Friday, September 26
Columbia, MO
Wake Forest University
vs
Gans Creek Classic
No. 9 Wake Forest Men Place Ninth, Women Finish in 10th at Gans Creek Classic
9/26/2025 2:04:00 PM | Cross Country
Junior Angelina Perez recorded a personal-best time of 19:17.8 to finish in fourth place during the women’s 6k race.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Competing against some of the top programs in the country including several top-10 programs on both the men's and women's sides, the Wake Forest Cross Country teams battled to two top-10 finishes at the Gans Creek Classic on Friday morning.
The No. 9 men's team opened their regular season with a ninth-place finish, outpacing 10 ranked teams in the process.
The Demon Deacons had two runners finish inside the top-50, with sophomore JoJo Jourdon leading the way with a 26th place finish, clocking 23:05.7. Meanwhile, junior Charlie Sprott crossed the finish line in 45th-place with a time of 23:20.5.
Redshirt freshman Grant Morgenfeld marked the third Demon Deacon to complete the 8k race as he finished in 62nd-place, capping off his first collegiate race with a time of 23:29.2. Senior Paul Specht and junior Hunter Jones rounded out the top five finishers for Wake Forest, with Specht placing 75th at 23:35.7 and Jones adding a 105th place finish at 23:51.4.
After claiming a team title in their season opener two weeks ago, the women's cross country team earned a respectable 10th place finish behind an incredible performance from junior Angelina Perez.
The Ringwood, N.J., native notched a fourth place finish, recording a personal-best time of 19:17.8 in the process. Perez now has two top five finishes in the first two races this season, having previously claimed the individual title at the Queen City Invite on Sept. 12.
Two other Deacs finished the race inside the top-50, as senior Elizabeth Whaley recorded a time of 20:09.9 to place 40th, and junior Brooke Wilson claimed 45th-place after crossing the line in 20:15.6. Junior Mackenzie Hart added a 74th place finish and graduate student Maisie Wilmer rounded out the top five finishers as she finished in 154th.
Men's Top Five Spread
Men's Team Results
Women's Top Five Spread
Women's Team Results
From the Staff
"Today started well. The women got out hard. I think we likely got a few points toward getting to NCAAs. The most important thing though is that they are starting to learn to race in a field this large. Obviously, Angelina was sensational. I'm very confident that this whole group will use today as a springboard for great results later. For the men, I felt that if we finished inside the top-10 that we would get enough points to put us in a good position. We were ninth, so that was adequate. We had two fall down in a pileup, so that didn't help. We just need to be much better if we hope to be a top-five or top-10 team at NCAAs. I'm confident that we will improve as much as anyone in the country. These men always rise to the occasion when challenged, so I know they will." - Director of Track and Field and Cross Country John Hayes
"In a competitive field at the Gans Creek Classic, our team battled to a hard-earned 10th place finish and I couldn't be prouder of the way this team showed up today. Angelina Perez led the charge with a phenomenal fourth place finish and was the top American across the line. She really showcased the resilience and fire that defines this group. It's not just about the results – it's about the fight, the growth, and the belief in what's ahead. This is just the start and we're excited to get back to training this week and stay focused on the future." - Associate Head Coach Ashley Bastron
"It was an OK day for us. We definitely learned a lot about this course that we will see again at nationals. We had some guys get tripped up about half way through, but learning to navigate your way through this dense of a field is part of the challenge. Overall, we are satisfied with the result and we know that when we add Rocky [Hansen] and Joe [O'Brien] back to the lineup, we'll be even more competitive." - Assistant Coach Brandon Hazouri
Up Next
The Demon Deacons return to action on Friday, Oct. 10 as the women's team heads back to Charlotte to compete in the Royals Challenge. The men's program will be back in action for their final regular season meet of the season at the Panorama Farms Invitational on Oct. 17.
Follow the Demon Deacons
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | #GoDeacs
The No. 9 men's team opened their regular season with a ninth-place finish, outpacing 10 ranked teams in the process.
The Demon Deacons had two runners finish inside the top-50, with sophomore JoJo Jourdon leading the way with a 26th place finish, clocking 23:05.7. Meanwhile, junior Charlie Sprott crossed the finish line in 45th-place with a time of 23:20.5.
Redshirt freshman Grant Morgenfeld marked the third Demon Deacon to complete the 8k race as he finished in 62nd-place, capping off his first collegiate race with a time of 23:29.2. Senior Paul Specht and junior Hunter Jones rounded out the top five finishers for Wake Forest, with Specht placing 75th at 23:35.7 and Jones adding a 105th place finish at 23:51.4.
After claiming a team title in their season opener two weeks ago, the women's cross country team earned a respectable 10th place finish behind an incredible performance from junior Angelina Perez.
The Ringwood, N.J., native notched a fourth place finish, recording a personal-best time of 19:17.8 in the process. Perez now has two top five finishes in the first two races this season, having previously claimed the individual title at the Queen City Invite on Sept. 12.
Two other Deacs finished the race inside the top-50, as senior Elizabeth Whaley recorded a time of 20:09.9 to place 40th, and junior Brooke Wilson claimed 45th-place after crossing the line in 20:15.6. Junior Mackenzie Hart added a 74th place finish and graduate student Maisie Wilmer rounded out the top five finishers as she finished in 154th.
Men's Top Five Spread
| Place (Points) | Name | Time |
| 26 (26) | JoJo Jourdon | 23:05.7 |
| 45 (45) | Charlie Sprott | 23:20.5 |
| 62 (62) | Grant Morgenfeld | 23:29.2 |
| 76 (75) | Paul Specht | 23:35.7 |
| 105 (104) | Hunter Jones | 23:51.4 |
Men's Team Results
| Place | School | Points |
| 1. | No. 1 Iowa State | 47 |
| 2. | No. 6 Virginia | 107 |
| 3. | No. 13 Colorado | 126 |
| 4. | No. 11 Alabama | 193 |
| 5. | No. 4 BYU | 199 |
| 6. | No. 12 Syracuse | 229 |
| 7. | No. 15 Butler | 237 |
| 8. | No. 14 Northern Arizona | 239 |
| 9. | No. 9 Wake Forest | 312 |
| 10. | No. 27 Michigan State | 336 |
Women's Top Five Spread
| Place (Points) | Name | Time |
| 4 (4) | Angelina Perez | 19:17.8 |
| 40 (40) | Elizabeth Whaley | 20:09.9 |
| 45 (45) | Brooke Wilson | 20:15.6 |
| 74 (74) | Mackenzie Hart | 20:35.4 |
| 154 (149) | Maisie Wilmer | 21:23.2 |
Women's Team Results
| Place | School | Points |
| 1. | No. 12 Florida | 102 |
| 2. | No. 8 Northern Arizona | 126 |
| 3. | No. 26 Colorado | 166 |
| 4. | No. 18 Virginia | 210 |
| 5. | No. 22 Utah | 223 |
| 6. | No. 2 Oregon | 225 |
| 7. | No. 27 Iowa State | 228 |
| 8. | Missouri | 254 |
| 9. | Washington State | 261 |
| 10. | Wake Forest | 313 |
From the Staff
"Today started well. The women got out hard. I think we likely got a few points toward getting to NCAAs. The most important thing though is that they are starting to learn to race in a field this large. Obviously, Angelina was sensational. I'm very confident that this whole group will use today as a springboard for great results later. For the men, I felt that if we finished inside the top-10 that we would get enough points to put us in a good position. We were ninth, so that was adequate. We had two fall down in a pileup, so that didn't help. We just need to be much better if we hope to be a top-five or top-10 team at NCAAs. I'm confident that we will improve as much as anyone in the country. These men always rise to the occasion when challenged, so I know they will." - Director of Track and Field and Cross Country John Hayes
"In a competitive field at the Gans Creek Classic, our team battled to a hard-earned 10th place finish and I couldn't be prouder of the way this team showed up today. Angelina Perez led the charge with a phenomenal fourth place finish and was the top American across the line. She really showcased the resilience and fire that defines this group. It's not just about the results – it's about the fight, the growth, and the belief in what's ahead. This is just the start and we're excited to get back to training this week and stay focused on the future." - Associate Head Coach Ashley Bastron
"It was an OK day for us. We definitely learned a lot about this course that we will see again at nationals. We had some guys get tripped up about half way through, but learning to navigate your way through this dense of a field is part of the challenge. Overall, we are satisfied with the result and we know that when we add Rocky [Hansen] and Joe [O'Brien] back to the lineup, we'll be even more competitive." - Assistant Coach Brandon Hazouri
Up Next
The Demon Deacons return to action on Friday, Oct. 10 as the women's team heads back to Charlotte to compete in the Royals Challenge. The men's program will be back in action for their final regular season meet of the season at the Panorama Farms Invitational on Oct. 17.
Follow the Demon Deacons
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | #GoDeacs
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