Friday, June 9
Austin, TX
10:55 p.m.
Wake Forest University
vs
NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Tewalt Finishes Fourth in 5,000m Final; Garners All-American Accolades at NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
6/10/2023 12:38:00 AM | Track and Field
Junior Luke Tewalt became the 16th Outdoor All-American in program history.
AUSTIN – Behind a stellar 57.13 400 meter close, junior Luke Tewalt finished fourth in the men's 5000m final Friday at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas. The result marked Tewalt's first career First-Team All-American nod.
Graduate student Zach Facioni was named an Honorable Mention All-American after finishing 21st in the event.
With Friday's result, Tewalt joined Facioni as the only Demon Deacons to be tabbed All-Americans in the 5,000m in program history. Additionally, the dynamic duo became the first teammates to garner All-American accolades in the same event.
Of note, Facioni is now the fifth Demon Deacon to be tabbed an All-American in back-to-back seasons, while Tewalt is now the 16th Deac overall to garner All-American honors in program history and the fifth during the director of track & field and cross country John Hayes era.
Friday night, Tewalt spent a majority of the race near the front before slightly falling into the middle of the pack. He made his move into fifth-place with two laps remaining before securing his fourth place position on the final lap.
Wake Forest Results
Men's Outdoor All-Americans
Nolan Swanson - 10,000m (1999)
Steve Brown - 110m Hurdles (1989, 1990)
Ben Schoonover - 10,000m (1991)
John Sence - 10,000m (1992, 1993)
Andy Bloom - Shot Put, Discus (1995, 1996)
Warren Sherman - 800m (1995)
Kyle Armentrout - 10,000m (1995)
Michael Bingham - 400m (2007, 2009)
Brent LaRue - 400m Hurdles (2010)
Ben Lincoln - Javelin (2012)
Kyle Graves - 1,500m (2015)
*Robert Heppenstall - 800m (2016, *2017, *2018)
*Tony Jones - High Jump (2022)
*Thomas Vanoppen - 1500m (2022)
*Zach Facioni - 5000m (2022)
*Luke Tewalt - 5000m (2023)
From the Staff
"Zach (Facioni) is the person that resurrected the distance program. He's provided leadership and shown what is possible at Wake Forest. That was not how he wanted to finish, but he will undoubtedly have a great pro career. We are all proud of him. Now he passes the torch, and Luke (Tewalt) will lead us in the next two years. Luke is just getting started. The Demon Deacon family has a lot to be proud of." - Director of track & field and cross country John Hayes
Wake Forest Outdoor Track & Field Season Highlights
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Graduate student Zach Facioni was named an Honorable Mention All-American after finishing 21st in the event.
With Friday's result, Tewalt joined Facioni as the only Demon Deacons to be tabbed All-Americans in the 5,000m in program history. Additionally, the dynamic duo became the first teammates to garner All-American accolades in the same event.
Of note, Facioni is now the fifth Demon Deacon to be tabbed an All-American in back-to-back seasons, while Tewalt is now the 16th Deac overall to garner All-American honors in program history and the fifth during the director of track & field and cross country John Hayes era.
Friday night, Tewalt spent a majority of the race near the front before slightly falling into the middle of the pack. He made his move into fifth-place with two laps remaining before securing his fourth place position on the final lap.
Wake Forest Results
- Men's 5000m Finals
- 4) Luke Tewalt, 14:07.18
- 21) Zach Facioni, 14:37.57
Men's Outdoor All-Americans
Nolan Swanson - 10,000m (1999)
Steve Brown - 110m Hurdles (1989, 1990)
Ben Schoonover - 10,000m (1991)
John Sence - 10,000m (1992, 1993)
Andy Bloom - Shot Put, Discus (1995, 1996)
Warren Sherman - 800m (1995)
Kyle Armentrout - 10,000m (1995)
Michael Bingham - 400m (2007, 2009)
Brent LaRue - 400m Hurdles (2010)
Ben Lincoln - Javelin (2012)
Kyle Graves - 1,500m (2015)
*Robert Heppenstall - 800m (2016, *2017, *2018)
*Tony Jones - High Jump (2022)
*Thomas Vanoppen - 1500m (2022)
*Zach Facioni - 5000m (2022)
*Luke Tewalt - 5000m (2023)
*During the John Hayes Era*
From the Staff
"Zach (Facioni) is the person that resurrected the distance program. He's provided leadership and shown what is possible at Wake Forest. That was not how he wanted to finish, but he will undoubtedly have a great pro career. We are all proud of him. Now he passes the torch, and Luke (Tewalt) will lead us in the next two years. Luke is just getting started. The Demon Deacon family has a lot to be proud of." - Director of track & field and cross country John Hayes
Wake Forest Outdoor Track & Field Season Highlights
- On April 21, 2023, Wake Forest hosted its first home meet on the Reynolda Campus in over five years as the Demon Deacons hosted the Wake Forest Invitational at Kentner Stadium.
- 24 programs participated in the meet, including Big Four schools Duke, North Carolina and NC State.
- During the 2023 campaign, four program records were taken down with three coming at the Wake Forest Invitational.
- Graduate student Leia Braunagel tossed 56.67m in the discus, freshman Sophie Perez Gonzalez threw 59.85m in the hammer and graduate student Zach Facioni clocked 13:27.71 in the 5,000m.
- The fourth school record came at the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships when sophomore Ashlyn Giles launched 16.73m in the shot put.
- At the 2023 ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the Demon Deacons combined for six podium finishes and 10 All-ACC honors.
- Podium Finishes
- Luke Tewalt, 1500m
- Luke Tewalt, 5000m
- Rynard Swanepoel, 800m
- Leia Braunagel, Discus
- Emma Soderstrom, High Jump
- Andew White, Discus
- All-ACC Honors
- Ashlyn Giles, Shot Put/Discus
- Zach Facioni, 10,000m
- Jack Pihlkar, Hammer
- Anna Bush, Heptathlon
- Podium Finishes
- 17 Deacs qualified for the 2023 NCAA East Prelims after posting a top-48 mark in their event on the East during the season.
- Women
- Men
- At the NCAA East Prelims, graduate student Zach Facioni (13:54.15) and junior Luke Tewalt (14:04.79) qualified for the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the men's 5,000m.
- Tewalt (14:07.18) and Facioni (14:37.57) finished fourth and 21st, respectively, in the men's 5000m final at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Austin, Texas.
- Tewalt joined Facioni as the only Demon Deacons to be tabbed All-Americans in the 5,000m in program history. Additionally, the dynamic duo became the first teammates to garner All-American accolades in the same event.
- Facioni is now the fifth Demon Deacon to be tabbed an All-American in back-to-back seasons, while Tewalt is now the 16th Deac overall to garner All-American honors in program history and the fifth during the director of track & field and cross country John Hayes era.
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Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | #GoDeacs
Players Mentioned
Distance
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Throws
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Multi
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Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
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Throws
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Jumps
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Multi
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
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