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From the Quad
10/25/2024 11:43:00 AM | General
Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Happy #WFFriday Demon Deacons!
We've landed in DEACTOWN Palo Alto clad in Old Gold & Black and we're ready to get the west coast fun started with legendary head field hockey coach Jen Averill's squad taking on Stanford at 5 p.m. PT on the Varsity Field Hockey Turf.
However, before we go any further, you have to check out these two incredible strikes by junior Caiya Hanks and senior Emily Murphy as our No. 2 ranked women's soccer team blanked the Panthers last night in Pittsburgh to hold our current third-place spot in the ACC table. Next up for Tony da Luz's team is one of the biggest games in Spry Stadium history with a No. 1/No. 2 battle between top-ranked Duke and your Demon Deacons on Sunday night at 6 p.m.
You can click here to grab your reserved chairback seats for just $15 each or a general admission ticket for $10, hang out on Walt Chyzowych Alumni Hill for free or catch it from your couch on ACCNX! The Deacs then close out the regular season as we host Big Four rival NC State next Thursday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. This is a special team, Deacon Nation! #SeeYouAtSpry!
Meanwhile, Back in Cali…
Northern California feels like home as I'm already running into lots of Demon Deacon fans everywhere I go. Football made the flight Thursday as they joined our field hockey program who arrived on Wednesday. Coach Averill's team is making a long weekend of it and will ride across the bay to take on Cal in Berkeley on Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m. PT. Admission to both hockey matches is free or you can watch 'em live on ACC Network Extra!
In addition to the action on the turf and gridiron inside Stanford Stadium this weekend, fun Demon Deacon fan events are taking place tonight from 7-9 p.m. PT at State Street Market (170 State St, Los Altos, CA 94022) in Palo Alto and then we'll get the Deacon spirit going early tomorrow morning beginning at 10:30 a.m. PT at the official Wake Forest pregame tailgate at Ueland Field (El Camino Real, Palo Alto, California 94301) right outside Stanford Stadium. For more information on all events or to register for the pregame tailgate contact Assistant AD Allison Edwards (edwardsa@wfu.edu // 336-687-4036)!
Road Warriors! Football Seeks Third Away Victory of the Year
The Demon Deacons and the Cardinal kick it off at 12:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. ET live on ACC Network as Coach Dave Clawson's team seeks to stay perfect on the road this fall. I was so proud of the effort and resolve of our team earning a hard-fought win at UConn last weekend, our second one-score victory of the season.
College football creates a platform to build incredible relationships and create lifetime memories. And, there's nothing better than seeing the smiles and jubilation of our players and coaches in the locker room after a huge win. Road games remind us of the breadth of the Wake Forest nation as we meet with so many Deacon fans, player parents, and current students at our pregame tailgate. It was great to see Demon Deacons football alumni in Hartford last weekend, including Ryan Janvion ('16), Rondell Bothroyd ('22), and Jaylen Hudson ('23) to name a few.
Tomorrow's game is an important opportunity to take a big step towards our eighth bowl appearance in nine seasons. Next week's open date gives our players some extra time to recover from the long flight home before we return to Allegacy Stadium on Friday, Nov. 8 against California with kickoff set for 8 p.m. on the ACC Network. Tickets for the matchup with the Golden Bears can be purchased by clicking HERE. For questions or assistance, please contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1 or tix@wfu.edu.
Our football and hockey programs are the second and third Demon Deacon teams to make the trek to Cal and Stanford, respectively. The addition of Cal, Stanford and SMU to the ACC, — three outstanding universities — enhances national exposure for our student-athletes, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, and the state of North Carolina.
Wake Forest Named to Front Office Sports' 2024 Best College Athletic Departments List
Under President Susan R. Wente's leadership, our 13 dedicated head coaches, over 400 student-athletes, and incredible Deacon Club members are committed to perpetuating Wake Forest Athletics' status as A Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program. I'm grateful that the effort of all our staff members and coaches was nationally recognized by Front Office Sports as one of seven schools on the 2024 Best College Athletic Departments List. From providing a World Class Student-Athlete Experience to maintaining the highest standards of Integrity in Academics, Compliance, and Safety, our coaches, student-athletes, staff, alumni and generous supporters work tirelessly each day to Win Championships, offer the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina, and add tremendous Value to the University, Winston-Salem & Triad Community. Let's keep it rolling forward together!
Bill Hayes, Dianne Dailey Honored as Wake Forest's ACC UNITE Award Recipients
Last week, the ACC announced Bill Hayes, a trailblazer in football and community leadership, and Dianne Dailey, a pioneer in women's golf and athletics administration as winners of the fourth-annual ACC UNITE Award, which honors individuals who have made significant impacts in racial and social justice. Coach Hayes and Coach Dailey both embody the spirit of Pro Humanitate, having mentored and inspired countless student-athletes throughout their careers. Previous Wake Forest ACC UNITE honorees include Jim Caldwell, Charlene Curtis, Dr. Larry Hopkins, Professor Beth Hopkins, Robert Grant, Kenneth "Butch" Henry, and Keeva Jackson-Breland and Sonya Henderson.
We'll celebrate Coach Hayes and Coach Dailey's recognition at a basketball game this winter.
10 Days Out! Hoops Gearing up for the Opening Night Doubleheader Tipoff on Nov. 4!
We are just over a week away from our season-opening doubleheader inside Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Coaches Steve Forbes & Megan Gebbia's teams tested themselves last weekend with the men taking on No. 2 Alabama in Birmingham and the women hosted ETSU for a closed scrimmage inside David Budd Gym.
Tipoff on Monday, Nov. 4 begins at 5 p.m. with Coach Megan Gebbia's squad hosting Charlotte's Queens University with tickets available for just $10. At 8 p.m. the men launch their 2024-25 campaign against Coppin State and reserved seats are available for as low as $15. Fans attending the women's game can stay for the men's game for free!
Season tickets both ensure your access to all the action at the LJVM Coliseum and are the very best price per-game best value! Men's season tickets, including January Big Four home games against NC State, North Carolina and Duke, are moving fast starting at just $199 and women's hoops season tickets are only $60 and feature tons of behind-the-scenes access.
Additionally for the men, who were picked third in the preseason poll and feature guard Hunter Sallis who was a preseason First Team All-ACC pick, Wake Forest is offering a new ACC Premier 3-Game option for the North Carolina and Duke home games in January. For personal assistance, contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1 or tix@wfu.edu.
And, we are 16 days away from the seismic Michigan - Wake Forest non-conference matchup inside in Greensboro that will tipoff at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN2. Bring your friends and join the Deacon faithful for the FREE pregame party at 11 a.m. at Steel Hands Brewing Co. right across the street from the Coliseum in Greensboro.
Wake Forest Receives National Funding to Advance Public Health
AmeriCorps CEO Michael Smith and senior leaders CDC visited Winston-Salem last week to see the impact of Wake Forest's Public Health AmeriCorps program in action. The University recently received more than $200,000 in federal funding to continue this important initiative for a third year. Wake Forest senior and Public Health AmeriCorps member Chris Dietrich led the tour, sharing his experience working 900 hours in the Community Care Center clinic.
Fall Sports Roundup – Big Wins & Fun Moments Highlight October Success
Coach Jen Averill's squad enters today's match at Stanford as winners of two of their last three contests including a double overtime victory over Louisville on Oct. 13 and a road triumph at James Madison. Our crack event management staff is gearing up to host the ACC Tournament inside Kentner Stadium beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Click here for more information about all the matches that week, which conclude on Friday, Nov. 8 ahead of our home football game against Cal.
Speaking of highly ranked programs, our No. 7 men's cross country team, under the direction of Coach John Hayes, finished their regular season by winning Panorama Farms Invitational with five runners finishing inside the top 15! On the women's side, we had three runners record personal-best times at a Pre-Nationals Meet in Wisconsin. Individually, sophomore Grace Wassell was tabbed as the ACC Performer of the Week recently after her impressive fourth-place individual finish in Charlotte a few weeks ago as he clocked a 5k personal-best time of 17:17.01.
Meanwhile, Coach Bobby Muuss' squad has grinded out a seven match unbeaten streak, including a great win over Virginia Tech last weekend. The Deacs are putting on a stretch run push for a 14th-straight NCAA Tournament berth – the second-longest streak in the entire country – and are at SMU tonight at 6 p.m. ET at SMU for a live linear ACCN telecast! Our Senior Night regular season finale is next Friday when the Wolfpack come to Spry Stadium for a 7 p.m. match. Also coming off a sweep over Notre Dame in South Bend, Coach Randi Smart and our volleyball team are on the road tonight at Clemson and at Georgia Tech on Sunday. Both matches will be broadcast on ACCNX. The Deacs return home next weekend to host Boston College and Syracuse inside Varsity Arena!
Golf and tennis are finishing up a busy fall highlighted this week by senior Carolina Chacarra as she won the third individual title of her career and her team placed third at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup. That effort came on the heels of Coach Kim Lewellen squad's runner-up finish recently at the Ruth's Chris Intercollegiate in Chapel Hill. On the men's side, senior Scotty Kennon claimed his second collegiate title as he paced the Demon Deacons to a third place spot at the Furman Invitational last weekend.
Recent tennis action includes men's doubles tandem of Luciano Tacchi and Luca Pow winning the ITA Carolina Regionals and securing a spot at ITA Nationals in November, while women's tennis had two doubles tandems reach the quarterfinals and graduate student Anna Zhang made a run to the Round of 16 in the singles bracket.
Speaking of golf, we're excited to welcome back our men's and women's golf alumni for a special Reunion Weekend, Nov. 8-10, in Winston-Salem! Golf alums can register for the tours and a football-gameday tailgate here. Golf fans should come check out the Putts & Pancakes event on Saturday morning hosted by Wake Forest Sports Properties partner Roll the Quad to get up close and personal with Demon Deacon golf legends schedule to attend including Curtis Strange, Jay Haas and Emilia Migliaccio to list a few of the legends set to return.
Deserved Recognition for Two Demon Deacon Leaders
Join me in congratulating a hard working pair of Wake Foresters! First, we proudly announced a contract extension for head women's tennis coach Jeff Wyshner. Coach Wyshner has led our team to eight-straight NCAA tournaments while building a program environment enabling our student-athletes to thrive both on the court and in the classroom. Additionally, Senior Associate AD Ellie Shannon was named a 2024 Winston Under 40 Leadership Award recipient by our friends at Greater Winston-Salem, Inc.
From the Quad Big 3
Finally, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
Thanks for your continued support, send your thoughts to me at wfuad@wfu.edu, and...
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Vice President & Director of Athletics
Happy #WFFriday Demon Deacons!
We've landed in DEACTOWN Palo Alto clad in Old Gold & Black and we're ready to get the west coast fun started with legendary head field hockey coach Jen Averill's squad taking on Stanford at 5 p.m. PT on the Varsity Field Hockey Turf.
However, before we go any further, you have to check out these two incredible strikes by junior Caiya Hanks and senior Emily Murphy as our No. 2 ranked women's soccer team blanked the Panthers last night in Pittsburgh to hold our current third-place spot in the ACC table. Next up for Tony da Luz's team is one of the biggest games in Spry Stadium history with a No. 1/No. 2 battle between top-ranked Duke and your Demon Deacons on Sunday night at 6 p.m.
You can click here to grab your reserved chairback seats for just $15 each or a general admission ticket for $10, hang out on Walt Chyzowych Alumni Hill for free or catch it from your couch on ACCNX! The Deacs then close out the regular season as we host Big Four rival NC State next Thursday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. This is a special team, Deacon Nation! #SeeYouAtSpry!
Meanwhile, Back in Cali…
Northern California feels like home as I'm already running into lots of Demon Deacon fans everywhere I go. Football made the flight Thursday as they joined our field hockey program who arrived on Wednesday. Coach Averill's team is making a long weekend of it and will ride across the bay to take on Cal in Berkeley on Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m. PT. Admission to both hockey matches is free or you can watch 'em live on ACC Network Extra!
In addition to the action on the turf and gridiron inside Stanford Stadium this weekend, fun Demon Deacon fan events are taking place tonight from 7-9 p.m. PT at State Street Market (170 State St, Los Altos, CA 94022) in Palo Alto and then we'll get the Deacon spirit going early tomorrow morning beginning at 10:30 a.m. PT at the official Wake Forest pregame tailgate at Ueland Field (El Camino Real, Palo Alto, California 94301) right outside Stanford Stadium. For more information on all events or to register for the pregame tailgate contact Assistant AD Allison Edwards (edwardsa@wfu.edu // 336-687-4036)!
Road Warriors! Football Seeks Third Away Victory of the Year
The Demon Deacons and the Cardinal kick it off at 12:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. ET live on ACC Network as Coach Dave Clawson's team seeks to stay perfect on the road this fall. I was so proud of the effort and resolve of our team earning a hard-fought win at UConn last weekend, our second one-score victory of the season.
College football creates a platform to build incredible relationships and create lifetime memories. And, there's nothing better than seeing the smiles and jubilation of our players and coaches in the locker room after a huge win. Road games remind us of the breadth of the Wake Forest nation as we meet with so many Deacon fans, player parents, and current students at our pregame tailgate. It was great to see Demon Deacons football alumni in Hartford last weekend, including Ryan Janvion ('16), Rondell Bothroyd ('22), and Jaylen Hudson ('23) to name a few.
Tomorrow's game is an important opportunity to take a big step towards our eighth bowl appearance in nine seasons. Next week's open date gives our players some extra time to recover from the long flight home before we return to Allegacy Stadium on Friday, Nov. 8 against California with kickoff set for 8 p.m. on the ACC Network. Tickets for the matchup with the Golden Bears can be purchased by clicking HERE. For questions or assistance, please contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1 or tix@wfu.edu.
Our football and hockey programs are the second and third Demon Deacon teams to make the trek to Cal and Stanford, respectively. The addition of Cal, Stanford and SMU to the ACC, — three outstanding universities — enhances national exposure for our student-athletes, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, and the state of North Carolina.
Wake Forest Named to Front Office Sports' 2024 Best College Athletic Departments List
Under President Susan R. Wente's leadership, our 13 dedicated head coaches, over 400 student-athletes, and incredible Deacon Club members are committed to perpetuating Wake Forest Athletics' status as A Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program. I'm grateful that the effort of all our staff members and coaches was nationally recognized by Front Office Sports as one of seven schools on the 2024 Best College Athletic Departments List. From providing a World Class Student-Athlete Experience to maintaining the highest standards of Integrity in Academics, Compliance, and Safety, our coaches, student-athletes, staff, alumni and generous supporters work tirelessly each day to Win Championships, offer the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina, and add tremendous Value to the University, Winston-Salem & Triad Community. Let's keep it rolling forward together!
Bill Hayes, Dianne Dailey Honored as Wake Forest's ACC UNITE Award Recipients
Last week, the ACC announced Bill Hayes, a trailblazer in football and community leadership, and Dianne Dailey, a pioneer in women's golf and athletics administration as winners of the fourth-annual ACC UNITE Award, which honors individuals who have made significant impacts in racial and social justice. Coach Hayes and Coach Dailey both embody the spirit of Pro Humanitate, having mentored and inspired countless student-athletes throughout their careers. Previous Wake Forest ACC UNITE honorees include Jim Caldwell, Charlene Curtis, Dr. Larry Hopkins, Professor Beth Hopkins, Robert Grant, Kenneth "Butch" Henry, and Keeva Jackson-Breland and Sonya Henderson.
We'll celebrate Coach Hayes and Coach Dailey's recognition at a basketball game this winter.
10 Days Out! Hoops Gearing up for the Opening Night Doubleheader Tipoff on Nov. 4!
We are just over a week away from our season-opening doubleheader inside Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Coaches Steve Forbes & Megan Gebbia's teams tested themselves last weekend with the men taking on No. 2 Alabama in Birmingham and the women hosted ETSU for a closed scrimmage inside David Budd Gym.
Tipoff on Monday, Nov. 4 begins at 5 p.m. with Coach Megan Gebbia's squad hosting Charlotte's Queens University with tickets available for just $10. At 8 p.m. the men launch their 2024-25 campaign against Coppin State and reserved seats are available for as low as $15. Fans attending the women's game can stay for the men's game for free!
Season tickets both ensure your access to all the action at the LJVM Coliseum and are the very best price per-game best value! Men's season tickets, including January Big Four home games against NC State, North Carolina and Duke, are moving fast starting at just $199 and women's hoops season tickets are only $60 and feature tons of behind-the-scenes access.
Additionally for the men, who were picked third in the preseason poll and feature guard Hunter Sallis who was a preseason First Team All-ACC pick, Wake Forest is offering a new ACC Premier 3-Game option for the North Carolina and Duke home games in January. For personal assistance, contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1 or tix@wfu.edu.
And, we are 16 days away from the seismic Michigan - Wake Forest non-conference matchup inside in Greensboro that will tipoff at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN2. Bring your friends and join the Deacon faithful for the FREE pregame party at 11 a.m. at Steel Hands Brewing Co. right across the street from the Coliseum in Greensboro.
Wake Forest Receives National Funding to Advance Public Health
AmeriCorps CEO Michael Smith and senior leaders CDC visited Winston-Salem last week to see the impact of Wake Forest's Public Health AmeriCorps program in action. The University recently received more than $200,000 in federal funding to continue this important initiative for a third year. Wake Forest senior and Public Health AmeriCorps member Chris Dietrich led the tour, sharing his experience working 900 hours in the Community Care Center clinic.
Fall Sports Roundup – Big Wins & Fun Moments Highlight October Success
Coach Jen Averill's squad enters today's match at Stanford as winners of two of their last three contests including a double overtime victory over Louisville on Oct. 13 and a road triumph at James Madison. Our crack event management staff is gearing up to host the ACC Tournament inside Kentner Stadium beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Click here for more information about all the matches that week, which conclude on Friday, Nov. 8 ahead of our home football game against Cal.
Speaking of highly ranked programs, our No. 7 men's cross country team, under the direction of Coach John Hayes, finished their regular season by winning Panorama Farms Invitational with five runners finishing inside the top 15! On the women's side, we had three runners record personal-best times at a Pre-Nationals Meet in Wisconsin. Individually, sophomore Grace Wassell was tabbed as the ACC Performer of the Week recently after her impressive fourth-place individual finish in Charlotte a few weeks ago as he clocked a 5k personal-best time of 17:17.01.
Meanwhile, Coach Bobby Muuss' squad has grinded out a seven match unbeaten streak, including a great win over Virginia Tech last weekend. The Deacs are putting on a stretch run push for a 14th-straight NCAA Tournament berth – the second-longest streak in the entire country – and are at SMU tonight at 6 p.m. ET at SMU for a live linear ACCN telecast! Our Senior Night regular season finale is next Friday when the Wolfpack come to Spry Stadium for a 7 p.m. match. Also coming off a sweep over Notre Dame in South Bend, Coach Randi Smart and our volleyball team are on the road tonight at Clemson and at Georgia Tech on Sunday. Both matches will be broadcast on ACCNX. The Deacs return home next weekend to host Boston College and Syracuse inside Varsity Arena!
Golf and tennis are finishing up a busy fall highlighted this week by senior Carolina Chacarra as she won the third individual title of her career and her team placed third at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup. That effort came on the heels of Coach Kim Lewellen squad's runner-up finish recently at the Ruth's Chris Intercollegiate in Chapel Hill. On the men's side, senior Scotty Kennon claimed his second collegiate title as he paced the Demon Deacons to a third place spot at the Furman Invitational last weekend.
Recent tennis action includes men's doubles tandem of Luciano Tacchi and Luca Pow winning the ITA Carolina Regionals and securing a spot at ITA Nationals in November, while women's tennis had two doubles tandems reach the quarterfinals and graduate student Anna Zhang made a run to the Round of 16 in the singles bracket.
Speaking of golf, we're excited to welcome back our men's and women's golf alumni for a special Reunion Weekend, Nov. 8-10, in Winston-Salem! Golf alums can register for the tours and a football-gameday tailgate here. Golf fans should come check out the Putts & Pancakes event on Saturday morning hosted by Wake Forest Sports Properties partner Roll the Quad to get up close and personal with Demon Deacon golf legends schedule to attend including Curtis Strange, Jay Haas and Emilia Migliaccio to list a few of the legends set to return.
Deserved Recognition for Two Demon Deacon Leaders
Join me in congratulating a hard working pair of Wake Foresters! First, we proudly announced a contract extension for head women's tennis coach Jeff Wyshner. Coach Wyshner has led our team to eight-straight NCAA tournaments while building a program environment enabling our student-athletes to thrive both on the court and in the classroom. Additionally, Senior Associate AD Ellie Shannon was named a 2024 Winston Under 40 Leadership Award recipient by our friends at Greater Winston-Salem, Inc.
From the Quad Big 3
Finally, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
- For your daily dose of goosebumps, watch this incredible video narrated by the legendary Curtis Strange! I can't wait to have these Demon Deacons back on campus!
- We are down to just a few regular season home contests remaining for all our fall sports programs! Remember the 'One More Rule' as our student-athletes are fueled by your energy. Our teams are heating up for postseason play and every win helps the resumes for the NCAA Tournament!
- Vote! Following the example of our student-athletes who participated in a voter registration drive recently, I made my way over to Indiana Avenue to cast my ballot earlier this week. It's our duty… and a privilege not enjoyed universally! #GodBlessAmerica
Thanks for your continued support, send your thoughts to me at wfuad@wfu.edu, and...
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Vice President & Director of Athletics
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