This Week in Wake Forest Women’s Athletics – Presented by Truist (Feb. 19-25)
2/21/2024 9:21:00 AM | General, Women's Basketball, Women's Golf, Women's Tennis, Women's Track and Field
This weekly feature is brought to you by Truist - The Presenting Partner of Wake Forest Women’s Athletics.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Truist, a longstanding partner of Wake Forest University who is An Official Banking Partner of Wake Forest Athletics and the Presenting Partner of Wake Forest Women's Athletics brings Deacon Nation this weekly update from the Demon Deacons women's programs:
Truist Financial Corporation is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. Truist has leading market share in many high-growth markets in the country, and offers a wide range of products and services through our retail and small business banking, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, insurance, wealth management, and specialized lending businesses. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Truist is a top 10 U.S. commercial bank with total assets of $574 billion as of March 31, 2023. Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at Truist.com.
About Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is known for its distinctive combination of world-class academics, unrivaled campus experience, intimate learning environment and Power 5 athletics in a top-growing metro market. A Charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Demon Deacons have won 56 conference titles and are one of only seven ACC schools to win 10 or more national championships, along with Notre Dame, North Carolina, Virginia, Duke, Syracuse and Florida State. Additionally, Wake Forest anchors the Winston-Salem and Triad market, which includes 1.3M residents and was ranked as ESPN's seventh-best market from a viewership perspective.
Wake Forest's comprehensive excellence includes its highly regarded school of medicine, business school, law school and an innovative department of engineering. Additionally, Wake Forest has campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, DC – providing many academic offerings to students from across the nation and around the world.
Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.
- Track & Field/Cross Country:
- The Wake Forest women's indoor track and field team competed in the JDL Last Chance Invitational ahead of the ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships which will take place from Feb. 22-24.
- Isabella Gera, Laura Giudice and Megan Cook all finished in first in the respective events in Winston-Salem on Saturday.
- Women's shot put - Isabella Gera - 15.18m
- Women's 800m - Laura Giudice - 2:16.05
- Women's weight throw - Megan Cook - 18.88m
- Outside of the three first place finishes, the Deacs claimed five podium finishes across four events.
- Women's weight throw - 2nd: Katrina Andreassen - 17.97m
- Women's 400m - 2nd: Mia Boardman - 1:00.18
- Women's 3000m - 2nd: Gabriella Castro - 10:19.51
- Women's shot put - 2nd: Ashlyn Giles - 15:09m
- Women's shot put - 3rd: Leia Braunagel - 14.74m
- Women's Basketball:
- Sunday night was a night to honor four outstanding Wake Forest women's basketball seniors and graduates ahead of the primetime clash against North Carolina at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, honoring seniors Demeara Hinds and Aliah McWhorter as well as recognizing graduates Kaia Harrison and Alexandria Scruggs.
- The Demon Deacons defense held North Carolina to an ACC-low 58 points as Wake Forest nearly came out on top, falling 58-50. It was the fewest points the Tar Heels had scored since scoring 58 in a loss to No. 1 South Carolina on Nov. 30.
- In total, the Deacs forced 24 turnovers against North Carolina. This was the most turnovers in the Courtney Banghart era and the most since the 2018-19 season when North Carolina turned it over 27 times against Auburn on Dec. 20, 2018.
- On a night that helped spread breast cancer awareness in conjunction with the Kay Yow Foundation, the Demon Deacons honored fighters and survivors with both the Wake Forest women's basketball team and Florida State wearing special pink uniforms Thursday evening at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
- In a competitive, four-quarter game, Wake Forest came out on the losing end against Florida State, 71-63.
- The Demon Deacons dominated inside, as they outscored the Seminoles 40-to-26 inside the paint. Wake Forest also added 21 second-chance points off of 13 offensive rebounds.
- Individually, the Deacs were led by junior guard Elise Williams, who finished with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting (2-of-4 from three), in addition to five rebounds, five assists and three steals. It marked her 11th game of the season with double-digit points and sixth time in ACC play, including three of the last four outings. Additionally, at home in ACC play, she averages 17.0 points per game while shooting 40-92 (43.5 percent) from the floor and 15-35 (42.9 percent) from beyond the arc.
- After the three-game homestand, the Demon Deacons are back on the road Thursday when they travel to Pitt for a midweek contest.
- Tipoff in the Steel City is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. against the Panthers and will also air on ACC Network Extra.
- Sunday night was a night to honor four outstanding Wake Forest women's basketball seniors and graduates ahead of the primetime clash against North Carolina at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, honoring seniors Demeara Hinds and Aliah McWhorter as well as recognizing graduates Kaia Harrison and Alexandria Scruggs.
- Women's Golf:
- The top-ranked Deacs are currently competing in the Moon Golf Invitational, hosted by Louisville, in Melbourne, Fla. The event began on Saturday and will conclude Wednesday afternoon.
- Wake Forest has three events remaining on their spring schedule before postseason begins with the ACC Championship in Wilmington, N.C. in April.
- The Deacs will head to the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate March 4-6 in South Carolina then head to Georgia for the Valspar Augusta Invitational March 9-10. Wake will wrap up the regular season at the Wolfpack Match Play event in Raleigh at Lonnie Poole Golf Club April 8-9 before postseason begins April 18.
- Women's Tennis:
- The Deacs split the first two home matches of the season on Saturday, Feb. 17, with a close, 4-3 defeat to No. 24 South Carolina before a dominant 7-0 sweep over in-state rival Campbell.
- Wake Forest is now 60-7 (.896) at home against non-conference opponents since the start of the 2014 season.
- Individually, senior Casie Woten led the way with her first-career win over a top-five opponent, as she took down No. Ayana Akli in the first match, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. She followed that up with a 6-1, 6-1 victory in the second match, in addition to a 6-3 doubles win with redshirt freshman Krystal Blanch.
- Senior Brooke Killingsworth and graduate student Marcella Cruz also earned a weekly honor, as the pair took home ACC Doubles Team of the Week after their 6-3 win over No. 27 Akli/Lancelot of South Carolina.
- It marked the first win of the season for the Deacs against a ranked doubles pairing.
- The Demon Deacons will now prepare for the Blue Gray Classic from Friday to Saturday (Feb. 23-24) in Montgomery, Ala. Wake Forest won the event last season.
- The Deacs split the first two home matches of the season on Saturday, Feb. 17, with a close, 4-3 defeat to No. 24 South Carolina before a dominant 7-0 sweep over in-state rival Campbell.
Truist Financial Corporation is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. Truist has leading market share in many high-growth markets in the country, and offers a wide range of products and services through our retail and small business banking, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, insurance, wealth management, and specialized lending businesses. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Truist is a top 10 U.S. commercial bank with total assets of $574 billion as of March 31, 2023. Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at Truist.com.
About Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is known for its distinctive combination of world-class academics, unrivaled campus experience, intimate learning environment and Power 5 athletics in a top-growing metro market. A Charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Demon Deacons have won 56 conference titles and are one of only seven ACC schools to win 10 or more national championships, along with Notre Dame, North Carolina, Virginia, Duke, Syracuse and Florida State. Additionally, Wake Forest anchors the Winston-Salem and Triad market, which includes 1.3M residents and was ranked as ESPN's seventh-best market from a viewership perspective.
Wake Forest's comprehensive excellence includes its highly regarded school of medicine, business school, law school and an innovative department of engineering. Additionally, Wake Forest has campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, DC – providing many academic offerings to students from across the nation and around the world.
Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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/ Women's Basketball
/ Women's Tennis
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's BasketballWake 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
Matt Barrie SportsCenter on Wake Forest Campus (Arnold Palmer Complex)
Wednesday, September 10