive benefits and renewal prizes for season ticket members, including access to the team, tickets to various away football games, and much more. Season ticket holders also receive earlier access to single game ticket sales and package opportunities. 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 are on the topic of football, I am so grateful to our football student-athletes for participating in Dr. Shea Kidd Brown's initiative "Milkshake Monday" at the food court in Benson throughout this academic year! Additionally, it was fun to see Coach Dave Clawson join in last week ahead of finals!
From the Quad Big 3
Finally, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
- Watch this video recap of "Victory Day" and share it on social media! Our entire football team and staff annually hosts the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Winston Salem at Truist Field and the participants go through football drills and experience what it is like to be a Demon Deacons football player! Pro Humanitate at its finest!
- Read about how Wake Forest Athletics had eight programs score a perfect 1,000 in the latest Academic Progress Rate scores and three programs earn perfect multi-year rates! As we continue to fulfill our goals of providing a World Class Student-Athlete Experience and having Integrity in Academics, these scores are a testament to how hard our student-athletes work in the classroom each day.
- For all the Ladies in the Wake Forest, Winston-Salem and Triad Community, the Wake Forest football program will host the 23rd Ladies Football Clinic on Wednesday, June 21 at Truist Field. This unique event teaches fans about the fundamentals of the game and features one-on-one interaction with Wake Forest's football staff, including head coach Dave Clawson. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. and conclude around 9 p.m. and tickets are $55. Proceeds from the camp benefit the Coaches Kids Program, which gives many local, underprivileged youth the opportunity to attend Wake Forest football, men's and women's basketball, and other Olympic sporting events.
As always, continue 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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Football Media Availability (9/18/25)
Thursday, September 18
Matt Barrie SportsCenter at Wake Forest with Demond Claiborne
Wednesday, September 10
Matt Barrie SportsCenter on Wake Forest Campus (Arnold Palmer Complex)
Wednesday, September 10
Football Media Availability (9/9/25)
Wednesday, September 10