Wake Forest Athletics
Men’s Cross Country Tabbed 2026 ACC Preseason Favorites, Women Picked Eighth
8/25/2026 2:55:00 PM | Cross Country
The Demon Deacons earned top recognition on the men’s side for the second year in a row.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – For a second consecutive season, the Wake Forest men's cross country team was selected first in the ACC Preseason Poll, announced by the league office on Tuesday.
The Demon Deacons earned 269 points to tie with Syracuse – tallying 35 more than the next closest conference opponent in Notre Dame (234).
In addition to repeating as the preseason favorites, this marks the third time in the last five years in which the men have been tabbed first in the poll:
Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
1. Syracuse, 269 (6 first-place votes)
Wake Forest, 269 (5 first-place votes)
3. Notre Dame, 234
4. Virginia, 216 (3 first-place votes)
5. Louisville, 214 (1 first-place vote)
6. Virginia Tech, 210 (1 first-place vote)
7. Stanford, 209
8. North Carolina, 206 (1 first-place vote)
9. Duke, 152
10. NC State, 133
11. Florida State, 108
12. Pitt, 107
13. Georgia Tech, 81
14. Clemson, 68
15. Boston College, 65
16. California, 42
17. Miami, 18
Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
1. NC State, 324 (18 first-place votes)
2. Notre Dame, 305
3. North Carolina, 271
4. Stanford, 270
5. Virginia, 253
6. Duke, 219
7. Boston College, 206
8. Wake Forest, 203
9. Virginia Tech, 191
10. Clemson, 169
11. Florida State, 136
12. Louisville, 131
13. Syracuse, 124
14. SMU, 91
15. California, 64
16. Pitt, 55
17. Georgia Tech, 47
18. Miami, 19
2026 Schedule
A balanced slate of fall competition makes up the Demon Deacons' 2026 schedule, featuring four regular-season invitationals.
The women will open things with participation at the Virginia Cavaliers' hosted invitational in Earlysville on Sept. 11. A week later, the men will have their first appearance at the adidas XC Challenge in nearby Cary (Sept. 18).
Near the end of the month, the women will head north for Princeton's Meadows Challenge on Sept. 26. Both the men and women teams will wrap the regular season at the 17th annual Nuttycombe Invitational, hosted by the Wisconsin Badgers (Oct. 9).
Postseason play begins on Oct. 30 with the ACC Championships held in Blacksburg, Va. Ensuing weeks will feature the NCAA Southeast Region Championships (Nov. 13) and NCAA Cross Country Championships (Nov. 21).
The full schedule can be found here.
The John Hayes Era
Now in his 11th season as Director of Wake Forest Track & Field and Cross Country, John Hayes has helped the Demon Deacons rise to the highest ranks in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Under his leadership, the Deacs have claimed two ACC championships in men's cross country over the past four seasons, happening in 2022 and 2024. The men's cross country team has also finished inside the top-10 at the NCAA Cross Country Championships three times during Hayes' tenure, including a seventh-place finish in 2024 and a fifth-place finish in 2022. Hayes, who was named both Southeast Region and ACC Coach of the Year in 2022 and 2024, has also developed standouts to earn seven All-American selections in cross country, including Rocky Hansen, who finished as national runner-up at the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships and was named the 2025 ACC Performer of the Year while winning the individual league title.
Hazouri at the Helm for Women's Cross Country
A month ago, Brandon Hazouri was elevated to Women's Cross Country Head Coach and Associate Head Coach of Track & Field, announced by John Hayes on July 24.
Joining the program in July 2021 as an assistant coach, Hazouri has since played a critical role in both team and individual success. He has spent time as an event coach for track and as the lead recruiting coordinator for the men's cross country team. During Hazouri's time in Winston-Salem, Wake Forest has seen 10 men's and women's student-athletes earn All-ACC honors in cross country, 24 in indoor track and field, and 37 in outdoor track and field.
Hazouri inherits a women's cross country team that is coming off its first NCAA championship appearance since 2006. Angelina Perez, a 2025 All-American, headlines the fall roster, as the senior earned All-ACC honors for the second-straight season after placing ninth at the ACC Cross Country Championships.
2025 Season Highlights
The Demon Deacons earned 269 points to tie with Syracuse – tallying 35 more than the next closest conference opponent in Notre Dame (234).
In addition to repeating as the preseason favorites, this marks the third time in the last five years in which the men have been tabbed first in the poll:
- 2022 – 1st
- 2023 – 5th
- 2024 – 6th
- 2025 – 1st
- 2026 – 1st
Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
1. Syracuse, 269 (6 first-place votes)
Wake Forest, 269 (5 first-place votes)
3. Notre Dame, 234
4. Virginia, 216 (3 first-place votes)
5. Louisville, 214 (1 first-place vote)
6. Virginia Tech, 210 (1 first-place vote)
7. Stanford, 209
8. North Carolina, 206 (1 first-place vote)
9. Duke, 152
10. NC State, 133
11. Florida State, 108
12. Pitt, 107
13. Georgia Tech, 81
14. Clemson, 68
15. Boston College, 65
16. California, 42
17. Miami, 18
Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
1. NC State, 324 (18 first-place votes)
2. Notre Dame, 305
3. North Carolina, 271
4. Stanford, 270
5. Virginia, 253
6. Duke, 219
7. Boston College, 206
8. Wake Forest, 203
9. Virginia Tech, 191
10. Clemson, 169
11. Florida State, 136
12. Louisville, 131
13. Syracuse, 124
14. SMU, 91
15. California, 64
16. Pitt, 55
17. Georgia Tech, 47
18. Miami, 19
2026 Schedule
A balanced slate of fall competition makes up the Demon Deacons' 2026 schedule, featuring four regular-season invitationals.
The women will open things with participation at the Virginia Cavaliers' hosted invitational in Earlysville on Sept. 11. A week later, the men will have their first appearance at the adidas XC Challenge in nearby Cary (Sept. 18).
Near the end of the month, the women will head north for Princeton's Meadows Challenge on Sept. 26. Both the men and women teams will wrap the regular season at the 17th annual Nuttycombe Invitational, hosted by the Wisconsin Badgers (Oct. 9).
Postseason play begins on Oct. 30 with the ACC Championships held in Blacksburg, Va. Ensuing weeks will feature the NCAA Southeast Region Championships (Nov. 13) and NCAA Cross Country Championships (Nov. 21).
The full schedule can be found here.
The John Hayes Era
Now in his 11th season as Director of Wake Forest Track & Field and Cross Country, John Hayes has helped the Demon Deacons rise to the highest ranks in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Under his leadership, the Deacs have claimed two ACC championships in men's cross country over the past four seasons, happening in 2022 and 2024. The men's cross country team has also finished inside the top-10 at the NCAA Cross Country Championships three times during Hayes' tenure, including a seventh-place finish in 2024 and a fifth-place finish in 2022. Hayes, who was named both Southeast Region and ACC Coach of the Year in 2022 and 2024, has also developed standouts to earn seven All-American selections in cross country, including Rocky Hansen, who finished as national runner-up at the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships and was named the 2025 ACC Performer of the Year while winning the individual league title.
Hazouri at the Helm for Women's Cross Country
A month ago, Brandon Hazouri was elevated to Women's Cross Country Head Coach and Associate Head Coach of Track & Field, announced by John Hayes on July 24.
Joining the program in July 2021 as an assistant coach, Hazouri has since played a critical role in both team and individual success. He has spent time as an event coach for track and as the lead recruiting coordinator for the men's cross country team. During Hazouri's time in Winston-Salem, Wake Forest has seen 10 men's and women's student-athletes earn All-ACC honors in cross country, 24 in indoor track and field, and 37 in outdoor track and field.
Hazouri inherits a women's cross country team that is coming off its first NCAA championship appearance since 2006. Angelina Perez, a 2025 All-American, headlines the fall roster, as the senior earned All-ACC honors for the second-straight season after placing ninth at the ACC Cross Country Championships.
2025 Season Highlights
- Men
- The men's cross country team secured their sixth-consecutive and 15th overall appearance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships after winning their first NCAA Southeast Regional Championship since 2021.
- Five Demon Deacons placed inside the top-20 to earn All-Region honors as the Deacs clinched an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships.
- Rocky Hansen - 1st
- Charlie Sprott - 9th
- Daniel Winter - 10th
- Hunter Jones -16th
- Joe O'Brien - 19th
- Five Demon Deacons placed inside the top-20 to earn All-Region honors as the Deacs clinched an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships.
- Rocky Hansen and JoJo Jourdon also earned All-ACC honors, as the team placed third at the ACC Cross Country Championships.
- Individually, Rocky Hansen was nothing short of incredible, as he capped off his incredible 2025 season as national runner-up and an All-American for the first time in his career.
- The Hendersonville, N.C., native also earned All-Region and All-ACC honors as he brought home both the NCAA Southeast and ACC Cross Country Individual Championships.
- Hansen also took home top spot at the Panorama Farms Invitational in his first race of the season.
- Hansen ultimately set course records during his victories at the Panorama Farms Invitational and the ACC Cross Country Championships.
- His performance at the ACC Championships obliterated the previous course record at the E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park course by 40 seconds.
- The Hendersonville, N.C., native also earned All-Region and All-ACC honors as he brought home both the NCAA Southeast and ACC Cross Country Individual Championships.
- The men's cross country team secured their sixth-consecutive and 15th overall appearance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships after winning their first NCAA Southeast Regional Championship since 2021.
- Women
- The women's cross country team had a historic season, earning a trip to the NCAA Cross Country Championships for the first time since 2006.
- It also marked the first time that both the men's and women's teams competed in the NCAA Championships in the same season since 2000.
- Overall, the women's team secured six top-10 finishes, including three team victories at the Queen City Invite, the Spartan Classic, and the Arturo Barrios Invitational.
- Wake Forest also earned a tenth place finish at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Mo., where the Demon Deacons had three runners place inside the top-50.
- Angelina Perez ended her outstanding season with All-American, All-Region, and All-ACC honors.
- The Ringwood, N.J., native also added her first career individual title during the opening meet of the season at the Queen City Invite.
- Perez also earned a runner-up finish at the Arturo Barrios Invitational.
- Brooke Wilson earned her third-consecutive All-Region honor after placing 17th in the 6k race at the NCAA Southeast Regional.
- The women's cross country team had a historic season, earning a trip to the NCAA Cross Country Championships for the first time since 2006.
Players Mentioned
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