Saturday, November 23
Madison, Wisc.
9:30 a.m.
Wake Forest University
vs
NCAA Championships
Demon Deacons Set to Compete in Their Fifth-Consecutive and 14th Overall NCAA Championship
11/22/2024 9:00:00 AM | Cross Country
The Deacs are slated to compete at 11:10 a.m. ET on Saturday.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Following their recent ACC Championship title, the Wake Forest men's cross country squad was selected to the 2024 NCAA Championships, as announced Saturday, Nov. 16. Coach John Hayes and the Demon Deacons will make their fifth-consecutive and 14th overall appearance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 23 in Madison, Wisc.
Men's NCAA Championship Appearances
Need to Know
NCAA Championships
Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 - 11:10 a.m ET
Madison, Wisc.
The Field
*National Rankings
During last year's NCAA Championship, the squad competed at Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, Va., finishing 24th overall. The Demon Deacons accumulated 526 points, ahead of four top-25 ranked teams in the USTFCCCA standings.
Leading the charge was junior standout Joe O'Brien, who placed 81st individually with a time of 30:23.5. Sophomore Charlie Sprott, senior Luke Tewalt, and junior Gavin Ehlers, rounded out the top-five finishers.
Eyes on NCAA Title
Stepping up to the starting line on Saturday morning in Madison, Wisc., are seven of the 2024 ACC Cross Country Champions, four of which garnered All-ACC honors (Sprott, Tewalt, Aidan Ross, and O'Brien) by finishing in the top 21 – making Wake Forest the only team in the field to accomplish this.
Powerhouse Rocky Hansen looks to continue his momentum following a career-best 23:06.9, as he finished second at the Nuttycombe Invitational on Sept. 27 in an incredible field, just 2.9 seconds behind winner Parker Wolfe (North Carolina). Hansen's outstanding individual performance led the squad to a third-place team finish. Wake Forest was one of only three schools to place two athletes in the top-10, alongside North Carolina and BYU.
Joining Hansen is Tewalt, a two-time ACC Cross Country Champion, three-time All-ACC and two-time All-Regional honoree.
Tewalt has provided consistent results for the Deacons, accomplishing a 10th place finish in 23:32.3 at the Nuttycombe Invitational, and exceeding his Nuttycombe time with a second-place finish, clocking 23:12.1 at the Panorama Farms Invitational.
During Tewalt's second ACC Championship victory in just three years, he led the squad to the podium finishing seventh, with a time of 22:39.0.
Starting alongside Tewalt is two-time All-ACC and All-Regional Award winner O'Brien. During his third season with the Deacs', O'Brien has collected personal-best times in back-to-back meets. He finished 13th at the Panorama Farms Invitational with a time of 23:39.9 and earned 16th place at the ACC Championships, clocking 22:59.4.
On Nov. 15, O'Brien led the squad to a fifth place team finish at the Southeast Regionals placing 10th, and finishing in 30:01.7.
Over the course of the season, All-ACC and All-Region honoree Sprott has achieved three top-15 finishes (Panorama Farms Invitational (10th), ACC Championships (14th), and Southeast Regionals (11th).
Returning to the course is Aidan Ross, who started the 2024 campaign off with a top-40 finish, clocking 24:02.6 at the Nuttycombe Invitational. Ross collected a personal-best 23:27.8 and a fifth place finish, significantly contributing to the Deacs' first-place victory at the Panorama Farms Invitational.
Ross continued his success at the start of the post-season, crossing the finish line in 2:57.1, placing 15th at the ACC Championships.
Utah-native and ACC Freshman of the Year JoJo Jourdon looks to continue his first season with the Deacs', following a dominant performance at the ACC Championships on Nov. 1.
In Jourdon's collegiate 8k debut, he not only secured the highest finish among freshmen, but also became the fourth Demon Deacon in the past eight years to earn this honor, following Charlie Sprott who received the award in 2023.
Details on All-American Qualification
Finishers 1-40 at the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships will be awarded USTFCCCA All-American status.
The John Hayes Era
After leading the squad to their first ACC Championship title since 1994—and their second in the past three years—Hayes and the Deacs' have secured Wake Forest Athletics' sixth title and 58th overall ACC Championship. Now, they aim to achieve the program's first-ever NCAA Championship title in history.
Heading into Saturday, three-time USTFCCCA Southeast Region Cross Country Coach of the Year, is working towards his second ACC Coach of the Year award and his fourth USTFCCCA Southeast Region Cross Country Coach of the Year honor.
Follow The Demon Deacons
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | #GoDeacs
Men's NCAA Championship Appearances
- 1988 (14th), 1989 (3rd), 1990 (18th), 1992 (9th), 1993 (20th), 1995 (20th), 1996 (11th), 2000 (18th), 2001 (19th), 2021 Spring (15th), 2021 Fall (10th), 2022 (5th), 2023 (24th), 2024
Need to Know
NCAA Championships
Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 - 11:10 a.m ET
Madison, Wisc.
The Field
*National Rankings
- No. 1 BYU*
- No. 2 Oklahoma State*
- No. 3 Arkansas*
- No. 4 Iowa State*
- No. 5 New Mexico*
- No. 6 Northern Arizona*
- No. 7 Wisconsin*
- No. 8 Alabama*
- No. 9 Stanford*
- No. 10 North Carolina*
- No. 11 Virginia*
- No. 12 Washington*
- No. 13 Notre Dame*
- No. 14 Wake Forest*
- No. 15 Oregon*
- No. 16 Villanova*
- No. 17 Syracuse*
- No. 18 Princeton*
- No. 19 California Baptist*
- No. 19 Eastern Kentucky*
- No. 21 Butler*
- No. 21 Harvard*
- No. 23 Utah State*
- No. 24 Furman*
- No. 25 Georgetown*
- No. 26 Virginia Tech*
- No. 27 Ole Miss*
- No. 28 Colorado*
- No. 29 Wyoming*
- No. 30 Tulane*
- Tulsa
During last year's NCAA Championship, the squad competed at Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, Va., finishing 24th overall. The Demon Deacons accumulated 526 points, ahead of four top-25 ranked teams in the USTFCCCA standings.
Leading the charge was junior standout Joe O'Brien, who placed 81st individually with a time of 30:23.5. Sophomore Charlie Sprott, senior Luke Tewalt, and junior Gavin Ehlers, rounded out the top-five finishers.
Eyes on NCAA Title
Stepping up to the starting line on Saturday morning in Madison, Wisc., are seven of the 2024 ACC Cross Country Champions, four of which garnered All-ACC honors (Sprott, Tewalt, Aidan Ross, and O'Brien) by finishing in the top 21 – making Wake Forest the only team in the field to accomplish this.
Powerhouse Rocky Hansen looks to continue his momentum following a career-best 23:06.9, as he finished second at the Nuttycombe Invitational on Sept. 27 in an incredible field, just 2.9 seconds behind winner Parker Wolfe (North Carolina). Hansen's outstanding individual performance led the squad to a third-place team finish. Wake Forest was one of only three schools to place two athletes in the top-10, alongside North Carolina and BYU.
Joining Hansen is Tewalt, a two-time ACC Cross Country Champion, three-time All-ACC and two-time All-Regional honoree.
Tewalt has provided consistent results for the Deacons, accomplishing a 10th place finish in 23:32.3 at the Nuttycombe Invitational, and exceeding his Nuttycombe time with a second-place finish, clocking 23:12.1 at the Panorama Farms Invitational.
During Tewalt's second ACC Championship victory in just three years, he led the squad to the podium finishing seventh, with a time of 22:39.0.
Starting alongside Tewalt is two-time All-ACC and All-Regional Award winner O'Brien. During his third season with the Deacs', O'Brien has collected personal-best times in back-to-back meets. He finished 13th at the Panorama Farms Invitational with a time of 23:39.9 and earned 16th place at the ACC Championships, clocking 22:59.4.
On Nov. 15, O'Brien led the squad to a fifth place team finish at the Southeast Regionals placing 10th, and finishing in 30:01.7.
Over the course of the season, All-ACC and All-Region honoree Sprott has achieved three top-15 finishes (Panorama Farms Invitational (10th), ACC Championships (14th), and Southeast Regionals (11th).
Returning to the course is Aidan Ross, who started the 2024 campaign off with a top-40 finish, clocking 24:02.6 at the Nuttycombe Invitational. Ross collected a personal-best 23:27.8 and a fifth place finish, significantly contributing to the Deacs' first-place victory at the Panorama Farms Invitational.
Ross continued his success at the start of the post-season, crossing the finish line in 2:57.1, placing 15th at the ACC Championships.
Utah-native and ACC Freshman of the Year JoJo Jourdon looks to continue his first season with the Deacs', following a dominant performance at the ACC Championships on Nov. 1.
In Jourdon's collegiate 8k debut, he not only secured the highest finish among freshmen, but also became the fourth Demon Deacon in the past eight years to earn this honor, following Charlie Sprott who received the award in 2023.
Details on All-American Qualification
Finishers 1-40 at the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships will be awarded USTFCCCA All-American status.
The John Hayes Era
After leading the squad to their first ACC Championship title since 1994—and their second in the past three years—Hayes and the Deacs' have secured Wake Forest Athletics' sixth title and 58th overall ACC Championship. Now, they aim to achieve the program's first-ever NCAA Championship title in history.
Heading into Saturday, three-time USTFCCCA Southeast Region Cross Country Coach of the Year, is working towards his second ACC Coach of the Year award and his fourth USTFCCCA Southeast Region Cross Country Coach of the Year honor.
Follow The Demon Deacons
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | #GoDeacs
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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