
Hansen Named ACC Freshman of the Week
9/26/2023 4:00:00 PM | Cross Country
The star rookie garnered national attention after a dominant performance at the Virginia Invitational.
CHARLOTTE – After placing fifth overall in his first-ever collegiate race Saturday, freshman Rocky Hansen has been named Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Week, as announced by the league office Tuesday evening.
At the Virginia Invitational, Hansen clocked 23:30.9, leading Wake Forest to an 11th place team finish in a field that featured 14 nationally ranked teams, including six of the top 10.
Hansen, a two-time Gatorade North Carolina Player of the Year, came out conservative over the first 5,000m Saturday but quickly made his move as he jumped from 23rd to 10th at the 6,000m mark.
The standout freshman continued to move ahead, working his way into sixth at the 7k mark, before closing in 3:02.6 over the final 1,000 to secure a top-five finish in the stacked field. Of note, Hansen was the only freshman to finish in the top-20.
Due to Saturday's standout performance, Hansen has improved to 25th nationally in FloTrack's DI NCAA cross country men's individual rankings, after entering the season ranked 80th overall.
Up Next
The Wake Forest men's cross country team is slated to return to action Friday, Oct. 6 at the Royals XC Challenge in Charlotte.
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At the Virginia Invitational, Hansen clocked 23:30.9, leading Wake Forest to an 11th place team finish in a field that featured 14 nationally ranked teams, including six of the top 10.
Hansen, a two-time Gatorade North Carolina Player of the Year, came out conservative over the first 5,000m Saturday but quickly made his move as he jumped from 23rd to 10th at the 6,000m mark.
The standout freshman continued to move ahead, working his way into sixth at the 7k mark, before closing in 3:02.6 over the final 1,000 to secure a top-five finish in the stacked field. Of note, Hansen was the only freshman to finish in the top-20.
Due to Saturday's standout performance, Hansen has improved to 25th nationally in FloTrack's DI NCAA cross country men's individual rankings, after entering the season ranked 80th overall.
Up Next
The Wake Forest men's cross country team is slated to return to action Friday, Oct. 6 at the Royals XC Challenge in Charlotte.
Follow The Demon Deacons
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | #GoDeacs
Players Mentioned
Coach Jake Dickert Press Conference (Sept. 22, 2025)
Monday, September 22
Wake Forest Football Head Coach Jake Dickert Press Conference (Week 5)
Monday, September 22
Football Media Availability (9/18/25)
Thursday, September 18
Matt Barrie SportsCenter at Wake Forest with Demond Claiborne
Wednesday, September 10