Deacs to Open Postseason Competition at 2026 ACC Cross Country Championships

Friday, October 30

Blacksburg, Va.

10 a.m.

Wake Forest University

ACC Championships (Men & Women)

10/29/2026 10:12:00 AM | Cross Country

Watch (ACC Network)Live Results ACC Championships Central

Wake Forest will be racing at the Buford Meredith Course in Blacksburg, Va. on Friday morning.

By: Keion Robinson

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest cross country is primed for its first test of the fall postseason, stepping into the 2026 ACC Championships. The Demon Deacons head to Blacksburg, Va., to race at the Buford Meredith Course on Friday morning, as Virginia Tech will be the host school for this year's league championships.

The No. 10 men's team will be competing for Wake Forest at 10 a.m. in the 8k. Shortly afterwards, the women will line up for the 6k at 11 a.m.

There will be free admission for spectators in attendance. Additionally, the races will air on ACC Network and live results can be found here.

For more information about the ACC Cross Country Championships, stay tuned to the event's central page.

The Races

2026 ACC Cross Country Championships
Friday, Oct. 30
Men's 8k – 10 a.m.
Women's 6k – 11 a.m.
Buford Meredith Cross Country Course (Blacksburg, Va.)

The Men's Field

Boston College, California, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pitt, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

The Women's Field

Boston College, California, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Competing for Wake Forest Men

Competing for Wake Forest Women

Last Time Out
Wake Forest closed out its regular-season slate at the 2026 Nuttycombe Invitational on Oct. 9, with men's and women's teams competing in multiple races.

As a group, the Deacs notched a sixth-place result on the men's side of the 8k "A" race, totaling 222 points among a 35-team field. Making his season debut, Rocky Hansen crossed for fourth place on a 22:31.4 mark. His classmate, Charlie Sprott, finished 39th at 23:21.6 while Aurelien Radja was nearby at 48th (23:29.1) in his first-ever cross country race as a Demon Deacon. Hunter Jones and Bryce Gilmore rounded out the Deacs' top-five runners.

The women's team opened the morning in its 6k "A" race, finishing 20th with 493 points. Brooke Wilson led the way again in her second outing of the season, clocking 20:04.6 for a 36th-place finish. Emry Schwalm went for a new 6k season-best at 20:32.1, good for 70th place. Grace Wassell also finished inside the top 100 with a personal-best in the 6k herself (20:52.7).

A 6k "B" race on the women's side unfolded in the early afternoon, with a trio of Wake Forest freshmen participating. Annika Swan and Harriet Blaha each turned in season-bests in the 6k at 21:24.4 and 21:31.5, respectively. Elsewhere, Emily Cohen finished 35th (21:40.2)

The men wrapped the day with an excellent performance in the 8k "B" race, finishing first out of 12 teams with 53 points – which was 37 ahead of BYU in second place. Max Cervi-Skinner was a standout in his first collegiate 8k, clocking 23:54.1 that was good for third place. Wes Shipsey and Landon Pretre were very steady at eighth and ninth place, respectively. Grant Morgenfeld joined the top 15 as well, clocking 24:08.6 for 13th place.

Wake Forest at the ACC Championships
Throughout program history

Men
- Team championships – 6 (last time in 2024)
- Individual championships – 3 (last time in 2025)
- Team finishes
  - 1st place – 6 times (last in 2024)
  - 2nd place – 7 times (last in 2001)
  - 3rd place – 5 times (last in 2025)
Women
- Team championships – 1 (2002)
- Individual championships – 3 (last time in 1998)
- Team finishes
  - 1st place – 1 time (2002)
  - 2nd place – 6 times (last in 1997)
  - 3rd place – 7 times (last in 2008)

A Year Ago
Last fall at the 2025 ACC Cross Country Championships, Rocky Hansen claimed the ACC Individual Title in record-breaking fashion – crossing the finish line of the men's 8k race in 22:18.6 and shattering the previous course record by 40 seconds. Ultimately, the men's team placed third, while the women finished ninth.

Within the men's race, JoJo Jourdon clocked 23:07.4 to place 16th and joined Hansen as one of two All-ACC honorees. Hunter Jones set a new personal-best time of 23:25.9 to finish 25th, while Paul Specht and Joe O'Brien rounded out the top-five finishers for the Demon Deacons, placing 34th and 35th, respectively.

On the women's side, Angelina Perez led the Deacs with a ninth-place finish, clocking a time of 19:38.4 to earn All-ACC honors for the second consecutive season. Brooke Wilson was the next-best finisher for the Deacs, placing 31st with a time of 20:14.1. Elizabeth Whaley finished 49th after recording a time of 20:31.2. Maisie Wilmer and Mackenzie Hart placed 76th and 77th, respectively, to complete the top five for Wake Forest.

Next Up
The 2026 NCAA Southeast Region Championships will take place on Friday, Nov. 13 in Spartansburg, S.C. Set to be hosted by USC Upstate at the Roger Milliken Center, a women's 6k and men's 10k headlines the event.