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From The Quad
5/29/2024 11:34:00 AM | General
Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Good Afternoon Demon Deacon Nation!
The Deacs are still Dancing!
It's been an incredible 2023-24 athletics year and we're not finished yet! In addition to four elite Wake Forest track student-athletes earning spots on the Coach John Hayes Express to next week's NCAA championships in Eugene, the No. 19 ranked Diamond Deacs saw their name called Monday for a third-straight year and sixth in the last nine seasons under Coach Tom Walter's leadership. The Deacons get the home state nod with just a short bus ride down US 264 to the Greenville Regional, to face off with Atlantic 10 champion Virginia Commonwealth Friday at 6 p.m.
Regular season AAC champ East Carolina is the host of the Greenville regional, with Missouri Valley Conference champ Evansville rounding out a highly competitive quartet ready to fight it out at Clark-LeClair Stadium. Although all-session tickets have already sold out, it is anticipated that some single session tickets ($15, $12, $10) will be available for purchase for our first game via ECUPirates.com, over the phone by calling (800) DIAL-ECU or (252) 737-4500, or at the stadium box office. I know the Deacon faithful from down east will be working the secondary market and will make sure we have plenty of Black and Gold in the stands. Our Fan Experience staff is finalizing details for a fan send off for the Deacs on Friday at the team hotel so bookmark our Wake Forest Baseball Postseason Central page for all of the latest info.
It was special to be in the Queen City last week for the ACC Baseball Tournament, highlighted by an incredible sold out scene on Friday night as Wake Forest and North Carolina made the 299th game in a 133-year-old series an instant classic. Our award-winning creative crew captured images of unbelievable Deacon perseverance in a gritty comeback performance that saw the highs of a stellar Chase Burns 15 strikeout performance and a 4-0 Deacon lead after 6.5 innings, the low of a Carolina onslaught that pushed the Heels in front 5-4, to the crafty drawn walk by Cameron Gill in the top of the ninth and then a clutch full-count two-out double by All-American Nick Kurtz to send the game into extra innings.
The clock read 11:50 p.m. late Friday night when Kurtz crushed a fast ball off the Truist Field scoreboard in the top of the 12th inning for the game-winner, with junior Michael Massey coming in from the pen to strike out the Tar Heel side for the save and a 9-5 Deacon victory to advance to the ACC semifinals for the second-straight season.
Get your daily dose of goosebumps by watching this recap of the late night thriller and then watch Nick Kurtz epitomize the team culture of Demon Deacon baseball in this ACC Network postgame interview.
Congrats to four Demon Deacons who recently earned All-ACC honors as well and to right-handed flamethrower Chase Burns as he was crowned as the Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year. Chase joins Demon Deacons legend Rhett Lowder (2022 & 2023 Honoree) as the program's only ACC Pitcher of the Year recipients. Both Chase and Nick Kurtz were named semifinalists for the heralded Golden Spikes Award too, taking Wake Forest to a nation's best of five semifinalists over the last two years!
Deacon Tracksters Qualify for Next Week's NCAA Nationals
The Deacs will be represented at the NCAA Track & Field Outdoor Championships next month following four standout performances over the weekend in Lexington.
In the men's 800m, Rynard Swanepoel shattered the facility record and notched the fastest time in Wake Forest history at 1:45.28. He was also joined by freshman sensation Rocky Hansen, who recorded a time of 13:52.18.
On the women's side, Leia Braunagel continued a standout season recording a discus throw of 54.89 to advance while Robbie Grace landed a long jump mark of 6.24m to punch their tickets to Eugene.
This also comes on the heels of 11 student-athletes earning All-ACC honors over the course of the 2024 ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Georgia Tech. With that, the Demon Deacons were the most efficient team in Atlanta with 13 of the 22 athletes scoring in their respective events.
All four days of action (June 5-8) from the NCAA Outdoor Championships can be seen on ESPN/ESPN2, and be sure to follow the team's social media accounts for the latest updates!
Preparing to Thrive in the Next Era of College Sports
While our student-athletes, coaches and fans focus on the competitions at hand, if you missed Friday's Special Edition From the Quad I encourage you to go back and take a moment to read my perspective on the historic settlement agreement milestone reached last week between the NCAA, and the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Pac-12. You'll continue to read various speculative articles about potential impact and consequences, and we'll do our best to provide updates as appropriate. As always, our daily focus remains on achieving our five core goals including #1 - providing a World Class Student-Athlete Experience!
Looking Back and Celebrating the Wake Forest Class of 2024!
Among the most special events of the year is our annual Athletics graduation reception where this year we celebrated 113 Demon Deacons including 28 student-athletes that earned their degrees in December. I was proud to stand with these Deacs who have collectively won nearly 800 contests (so far :)) during their respective careers and brought home seven ACC Championships, four ACC Individual Championships and one NCAA Championship. Additionally, this group earned 134 All-ACC Academic selections and seven Postgraduate Scholarships!
President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D.'s address was a highlight of our 2024 Commencement Ceremony and you can visit Wake Forest's Senior Showcase website to read inspiring stories about these graduating seniors from across the University Community.
Golf Programs Compete at NCAA Championships in California
It's hard to make the NCAA golf championships, as evidenced by the fact that Wake Forest is one of just three schools in the nation, and the only one in the ACC, to have both their men's and women's programs qualify for the NCAA Championships during four of the last five years, along with Arizona State and Texas.
Coach Jerry Haas and our men's squad made a hard charge this past Sunday, finishing 16th in the country, falling just two strokes of the 15 team final round cut. Led by two-time ACC Champion Michael Brennan, Coach Haas' program reached the national event for the 48th time in program history thanks to a dramatic, hard-fought playoff win over BYU at the Austin Regional.
Last week, Coach Kim Lewellen and our women's golf program accomplished another top-10 national finish, capping a season highlighted by winning Wake Forest's 57th ACC Championship last month. Individually, two-time ACC Player of the Year Rachel Kuehn earned co-medalist honors at the Winston-Salem Regional a few weeks ago and she captured the ACC Individual Title as well back in April. Not to be outdone, rookie Macy Pate garnered ACC Freshman of the Year honors and Coach Lewellen was named the conference's Coach of the Year while the Deacs placed four student-athletes on the All-ACC team.
Next up, Rachel will compete for Team USA at the Arnold Palmer Cup for a record-tying fifth time in July!
Men's Tennis Historic Run to NCAA Final Four
Coach Tony Bresky and our men's tennis program put together one of the best seasons in program history this spring that ended in the Final Four back on Saturday, May 18. After wins over three top-25 opponents, including a quarterfinal triumph over defending back-to-back National Champion Virginia, the Deacs dropped a hard-fought match to No. 2-seeded Texas in the national semifinal. The route to the program's third-ever Final Four appearance, which have all come under the leadership of Coach Bresky (2018, 2019, 2024), was fueled by All-ACC performers Filippo Moroni, DK Suresh Ekambaram and Holden Koons.
Morini later advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2024 NCAA Singles Championships with a commanding victory over No. 2 Eliot Spizzirri of Texas (6-1, 7-5) and the nationally No. 2 ranked pairing of Suresh Ekambaram and Koons finished their campaign in the national doubles tournament Round of 16.
Meanwhile on the women's side, beyond making their eighth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Jeffrey Wyshner, senior Casie Wooten qualified for the NCAA Individual Championships bracket as the No. 36-ranked singles player in the country.
Wake Forest is one of just 17 schools nationally to advance their men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf and baseball teams to the NCAA's this spring.
Grab Your Spot! Football Single-Game Tickets on Sale Now - Four Packs Coming Soon!
The best location single-game tickets are now on sale for the 2024 football season as Coach Dave Clawson's squad prepares for an exciting fall of Wake Forest action on the gridiron. We'll celebrate Triad Community Night on Opening Night at Allegacy Stadium, Thursday, Aug. 29, as Wake Forest welcomes North Carolina A&T for a primetime kickoff. Remember, the quickest and most efficient way to order single-game tickets is to click this link or to call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wake Forest Students Garner Pulitzer Fellowship & Fulbright Scholarships
Join me in congratulating six Wake Forest students who have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships to conduct research and teach English during the 2024-2025 academic year. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program, offering study and teaching opportunities in more than 160 countries. Additionally, the Pulitzer Center has selected Melina Traiforos, a third-year English major and journalism and marketing communications minor, as Wake Forest's 2024 Reporting Fellow. She will receive a $3,000 stipend to report on Black maternal health disparities and inequalities low-income women face in the healthcare system.
A Trailblazing Legacy Remembered: Bob Grant Impacted Wake Forest & College Football
Our Deacon legend Bob Grant, an 2011 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame inductee and co-namesake of the Trailblazer Award passed away May 19 at the age of 77. Bob epitomized the Pro Humanitate spirit of Wake Forest University, as his courage made Wake Forest the first Division I University in the South to enroll Black football student-athletes. Listening to him tell that story with such pride has truly been inspirational to all of us in the Demon Deacon family. On the field, he was an elite player, but his intentionality and accomplishments off the football field have represented a course to which others can aspire in generations to come. We will miss Bob and will always endeavor to live up to his example of service to others.
From the Quad Big 3
Before we close, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
I'll see you in Greenville for Deacon baseball this week! Please continue to send your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to me at wfuad@wfu.edu.
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
Good Afternoon Demon Deacon Nation!
The Deacs are still Dancing!
It's been an incredible 2023-24 athletics year and we're not finished yet! In addition to four elite Wake Forest track student-athletes earning spots on the Coach John Hayes Express to next week's NCAA championships in Eugene, the No. 19 ranked Diamond Deacs saw their name called Monday for a third-straight year and sixth in the last nine seasons under Coach Tom Walter's leadership. The Deacons get the home state nod with just a short bus ride down US 264 to the Greenville Regional, to face off with Atlantic 10 champion Virginia Commonwealth Friday at 6 p.m.
Regular season AAC champ East Carolina is the host of the Greenville regional, with Missouri Valley Conference champ Evansville rounding out a highly competitive quartet ready to fight it out at Clark-LeClair Stadium. Although all-session tickets have already sold out, it is anticipated that some single session tickets ($15, $12, $10) will be available for purchase for our first game via ECUPirates.com, over the phone by calling (800) DIAL-ECU or (252) 737-4500, or at the stadium box office. I know the Deacon faithful from down east will be working the secondary market and will make sure we have plenty of Black and Gold in the stands. Our Fan Experience staff is finalizing details for a fan send off for the Deacs on Friday at the team hotel so bookmark our Wake Forest Baseball Postseason Central page for all of the latest info.
It was special to be in the Queen City last week for the ACC Baseball Tournament, highlighted by an incredible sold out scene on Friday night as Wake Forest and North Carolina made the 299th game in a 133-year-old series an instant classic. Our award-winning creative crew captured images of unbelievable Deacon perseverance in a gritty comeback performance that saw the highs of a stellar Chase Burns 15 strikeout performance and a 4-0 Deacon lead after 6.5 innings, the low of a Carolina onslaught that pushed the Heels in front 5-4, to the crafty drawn walk by Cameron Gill in the top of the ninth and then a clutch full-count two-out double by All-American Nick Kurtz to send the game into extra innings.
The clock read 11:50 p.m. late Friday night when Kurtz crushed a fast ball off the Truist Field scoreboard in the top of the 12th inning for the game-winner, with junior Michael Massey coming in from the pen to strike out the Tar Heel side for the save and a 9-5 Deacon victory to advance to the ACC semifinals for the second-straight season.
Get your daily dose of goosebumps by watching this recap of the late night thriller and then watch Nick Kurtz epitomize the team culture of Demon Deacon baseball in this ACC Network postgame interview.
Congrats to four Demon Deacons who recently earned All-ACC honors as well and to right-handed flamethrower Chase Burns as he was crowned as the Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year. Chase joins Demon Deacons legend Rhett Lowder (2022 & 2023 Honoree) as the program's only ACC Pitcher of the Year recipients. Both Chase and Nick Kurtz were named semifinalists for the heralded Golden Spikes Award too, taking Wake Forest to a nation's best of five semifinalists over the last two years!
Deacon Tracksters Qualify for Next Week's NCAA Nationals
The Deacs will be represented at the NCAA Track & Field Outdoor Championships next month following four standout performances over the weekend in Lexington.
In the men's 800m, Rynard Swanepoel shattered the facility record and notched the fastest time in Wake Forest history at 1:45.28. He was also joined by freshman sensation Rocky Hansen, who recorded a time of 13:52.18.
On the women's side, Leia Braunagel continued a standout season recording a discus throw of 54.89 to advance while Robbie Grace landed a long jump mark of 6.24m to punch their tickets to Eugene.
This also comes on the heels of 11 student-athletes earning All-ACC honors over the course of the 2024 ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Georgia Tech. With that, the Demon Deacons were the most efficient team in Atlanta with 13 of the 22 athletes scoring in their respective events.
All four days of action (June 5-8) from the NCAA Outdoor Championships can be seen on ESPN/ESPN2, and be sure to follow the team's social media accounts for the latest updates!
Preparing to Thrive in the Next Era of College Sports
While our student-athletes, coaches and fans focus on the competitions at hand, if you missed Friday's Special Edition From the Quad I encourage you to go back and take a moment to read my perspective on the historic settlement agreement milestone reached last week between the NCAA, and the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Pac-12. You'll continue to read various speculative articles about potential impact and consequences, and we'll do our best to provide updates as appropriate. As always, our daily focus remains on achieving our five core goals including #1 - providing a World Class Student-Athlete Experience!
Looking Back and Celebrating the Wake Forest Class of 2024!
Among the most special events of the year is our annual Athletics graduation reception where this year we celebrated 113 Demon Deacons including 28 student-athletes that earned their degrees in December. I was proud to stand with these Deacs who have collectively won nearly 800 contests (so far :)) during their respective careers and brought home seven ACC Championships, four ACC Individual Championships and one NCAA Championship. Additionally, this group earned 134 All-ACC Academic selections and seven Postgraduate Scholarships!
President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D.'s address was a highlight of our 2024 Commencement Ceremony and you can visit Wake Forest's Senior Showcase website to read inspiring stories about these graduating seniors from across the University Community.
Golf Programs Compete at NCAA Championships in California
It's hard to make the NCAA golf championships, as evidenced by the fact that Wake Forest is one of just three schools in the nation, and the only one in the ACC, to have both their men's and women's programs qualify for the NCAA Championships during four of the last five years, along with Arizona State and Texas.
Coach Jerry Haas and our men's squad made a hard charge this past Sunday, finishing 16th in the country, falling just two strokes of the 15 team final round cut. Led by two-time ACC Champion Michael Brennan, Coach Haas' program reached the national event for the 48th time in program history thanks to a dramatic, hard-fought playoff win over BYU at the Austin Regional.
Last week, Coach Kim Lewellen and our women's golf program accomplished another top-10 national finish, capping a season highlighted by winning Wake Forest's 57th ACC Championship last month. Individually, two-time ACC Player of the Year Rachel Kuehn earned co-medalist honors at the Winston-Salem Regional a few weeks ago and she captured the ACC Individual Title as well back in April. Not to be outdone, rookie Macy Pate garnered ACC Freshman of the Year honors and Coach Lewellen was named the conference's Coach of the Year while the Deacs placed four student-athletes on the All-ACC team.
Next up, Rachel will compete for Team USA at the Arnold Palmer Cup for a record-tying fifth time in July!
Men's Tennis Historic Run to NCAA Final Four
Coach Tony Bresky and our men's tennis program put together one of the best seasons in program history this spring that ended in the Final Four back on Saturday, May 18. After wins over three top-25 opponents, including a quarterfinal triumph over defending back-to-back National Champion Virginia, the Deacs dropped a hard-fought match to No. 2-seeded Texas in the national semifinal. The route to the program's third-ever Final Four appearance, which have all come under the leadership of Coach Bresky (2018, 2019, 2024), was fueled by All-ACC performers Filippo Moroni, DK Suresh Ekambaram and Holden Koons.
Morini later advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2024 NCAA Singles Championships with a commanding victory over No. 2 Eliot Spizzirri of Texas (6-1, 7-5) and the nationally No. 2 ranked pairing of Suresh Ekambaram and Koons finished their campaign in the national doubles tournament Round of 16.
Meanwhile on the women's side, beyond making their eighth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Jeffrey Wyshner, senior Casie Wooten qualified for the NCAA Individual Championships bracket as the No. 36-ranked singles player in the country.
Wake Forest is one of just 17 schools nationally to advance their men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf and baseball teams to the NCAA's this spring.
Grab Your Spot! Football Single-Game Tickets on Sale Now - Four Packs Coming Soon!
The best location single-game tickets are now on sale for the 2024 football season as Coach Dave Clawson's squad prepares for an exciting fall of Wake Forest action on the gridiron. We'll celebrate Triad Community Night on Opening Night at Allegacy Stadium, Thursday, Aug. 29, as Wake Forest welcomes North Carolina A&T for a primetime kickoff. Remember, the quickest and most efficient way to order single-game tickets is to click this link or to call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wake Forest Students Garner Pulitzer Fellowship & Fulbright Scholarships
Join me in congratulating six Wake Forest students who have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships to conduct research and teach English during the 2024-2025 academic year. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program, offering study and teaching opportunities in more than 160 countries. Additionally, the Pulitzer Center has selected Melina Traiforos, a third-year English major and journalism and marketing communications minor, as Wake Forest's 2024 Reporting Fellow. She will receive a $3,000 stipend to report on Black maternal health disparities and inequalities low-income women face in the healthcare system.
A Trailblazing Legacy Remembered: Bob Grant Impacted Wake Forest & College Football
Our Deacon legend Bob Grant, an 2011 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame inductee and co-namesake of the Trailblazer Award passed away May 19 at the age of 77. Bob epitomized the Pro Humanitate spirit of Wake Forest University, as his courage made Wake Forest the first Division I University in the South to enroll Black football student-athletes. Listening to him tell that story with such pride has truly been inspirational to all of us in the Demon Deacon family. On the field, he was an elite player, but his intentionality and accomplishments off the football field have represented a course to which others can aspire in generations to come. We will miss Bob and will always endeavor to live up to his example of service to others.
From the Quad Big 3
Before we close, here are today's Big 3 ways to help the Deacs:
- There is not an easier, more affordable or more fun way to host a group outing than Wake Forest Football! In addition to football single-game tickets being on sale, our concierge sales team crafts opportunities for groups of all sizes to enjoy the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina. Make Wake Forest football the destination for your next group outing and join us in DEACTOWN for a game this season! Both large group opportunities are now available for the 2024 season and depending on quantity and opponent, you can customize packages for as little as $12 per ticket. Contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office sales team of Kyler Anderson and Carter Birdsall at 336-758-3322 ext. 1.
- No matter where you are, remember that wearing your Black and Gold on #WFFriday is an easy way to show the global spirit of Demon Deacons Nation!
- Come join the fun as Coach Clawson, his staff and players host the 24th Ladies Football Clinic on Tuesday, June 18 inside the McCreary Football Complex and McCreary Football Field House. This unique (and active!) event focuses on the fundamentals and strategy of the game and features one-on-one interaction with Wake Forest's football staff, including head coach Dave Clawson. The event will begin at 5 p.m. and conclude around 9 p.m. and tickets are $55. Proceeds from the camp benefit the Coaches Kids Program, providing local underprivileged youth the opportunity to attend Wake Forest football, men's and women's basketball, and other Olympic sporting events.
I'll see you in Greenville for Deacon baseball this week! Please continue to send your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to me at wfuad@wfu.edu.
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
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