Wake Forest Athletics
Deacs Set New Program Record With Six All-ACC Academic Honorees
6/21/2023 10:59:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Academic success continues for women's tennis!
GREENSBORO, N.C. – This summer offseason of accolades continues for Wake Forest women's tennis, as the program saw six of its own named to the 2023 All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Academic Team, announced by the conference office on Wednesday (June 21).
Mia Ahmad, Anna Brylin, Nevena Carton, Brooke Killingsworth, Maddie Lynch and Casie Wooten all earned nods by the ACC.
Wake Forest's six selections set a new program-best mark, as the team placed five individuals on the yearly list during the last two seasons. Additionally, the Demon Deacons have enjoyed four consecutive seasons of landing four or more selections and have placed at least one player on the conference list each year since 2014.
Brylin officially wrapped her Deacon tenure as a four-time pick. She is now tied with Sasha Kulikova (2006-10) for the most conference all-academic selections throughout program history (4).
Wooten and Killingsworth captured their second and third career tabs, respectively. It was a first such honor for Ahmad, Carton and Lynch.
"I am very proud of our All-ACC Academic Team members," said head coach Jeff Wyshner. "Wake Forest and our program is meant to challenge our players to become the best possible version of themselves, and to see all of our upperclassmen, along with Nevena as only a freshman, accomplish this is further proof of their taking full advantage of their Wake experience. Congratulations to each of them!"
Mia Ahmad | Junior | Albertson, N.Y. | Health & Exercise Science
Ahmad increased her number of appearances in her third year, mainly teaming up with classmate Casie Wooten in the No. 2 doubles spot. She recorded 12 total victories in doubles play during the spring, all happening alongside Wooten to be tied for the second-most wins on the roster. The pair also won eight completed showings in a row from Feb. 5 to March 5, along with delivering an exceptional comeback win over Sasha Gorchanyuk/Maria Campos of Louisville (March 24) in which the two secured five consecutive games to clinch. Ahmad competed in five singles matches, all within the sixth spot, and won three.
Anna Brylin | Graduate Student | Short Hills, N.J. | Master of Science in Business Analytics
In her final year, Brylin led the Deacs in singles wins and maintained a national individual ranking for the first time of her career, standing as high as No. 42 within the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). She ultimately joined junior Wooten as one of two Wake Forest individuals to hold such recognition in the ITA throughout the spring. Brylin defeated four ranked opponents in singles -- her best mark within a single season. A three-set victory over No. 6 Sarah Hamner of South Carolina during a Feb. 19 road test became the highest ranked feat of Brylin's career. The team captain reached a dozen solo wins faster than any other Wake Forest player and was one of six ACC individuals to land such a feat at the time. She won all but one of her first eight matches to open the season and caught fire again during the opening stages of April, taking four of five completed appearances. On June 5, Brylin was named the recipient of the 2023 Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award and the Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award within the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) Carolina Regional section.
Nevena Carton | Freshman | Locust, New Jersey
Navigating through her first collegiate year as a key piece, Carton primarily performed at No. 4 in singles and No. 3 in doubles alongside fellow classmate Whitley Pate. The freshman's 16 singles victories finished second-best on the roster, which included a three-match win streak to cap off the spring. Audiences witnessed Carton step up in a handful of big moments. She clinched a second-round win in the ACC tournament over No. 8-seeded Notre Dame (April 20) and also secured the championship victory at the 75th annual Blue Gray Classic with a three-set win over Texas Tech's Metka Komac. Additionally, Carton provided major solo wins in comebacks against No. 23 Arizona State in the NCAA Championships' Round of 64 (May 5) and at home versus Virginia Tech (April 14). The New Jersey native ultimately went 12-8 overall in doubles with Pate, as the pairing won five of six showings from Feb. 25 to March 10.
Brooke Killingsworth | Junior | Rogers, Ark. | Health & Exercise Science
Another reliable piece for the Deacons, Killingsworth finished as one of four Wake Forest players to reach double-figures in singles wins (11-11). The heady junior mainly played out of the No. 3 singles spot, while partnering with Brylin in doubles play for the third-straight year – posting a 15-8 record while holding a top-25 national ranking throughout the spring. Killingsworth embraced a major moment in clinching the Round of 64 comeback win over No. 23 Arizona State through three sets in the NCAA tournament, as her Deacs trailed 3-1 at a midpoint in the match. She ultimately reached her 100th career combined win through singles and doubles during the same Arizona State outing. Killingsworth also tallied a straight-sets victory against No. 8-seeded Notre Dame during the second round of the ACC tournament.
Maddie Lynch | Senior | Chagrin Falls, Ohio | Politics & International Affairs
Lynch played in a career-best 23 matches during 2023, splitting time at the No. 5 and No. 6 singles spot. The Deacon proved to be a clutch performer on multiple occasions, providing the clinching point in match wins against Furman, No. 19 Georgia Tech, and Middle Tennessee. She additionally split four showings in doubles, collecting both of her two victories alongside freshman Jingyi Li. Lynch picked up a conference win on the road at Louisville through three sets.
Casie Wooten | Junior | Torrance, Calif. | Health & Exercise Science
Wooten stepped into a bigger role as a junior, competing as the Deacons' No. 1 singles player. The Torrance, California, native maintained the highest national singles ranking of any Wake Forest individual throughout the entire spring, standing as high as No. 27 in the ITA. She went on to record seven wins over nationally-ranked opponents, the most of her college career up to date. Named 'Most Valuable Player' of the 75th annual Blue Gray National Tennis Classic, Wooten totaled 13 solo victories, which ranked third-best on the team. Her efforts and national standing throughout the year led to an at-large bid to the 2023 NCAA Tennis Singles and Doubles Championships, partaking in the singles section for a first career appearance. Wooten opened the spring in a strong fashion by winning six of her first eight matches. Through the conclusion of ACC action, she finished second on the roster in conference solo wins. On April 2, Wooten notched her 100th combined career victory through singles and doubles during a home win over Syracuse.
As a team, Wake Forest posted a 3.401 cumulative grade point average in 2022-23.
Academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0-grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one's academic career. In addition, student-athletes must compete in at least 50 percent of their team's contests.
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