Saturday, February 1
Columbia, SC
Wake Forest University
vs
Gamecock Challenge
Rocky Hansen Delivered Record-Setting Performance in Boston
2/1/2025 10:12:00 PM | Track and Field
On Saturday evening, Hansen finished 10th in the 5000 meters, breaking the Wake Forest indoor all-time record in the event with a time of 13:14.43.
BOSTON, MA. / COLUMBIA, S.C. - Sophomore Rocky Hansen delivered a breakout performance Saturday evening, competing at the BU Terrier Classic, setting a new Wake Forest indoor record in the 5,000 meter run.
In his collegiate indoor debut at the distance, Hansen crossed the finish line in 13:14.43, securing 10th place and surpassing Zach Facioni on the all-time list who had held the top spot since 2023.
The Demon Deacons posted several standout performances throughout the weekend in Boston. Rynard Swanepoel finished the 8000m in 1:48.54, while Paul Specht ran a personal best 3:57.49.
Leading the charge in the 3,000m race, Luke Tewalt posted a personal best of 7:50.67, finishing 12th overall and jumping from sixth to third on the indoor all-time list.
During his collegiate debut in the 3,000m, JoJo Jourdon recorded a 7:53.48, followed closely by Charlie Sprott, who finished in 7:53.65.
Competing at the Gamecock Challenge, Robbie Grace led the Deacs, extending her winning streak in the women's long jump, securing her fourth consecutive victory.
Grace matched both her indoor personal best and the Wake Forest all-time record, leaping 6.22m.
In the women's shot put, Isabelle Gera earned first place with a distance of 15.04m. Through the first five competitions of the 2024-25 season, Gera has earned four first-place finishes—three in the shot put and one in the weight throw.
Emma Douglass shattered her previous best of 2:06.61 in the 800m, clocking a time of 2:05.25 to claim first place. Her performance moved her to second on the Wake Forest indoor all-time list, just behind Aleeya Hutchin's (2:04.73).
The men's mile featured a deep field of Demon Deacons, with eight finishing in the top-20. Hunter Jones dominated, taking sixth place with a personal best time of 4:04.43. Joe O'Brien followed in seventh (4:04.54) in his indoor mile debut.
Wes Shipsey secured ninth (4:04.81), with Aidan Ross (4:05.22), Grant Morgenfeld (4:05.29), and Bryce Gilmore (4:05.83), rounding out the top 15.
In the women's mile, seven Deacs broke the facility record. Charlotte Augenstein and Brooke Wilson claimed the top two spots with personal bests of 4:40.82 and 4:41.65, respectively.
Rylan Engels (4:43.76), Elizabeth Whaley (4:44.36), and Molly Dreher (4:45.36) completed the top 5 finishing third, fourth, and fifth place.
Daniel Winter (8:01.07), Aidan Ross (8:01.19), and Grant Morgenfeld (8:03.21) finished the day for the Deacs, securing the top 3 spots in the men's 3000m.
Notable Finishes (BU Terrier Classic)
Men's 800m
Men's Mile
From the Staff
"Great day for Wake Forest Track and Field. We had some pretty impressive performances of the day in SC and here in Boston. Obviously Rocky's 5k was the performance of the day. He almost definitely punched his ticket to the NCAA indoor championships and now has a USATF standard for August as he dominated a national level field by 6 seconds.We started off the day with Rynard in the 800m. It was his 800m opener. I'm quite confident that he can hit a national standard in 2 weeks. It was his fastest opener of his career! Paul had a great race as well. He ran away from the field in his race too. I think the pacing in the 3k was erratic but all of those young men hit personal bests. Looking at South Carolina Robbie continues to be very consistent. I'm confident she will pop a big one in the next few weeks. Our women dominated the mile. Many of them will go to Boston in two weeks and we should see some big marks. Bella won the shot and had another strong WT over 17 meters. Emma won big with a personal best in the 800m and came back with a nice leg on the DMR. There were many more strong marks. I anticipate a great weekend again in 2 weeks as we prepare for the championship season!" – Director of Track & Field and Cross Country John Hayes
"We saw a lot of great performances today, with several athletes achieving personal bests, season bests, and ACC qualifying marks. It's exciting to see the progress since our last competition, and I can't wait to see what this team continues to accomplish throughout the season." - Associate head coach Ashley Bastron
"I'm really pleased with the racing today. On the men's side I counted what I think was 12 personal best. The depth of this team is really special right now and is a testament to how hard these guys work every day with each other. The women's mid d squad ran fantastic as well. I'm proud of the way Rylan and Charlotte responded mid race even when it was not playing out how we planned it to. Charlotte was rewarded with a win and a new PR and Rylan knocked 5 seconds off her PB. Emma crushed her season opener with a new PB and a definitive win. All 3 will be ready to make the next jump when we race again in Boston in two weeks." - Assistant coach Brandon Hazouri
"Our team is making steady progress and demonstrating improved consistency across various events. Robbie Grace, for instance, has been a rock for our team and consistently pushes her boundaries, delivering exceptional performances in the long jump. Our athletes are hungry for more continued success, and with each passing competition, they're becoming more and more confident in their abilities." - Assistant coach Ryan Grinnell
"The throwers had a good day overall. Bella's win and season best in the shot was a highlight today. I'm looking forward to some bigger performances next weekend at JDL." - Associate head coach Collin Post
Up Next
Wake Forest will gear up for a busy weekend, with two local competitions in Winston-Salem, N.C.—the Camel City Sprints Invitational on Feb.7 and the Camel City Distance Classic on Feb. 8. That same weekend, another group will travel to Blacksburg, Va., to compete in the Doc Hale VT Meet from Feb. 7-8.
Follow The Demon Deacons
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | #GoDeacs
In his collegiate indoor debut at the distance, Hansen crossed the finish line in 13:14.43, securing 10th place and surpassing Zach Facioni on the all-time list who had held the top spot since 2023.
The Demon Deacons posted several standout performances throughout the weekend in Boston. Rynard Swanepoel finished the 8000m in 1:48.54, while Paul Specht ran a personal best 3:57.49.
Leading the charge in the 3,000m race, Luke Tewalt posted a personal best of 7:50.67, finishing 12th overall and jumping from sixth to third on the indoor all-time list.
During his collegiate debut in the 3,000m, JoJo Jourdon recorded a 7:53.48, followed closely by Charlie Sprott, who finished in 7:53.65.
Competing at the Gamecock Challenge, Robbie Grace led the Deacs, extending her winning streak in the women's long jump, securing her fourth consecutive victory.
Grace matched both her indoor personal best and the Wake Forest all-time record, leaping 6.22m.
In the women's shot put, Isabelle Gera earned first place with a distance of 15.04m. Through the first five competitions of the 2024-25 season, Gera has earned four first-place finishes—three in the shot put and one in the weight throw.
Emma Douglass shattered her previous best of 2:06.61 in the 800m, clocking a time of 2:05.25 to claim first place. Her performance moved her to second on the Wake Forest indoor all-time list, just behind Aleeya Hutchin's (2:04.73).
The men's mile featured a deep field of Demon Deacons, with eight finishing in the top-20. Hunter Jones dominated, taking sixth place with a personal best time of 4:04.43. Joe O'Brien followed in seventh (4:04.54) in his indoor mile debut.
Wes Shipsey secured ninth (4:04.81), with Aidan Ross (4:05.22), Grant Morgenfeld (4:05.29), and Bryce Gilmore (4:05.83), rounding out the top 15.
In the women's mile, seven Deacs broke the facility record. Charlotte Augenstein and Brooke Wilson claimed the top two spots with personal bests of 4:40.82 and 4:41.65, respectively.
Rylan Engels (4:43.76), Elizabeth Whaley (4:44.36), and Molly Dreher (4:45.36) completed the top 5 finishing third, fourth, and fifth place.
Daniel Winter (8:01.07), Aidan Ross (8:01.19), and Grant Morgenfeld (8:03.21) finished the day for the Deacs, securing the top 3 spots in the men's 3000m.
Notable Finishes (BU Terrier Classic)
Men's 800m
- 4th Place – Rynard Swanepoel (1:48.36)
- 20th Place - Paul Specht (3:57.49)
- 12th Place - Luke Tewalt (7:50.67)
- 22nd Place - JoJo Jourdon (7:53.48)
- 23rd Place - Charlie Sprott (7:53.65)
- 1st Place - Rocky Hansen (13:14.43)
Men's Mile
- 6th Place - Hunter Jones (4:04.43)
- 7th Place - Joe O'Brien (4:04.54)
- 9th Place - Wes Shipsey (4:04.81)
- 12th Place - Aidan Ross (4:05.22)
- 13th Place - Grant Morgenfeld (4:05.29)
- 14th Place - Bryce Gilmore (4:05.83)
- 1st Place - Daniel Winter (8:01.07)
- 2nd Place - Aidan Ross (8:01.19)
- 3rd Place - Grant Morgenfeld (8:03.21)
- 1st Place - Emma Douglass (2:05.25)
- 1st Place - Charlotte Augenstein (4:40.82)
- 2nd Place - Brooke Wilson (4:41.65)
- 3rd Place - Rylan Engels (4:43.76)
- 4th Place - Elizabeth Whaley (4:44.36)
- 5th Place - Molly Dreher (4:45.36)
- 6th Place - Grace Wassell (4:51.12)
- 9th Place - Palmer Walstad (4:58.08)
- 10th Place - Aria Wegh (8.91)
- 1st Place - Isabella Gera (15.04m)
- 1st Place - Robbie Grace (6.22m)
- 4th Place - Savannah Simmons (5.81m)
2025 Indoor Track and Field Top-10 Marks
Men's 800m
-
2nd - Rynard Swanepoel (1:48.36)
Men's Mile
-
2nd - Paul Specht (3:57.49)
-
3rd - Rocky Hansen (3:57.90)
-
4th - JoJo Jourdon (4:00.35)
Men's 1000m
-
7th - Foster Shelbert (2:26.13)
Men's 3000m
-
3rd - Luke Tewalt (7:50.67)
-
5th - JoJo Jourdon (7:53.48)
-
6th - Charlie Sprott (7:53.65)
Men's 5000m
-
1st Place - Rocky Hansen (13:14.43)
Women's 800m
-
2nd - Emma Douglass (2:05.25)
Women's Mile
-
2nd - Charlotte Augenstein (4:40.82)
-
7th - Brooke Wilson (4:41.65)
Women's 1000m
-
4th – Elizabeth Whaley (2:47.87)
-
8th - Molly Dreher (2:52.83)
DMR
-
Sixth (11:22.61)
Women's Weight Throw
-
9th - Maria Lescovec (16.45m)
Women's Long Jump
-
1st - Robbie Grace (6.22m)
-
6th - Bridget McNally (5.85m)
-
7th - Savannah Simmons (5.81m)
From the Staff
"Great day for Wake Forest Track and Field. We had some pretty impressive performances of the day in SC and here in Boston. Obviously Rocky's 5k was the performance of the day. He almost definitely punched his ticket to the NCAA indoor championships and now has a USATF standard for August as he dominated a national level field by 6 seconds.We started off the day with Rynard in the 800m. It was his 800m opener. I'm quite confident that he can hit a national standard in 2 weeks. It was his fastest opener of his career! Paul had a great race as well. He ran away from the field in his race too. I think the pacing in the 3k was erratic but all of those young men hit personal bests. Looking at South Carolina Robbie continues to be very consistent. I'm confident she will pop a big one in the next few weeks. Our women dominated the mile. Many of them will go to Boston in two weeks and we should see some big marks. Bella won the shot and had another strong WT over 17 meters. Emma won big with a personal best in the 800m and came back with a nice leg on the DMR. There were many more strong marks. I anticipate a great weekend again in 2 weeks as we prepare for the championship season!" – Director of Track & Field and Cross Country John Hayes
"We saw a lot of great performances today, with several athletes achieving personal bests, season bests, and ACC qualifying marks. It's exciting to see the progress since our last competition, and I can't wait to see what this team continues to accomplish throughout the season." - Associate head coach Ashley Bastron
"I'm really pleased with the racing today. On the men's side I counted what I think was 12 personal best. The depth of this team is really special right now and is a testament to how hard these guys work every day with each other. The women's mid d squad ran fantastic as well. I'm proud of the way Rylan and Charlotte responded mid race even when it was not playing out how we planned it to. Charlotte was rewarded with a win and a new PR and Rylan knocked 5 seconds off her PB. Emma crushed her season opener with a new PB and a definitive win. All 3 will be ready to make the next jump when we race again in Boston in two weeks." - Assistant coach Brandon Hazouri
"Our team is making steady progress and demonstrating improved consistency across various events. Robbie Grace, for instance, has been a rock for our team and consistently pushes her boundaries, delivering exceptional performances in the long jump. Our athletes are hungry for more continued success, and with each passing competition, they're becoming more and more confident in their abilities." - Assistant coach Ryan Grinnell
"The throwers had a good day overall. Bella's win and season best in the shot was a highlight today. I'm looking forward to some bigger performances next weekend at JDL." - Associate head coach Collin Post
Up Next
Wake Forest will gear up for a busy weekend, with two local competitions in Winston-Salem, N.C.—the Camel City Sprints Invitational on Feb.7 and the Camel City Distance Classic on Feb. 8. That same weekend, another group will travel to Blacksburg, Va., to compete in the Doc Hale VT Meet from Feb. 7-8.
Follow The Demon Deacons
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | #GoDeacs
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