John Hayes Releases 2025 Cross Country Schedule
8/13/2025 3:00:00 PM | Cross Country
The 10-event slate will feature four meets inside the state of North Carolina.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Coming off his second ACC men's cross country championship in the past three seasons, 2024 ACC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year John Hayes unveiled the 2025 schedule for both the Wake Forest men's and women's cross country programs Wednesday afternoons.
"As Director of our men's and women's Track and Field and Cross Country programs, I am excited about our 2025 schedule," Hayes said. "It's strategically crafted to position both the men's and women's teams for success. Our men will compete against top programs at the Gans Creek Classic, followed by a smaller but tough UVA meet to prepare for the fiercely competitive ACC Championships, the nation's deepest distance running conference. With tailored schedules to optimize each team's strengths, I am confident we will qualify for the NCAA Championships and perform at our peak."
"We're excited to release our schedule and get the season underway," said associate head coach Ashley Bastron. "Our team has been training hard, and we're looking forward to testing ourselves against some strong competition. Each meet presents an opportunity to compete at a high level and we can't wait to get out there and represent Wake Forest"
The Demon Deacons open the 2025 season by hosting UNC Greensboro for the second-consecutive season on Friday, Aug. 29 at Salem Lake. The Deacs will return to competition two weeks later, as the women's program travels to Charlotte to compete in the Queen City Invite on Sept. 12, before the men's program competes in the adidas Wolfpack Invitational on Sept. 19 in Cary.
Wake Forest will then compete in the first of six meets outside the state of North Carolina, as both programs head off to Columbia, Mo., to participate in the Gans Creek Classic on Sept. 26.
During the month of October, the Demon Deacons return to North Carolina one final time with the women's team competing in the Royals Challenge on Oct. 10 in Charlotte, before closing out the regular season in two separate meets on Oct. 17. The men will head up to Virginia in search of repeating as champions at the Panorama Farms Invitational, while the women conclude their regular season at the Arturo Barrios Invitational in College Station, Texas.
The Deacs open postseason competition by looking to defend their conference title at the ACC Cross Country Championships on Oct. 31 in Louisville.
The NCAA Southeast Regional will be held in Earlysville, Va., on Nov. 14., while the NCAA Cross Country Championships will be on Nov. 22 in Columbia, Mo.
2024 Season Highlights
The John Hayes Era
Since arriving in Winston-Salem in 2016, Hayes has helped the men's cross country team grow into a national powerhouse. Under his leadership, the Demon Deacons have claimed two ACC titles in 2022 and 2024, resulting in Hayes earning ACC Coach of the Year honors both years. Hayes was also named USTFCCCA Southeast Region Coach Of The Year four of the last five seasons (2020-22, 2024).
Along with their success in the ACC, the Deacs have also earned a spot at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in five consecutive seasons, extending the longest streak in program history. During this five-year stretch, Wake Forest has finished inside the top-10 twice, including a program-best fifth-place finish in 2022.
Over the course of his tenure with the Deacs, Hayes has produced six All-Americans, including Zach Facioni, the first three-time All-American in program history. Hayes has also coached four ACC Freshman of the Year performers, including back-to-back winners in Charlie Sprott (2023) and JoJo Jourdon (2024), and 14 All-ACC honorees.
On the women's side, Hayes, alongside associate head coach Ashley Bastron, has coached four individuals to All-ACC honors, including both Angelina Perez and Brooke Wilson during the 2024 season.
Program History/Accolades (Men)
Program History/Accolades (Women)
2025 Cross Country Schedule
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"As Director of our men's and women's Track and Field and Cross Country programs, I am excited about our 2025 schedule," Hayes said. "It's strategically crafted to position both the men's and women's teams for success. Our men will compete against top programs at the Gans Creek Classic, followed by a smaller but tough UVA meet to prepare for the fiercely competitive ACC Championships, the nation's deepest distance running conference. With tailored schedules to optimize each team's strengths, I am confident we will qualify for the NCAA Championships and perform at our peak."
"We're excited to release our schedule and get the season underway," said associate head coach Ashley Bastron. "Our team has been training hard, and we're looking forward to testing ourselves against some strong competition. Each meet presents an opportunity to compete at a high level and we can't wait to get out there and represent Wake Forest"
The Demon Deacons open the 2025 season by hosting UNC Greensboro for the second-consecutive season on Friday, Aug. 29 at Salem Lake. The Deacs will return to competition two weeks later, as the women's program travels to Charlotte to compete in the Queen City Invite on Sept. 12, before the men's program competes in the adidas Wolfpack Invitational on Sept. 19 in Cary.
Wake Forest will then compete in the first of six meets outside the state of North Carolina, as both programs head off to Columbia, Mo., to participate in the Gans Creek Classic on Sept. 26.
During the month of October, the Demon Deacons return to North Carolina one final time with the women's team competing in the Royals Challenge on Oct. 10 in Charlotte, before closing out the regular season in two separate meets on Oct. 17. The men will head up to Virginia in search of repeating as champions at the Panorama Farms Invitational, while the women conclude their regular season at the Arturo Barrios Invitational in College Station, Texas.
The Deacs open postseason competition by looking to defend their conference title at the ACC Cross Country Championships on Oct. 31 in Louisville.
The NCAA Southeast Regional will be held in Earlysville, Va., on Nov. 14., while the NCAA Cross Country Championships will be on Nov. 22 in Columbia, Mo.
2024 Season Highlights
- Men's Cross Country
- At the highly competitive Nuttycombe Invitational on Sept. 27 in Madison, Wisc., Wake Forest secured third place, finishing ahead of eight top-20 teams, including No. 6 North Carolina.
- Sophomore Rocky Hansen ran a career-best to take second, just 2.9 seconds behind Parker Wolfe (UNC), while senior Luke Tewalt placed 10th in 23:32.3. Sophomores Charlie Sprott (24:00.2), Aidan Ross (24:02.6), and Daniel Winter (24:26.7) rounded out the top five, with Sprott and Ross in the top 40.
- The Demon Deacons capped their regular season with a dominant win at the Panorama Farms Invitational in Charlottesville, Va., topping 18 teams with 38 points. The Deacons placed five runners in the top 15 and eight in the top 50, with nine personal bests achieved.
- Standout performer Luke Tewalt came out on top, accomplishing a second-place finish in 23:12.1, exceeding his time of 23:32.3 at the squad's last meet at the Nuttycombe Invitational. Right behind Tewalt followed Aidan Ross collecting a personal-best and a fifth-place finish, posting 23:27.8.
- Hunter Jones carried out an eighth place finish at 23:31.8, surpassing his previous 8k time of 24:02.3. Following a top-40 finish at the Nuttycombe Invitational, Charlie Sprott impressed with a 10th place finish, clocking 23:32.3.
- The Demon Deacons claimed the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship, marking the program's sixth title and the 58th overall ACC Championship for Wake Forest athletics.
- All of the Demon Deacons' top-five spread garnered All-ACC honors by finishing in the top 21, the only team in the field to accomplish this.
- With four runners placing in the top 15 and six finishing in the top 50, Wake Forest surged ahead of No. 5 Stanford accumulating a total of 60 points in the 8k.
- Luke Tewalt headlined with a seventh-place finish in 22:39.0, smashing his personal best and became the fourth Wake Forest runner in program history to earn All-ACC honors on three separate occasions and first since his former teammate Zach Facioni.
- Freshman JoJo Jourdon (8th, 22:40.1) was named ACC Freshman of the Year, continuing Wake Forest's streak of standout newcomers. All-ACC honorees Charlie Sprott (14th), Aidan Ross (15th), and Joseph O'Brien (16th) also set personal bests.
- On Nov. 15 in Rock Hill, S.C. Wake Forest secured a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional, clinching their spot at the NCAA Championships for the fifth-consecutive season.
- All-Region honorees Joe O'Brien (30:01.7), Charlie Sprott (30:02.1), and Luke Tewalt (30:14.2) posted 10th, 11th, and 15th place finishes.
- O'Brien and Tewalt earned All-Region honors for the second-consecutive year.
- All-Region honorees Joe O'Brien (30:01.7), Charlie Sprott (30:02.1), and Luke Tewalt (30:14.2) posted 10th, 11th, and 15th place finishes.
- At the highly competitive Nuttycombe Invitational on Sept. 27 in Madison, Wisc., Wake Forest secured third place, finishing ahead of eight top-20 teams, including No. 6 North Carolina.
- Women's Cross Country
- In one of the most stacked events of the 2024 fall calendar, sophomore Brooke Wilson steered the course in the women's 6k as she clocked 20:52.7 en route to a 40th place finish at the Nuttycombe Invitational (9/27) in Madison, Wisc.
- Elizabeth Whaley (21:15.2) and Molly Dreher (21:18.1) finished 78th and 80th, respectively. Alli Boehm and Angelina Perez rounded out the top-five spread which helped the squad finish above two ranked teams in Northwestern (No. 24) and Iowa State (No. 30).
- Sophomore Grace Wassell delivered an impressive fourth-place individual finish at the Royals XC Challenge (10/11) in Charlotte, N.C., shattering her previous 5k personal-best by clocking an outstanding 17:17.01 and leading the Demon Deacons to a first-place finish.
- Following an incredible run, Wassell was tabbed ACC Performer of the Week, as announced by the league office Tuesday, October 15.
- Angelina Perez (20:13.1) and Brooke Wilson (20:18.6) took 49th and 59th place out of 250 performers at Pre-Nationals (10/10) in Madison, Wisc.. It marked a new career-best for Perez. ACC Performer of the Week Grace Wassell, also earned a personal-best finish with a time of 21:14.2.
- All-ACC honorees Angelina Perez and Brooke Wilson excelled in the 6k, propelling their squad to a strong ninth-place finish at the women's ACC Championships (11/1). Out of 164 runners, Perez claimed an impressive 15th place with a personal-best time of 20:00.7, significantly improving on her previous mark of 20:13.1 at Pre-Nationals. Wilson followed closely, delivering a powerful performance to secure 19th place.
- Propelled by strong showings from Wilson and Perez, the Demon Deacons placed an incredible fourth-place at the NCAA Southeast Regional
- Perez capped-off her freshman campaign with a 10th-place finish with a time of 20:47.2 to earn All-Region honors.
- Wilson and Whaley also earned All-Region honors, with Wilson posting a personal-best time of 21:01.1 to place 17th.
- In one of the most stacked events of the 2024 fall calendar, sophomore Brooke Wilson steered the course in the women's 6k as she clocked 20:52.7 en route to a 40th place finish at the Nuttycombe Invitational (9/27) in Madison, Wisc.
The John Hayes Era
Since arriving in Winston-Salem in 2016, Hayes has helped the men's cross country team grow into a national powerhouse. Under his leadership, the Demon Deacons have claimed two ACC titles in 2022 and 2024, resulting in Hayes earning ACC Coach of the Year honors both years. Hayes was also named USTFCCCA Southeast Region Coach Of The Year four of the last five seasons (2020-22, 2024).
Along with their success in the ACC, the Deacs have also earned a spot at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in five consecutive seasons, extending the longest streak in program history. During this five-year stretch, Wake Forest has finished inside the top-10 twice, including a program-best fifth-place finish in 2022.
Over the course of his tenure with the Deacs, Hayes has produced six All-Americans, including Zach Facioni, the first three-time All-American in program history. Hayes has also coached four ACC Freshman of the Year performers, including back-to-back winners in Charlie Sprott (2023) and JoJo Jourdon (2024), and 14 All-ACC honorees.
On the women's side, Hayes, alongside associate head coach Ashley Bastron, has coached four individuals to All-ACC honors, including both Angelina Perez and Brooke Wilson during the 2024 season.
Program History/Accolades (Men)
- NCAA Championship Appearances (14)
- 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 (7th)
- ACC Champions
- Team (6)
- 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2022, 2024
- Individual (2)
- Nolan Swanson (1996) and Nathan Sisco (2001)
- Team (6)
- All-Americans (8)
- John Hume (1989), Ben Schoonover (1989), Jon Russell (1996), Nolan Swanson (1997), Zach Facioni (2020, 2021, 2022), Aaron Las Heras (2022), Luke Tewalt (2022), Charlie Sprott (2024)
- All-ACC (38)
- Ron Rick (1985), Bill Babcock (1988, 1989), Scott Hayward (1988) Jon Hume (1988, 1989), Ben Schoonover (1989, 1990), John Sence (1989, 1990, 1991), Kyle Armentrout (1990, 1993), Eric Lorenz (1991), Stuart Burnham (1992, 1993), Brant Armentrout (1992, 1993), Pat Phillips (1992, 1993), Dennis Hearst (1993), Craig Longhurst (1994), Eric Dunn (1994, 1996), Ben Boyd (1994, 1996), Paul Kinser (1995), Jon Russell (1995, 1996), Nolan Swanson (1995, 1996, 1997), Stephan Pro (1998) Ted DeVos (2000) Chris Estwanik (2001) Garick Hill (2001), Nathan Sisco (2001), Sean Stevens (2003, 2005), Mitchell Day (2017), Zach Facioni (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022), Jack Tiernan (2019), Carter Coughlin (2020), Jonathan Velasco (2020), Ben Mitchell (2020), Coen Roberts (2020), Aaron Las Heras (2021, 2022), Luke Tewalt (2022, 2023, 2024), Thomas Vanoppen (2022), Joe O'Brien (2023, 2024), Charlie Sprott (2024), Aidan Ross (2024), and JoJo Jourdon (2024)
- ACC Freshman of the Year (4)
- Mitchell Day (2017), Zach Facioni (2018), Charlie Sprott (2023), JoJo Jourdon (2024)
Program History/Accolades (Women)
- NCAA Championship Appearances (11)
- 1987 (10th), 1992 (19th), 1994 (12th), 1997 (17th), 1998 (15th), 2000 (29th), 2002 (9th), 2003 (21st), 2004 (19th), 2005 (17th), 2006 (27th)
- ACC Champions
- Team (1)
- 2002 (Co-Champions)
- Individual (2)
- Seana Arnold (1989) and Janelle Kraus (1997, 1998)
- Team (1)
- All-Americans (9)
- Karen Dunn (1985), Jennifer Rioux (1987), Seana Arnold (1989), Nicole Stevenson (1993), Janelle Kraus (1997, 1998, 1999), Annie Bersagel (2002, 2003, 2005), Selina Sekulic (2004), Michelle Sikes (2006), Samantha Jones (2015)
- All-ACC (28)
- Karen Dunn (1985, 1986), Jennifer Rioux (1985, 1986, 1987), Sue Vander Wagen (1986, 1987), Monica Magnusson (1987), Anne Letko (1988), Seana Arnold (1989), Liz Becker (1989), Mary Powell (1989, 1990), Jennifer Finnegan (1992, 1994), Cynthia Moreshead (1992, 1995), Nicole Stevenson (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995), Liz Cotter (1996), Janelle Kraus (1997, 1998), Kelly Brady (1997), Sara Day (2000), Annie Bersagel (2002, 2005), Risa Rutland (2002), Anna Sherman (2003), Michelle Sikes (2003, 2004, 2006), Selina Sekulic (2004), Allison Kieffer (2008), Anna Nosenko (2010), Nicole Irving (2011, 2012), Samantha Jones (2014, 2015), Sam Halvorsen (2017, 2018, 2019), Elise Wright (2019), Brooke Wilson (2023, 2024), Angelina Perez (2024)
- ACC Freshman of the Year (2)
- Michelle Sikes (2003) and Anna Nosenko (2008)
2025 Cross Country Schedule
| Date | Event | Location |
| Aug. 29 | Wake Forest vs. UNCG | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| Sept. 12 | Queen City Invite | Charlotte, N.C. |
| Sept. 19 | adidas Wolfpack Invitational | Cary, N.C. |
| Sept. 26 | Gans Creek Classic | Columbia, Mo. |
| Oct. 10 | Royals Challenge | Charlotte, N.C. |
| Oct. 17 | Panorama Farms Invitational | Earlysville, Va. |
| Oct. 17 | Arturo Barrios Invitational | College Station, Texas |
| Oct. 31 | ACC Cross Country Championships | Louisville, Ky. |
| Nov. 14 | NCAA Southeast Regional | Earlysville, Va. |
| Nov. 22 | NCAA Cross Country Championships | Columbia, Mo. |
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