Paul Specht Earns Second Team All-American Honors, Places Tenth in NCAA Men’s Mile Final

Friday, March 13

Fayetteville, AR

Wake Forest University

NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships

Paul Specht Earns Second Team All-American Honors, Places Tenth in NCAA Men’s Mile Final

3/14/2026 9:05:00 PM | Track and Field

The Sindelfingen, Germany, native is now the second Demon Deacon to earn All-American honors in the men’s indoor mile in program history.

By: KJ Smith

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Senior Paul Specht closed out the indoor season for the Wake Forest track and field team as he earned Second Team All-American honors in the men's mile at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Sunday afternoon.

The Sindelfingen, Germany, native finished the race in tenth place as he logged a time of 4:01.32.

With the result, Specht secured his second All-American honor of his career in indoor track and field, having previously been a part of the men's distance medley relay team that placed ninth and claimed Second Team All-American honors during the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Additionally, Specht is now one of nine individual All-Americans in program history on the men's side, as well as the first All-American in the men's mile since Thomas Vanoppen did so in 2023.

The All-American honor capped off an incredible season for Specht, which saw him claim the ACC title in the men's mile, as well as anchoring the men's distance medley relay team to their first ACC Championship since 2002. Specht also set a new school record in the men's mile after posting a time of 3:52.95 en route to a first-place finish at the ASICS Sound Invite.

Wake Forest Men's Indoor Track and Field All-Americans

Michael Bingham (400m) - 2007, 2009
Brent LaRue (Heptathlon) - 2009
Robert Heppenstall (800m) - 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Thomas Vanoppen (Mile) - 2023
Andrew White (Weight Throw) - 2023
Thomas Kitchell (Shot Put) - 2024
Rocky Hansen (5000m) - 2025
Luke Tewalt (3000m) - 2025
Men's DMR (Shelbert, Specht, Swanepoel, Tewalt) - 2025
Paul Specht (Mile) - 2025

2025-26 Indoor Track and Field Season Highlights

The Wake Forest Track and Field team secured five All-ACC performances during the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships, including three ACC Champions.
- Junior Seren Rodgers opened competition by taking first place in the pentathlon after recording a personal-best score of 3,989 points.
- The Demon Deacons closed the opening day of competition with the men's distance medley relay team of Wes Shipsey, Foster Shelbert, Andrew Riley and Paul Specht coming from behind to secure the Deacs' first DMR title since 2002. The team finished the race in 9:35.29, marking the fifth-fastest time in school history.
- Specht added his second ACC title of the competition as he claimed a first place result in the men's mile, recording a time of 3:58.14.
- Juniors Charlie Sprott and Brooke Wilson earned second-team honors in the men's and women's 5000m.
  - Sprott finished his heat in 13:46.64 to help him place sixth overall in the men's race.
  - Wilson clocked a time of 15:55.23 to earn a sixth place finish in the women's race.
The Deacs continued to rise the ranks in the record book as four new school records were set during the indoor season.
- Specht and fellow senior Elizabeth Whaley set the men's and women's mile records multiple times this season.
  - After originally breaking the record at the Brant Tolsma Invitational, Specht shattered his own record at the ASICS Sound Invite by clocking a time of 3:52.95 to take first place.
  - Whaley also broke the school record during the Brant Tolsma Invitational, posting a time of 4:36.56. The Cincinnati native bettered her previous result by over a second at the ASICS Sound Invite, finishing with a time of 4:35.35.
- Junior Angelina Perez opened the season by securing the program record in the women's 5000m, registering a time of 15:41.86 at the Boston University Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener.
- The women's distance medley relay team of Whaley, Rodgers, Amy Weybrecht and Natalia Issler closed the season by recording a school record time of 11:06.15 at the ASICS Last Chance Invitational.

2025-26 Indoor Track and Field Top-10 Marks in School History

Men's 400m
- 5th - Ryan Harper (48.21)
Men's 600m
- 6th - Max Marino (1:20.96)
Men's 800m
- 7th - Paul Specht (1:49.34)
- 10th - Wes Shipsey (1:50.61)
Men's Mile
- 1st - Paul Specht (3:52.95)
- 5th - Bryce Gilmore (3:59.00)
- 6th - Wes Shipsey (3:59.68)
Men's 3000m
- 2nd - Aurelien Radja (7:45.86)
- 5th - Bryce Gilmore (7:50.89)
Men's 5000m
- 10th - Bryce Gilmore (13:51.24)
Men's DMR
- 5th - Shipsey, Shelbert, Riley and Specht (9:35.29)
Women's 60m
- 4th - Seren Rodgers (7.86)
Women's 60m Hurdles
- 4th - Seren Rodgers (8.63)
Women's 200m
- 6th - Seren Rodgers (25.20)
Women's 800m
- 4th - Natalia Issler (2:05.38)
- 6th - Amy Weybrecht (2:08.35)
Women's 1000m
- 2nd - Amy Weybrecht (2:46.45)
- 4th - Victoria Rodriguez (2:47.24)
Women's Mile
- 1st - Elizabeth Whaley (4:35.35)
- 7th - Angelina Perez (4:41.24)
Women's 3000m
- 2nd - Angelina Perez (9:01.56)
- 3rd - Brooke Wilson (9:05.73)
Women's 5000m
- 1st - Angelina Perez (15:41.86)
Women's DMR
- 1st - Weybrecht, Rodgers, Issler and Whaley (11:06.15)
Women's High Jump
- 10th - Seren Rodgers (1.65m)
Women's Long Jump
- 4th - Seren Rodgers (6.06m)
- 7th - Savannah Simmons (5.88m)
- 9th - Annie Thorkell (5.85m)
Women's Pentathlon
- 3rd - Seren Rodgers (3,989 points)
Women's Shot Put
- 7th - Casey Sullivan (15.00m)
Women's Triple Jump
- 3rd - Annie Thorkell (12.05m)

From the Staff
"What a great season for Paul [Specht]! Today wasn't his best race, but I know he learned a lot and is incredibly hungry for more during the outdoor season. He works so hard and is incredibly disciplined. I'm very excited to get one last season with him."- Director of Track & Field and Cross Country John Hayes

Up Next
The Deacs begin their outdoor slate next weekend at the Bob Davidson Team Challenge at High Point. The two-day meet will be held on Friday, March 20, and Saturday, March 21.

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