Wake Forest Athletics News
100% Cotten - Spring Cleaning April 16, 2004 The Haas family continues to make the Wake Forest family proud. Former Deacon Jay Haas, whose 50th birthday has come and gone, remains one of the best golfers in the world and continues to prove it weekly on the PGA Tour. Jay is arguably playing the best golf of his life. After a solid showing at the Masters, Haas birdied four of his final six holes at Hilton Head's Harbour Town Golf Links and trailed first round leader Cameron Beckman by one shot at the MCI Heritage as this column went to press. With the way Jay Haas is playing, he could be the Julio Franco of golf. Franco, the aging Atlanta Brave, says he wants to play in the major leagues until he is 50. With the way Jay Haas is playing, he might be a factor on the PGA Tour until he is 60. Congratulations are due to Jay's son, Bill Haas, the senior star on the Wake Forest golf team - coached as we all know by Jay's brother Jerry Haas. Bill has been named as one of ten semifinalists for the 2004 Ben Hogan Award given annually to the top men's NCAA (all divisions) or NAIA golfer, taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during the last twelve months. Haas was among the five finalists for the same award last season and is currently the top ranked college golfer in the nation. Bill has won nine tournament titles as Deacon to tie the school record, and his season stroke average of 68.94 is on pace to set a new NCAA record. ### The recent Wake Forest basketball end-of-the-year gala at the Adam's Mark Hotel was well-attended (pushing 500). ESPN analyst Jay Bilas was the featured speaker, but out-going Deacons Alan Williams' and Scott Benken's remarks were right on. Justin Gray, Chris Paul, Jamaal Levy and strength coach Matt Jennings took home the hardware. I think the event left us all counting the days to next season. Next season, though, will be without sophomore-to-be Todd Hendley who, the next day, announced his intentions to transfer. I wish Todd the best. He's a likeable fellow and a very good basketball player. I don't think there is any doubt his minutes would have come had he stayed. But he did not, and that opens up a scholarship for use by head coach Skip Prosser. Congratulations to former Wake Forest assistant Frank Haith, recently named as the new head coach at ACC member-to-be Miami. One can't argue the hire. Frank is a solid coach with good years under his belt with Dave Odom and Rick Barnes. He, of course, knows the ACC and will be a great addition to the league. ### Football's spring practice concluded with quite a show from redshirt freshman quarterback Ben Mauk - a past high school phenom from Kenton, Ohio. Mauk led the Black & Gold Game in both rushing and passing with 93 yards on the ground, a total aided by a 61-yard touchdown run of all things, and 102 yards in the air which included a 44-yard TD to speedster Willie Idlette. With Mauk now free to play, both he and starter Cory Randolph will get better. Coach Jim Grobe will see to it that the two push one another in fall camp, and that can't be anything but good for the Deacs. Three Deacons, or ex-Deacons now, have moved on to finish their careers up Highway 421 in Boone at Appalachian State. Linemen Daniel and Arthur Orlebar were the first to transfer and were recently followed by running back Fred Staton. They will be immediately eligible to play this fall for the Mountaineers given their academics are in order. ### Its rally cap time for the Wake Forest baseball team. As this goes to press the Deacs begin a three-game series with N. C. State in Raleigh trying to snap a 13-game losing streak which is one off equaling the school record. The Deacs have been very close and are due for some breaks. Hopefully by the time you read this the streak is over and brighter days are ahead. |