DIANNE DAILEY RETIRES AFTER STORIED CAREER
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Top-ranked WFU men’s tennis team claims first-ever NCAA Championship on home courts JUNE 2018
PETROS CHRYSOCHOS MEN’S TENNIS
JENNIFER KUPCHO WOMEN’S GOLF
WAKEFORESTSPORTS.COM
HAS THE AIR GONE OUT OF YOUR GAME?
Get pumped up and get your body back in the game. Visit our sports medicine specialists for a plan that will have you throwing spirals again — quickly and pain-free. We offer: • • • •
Same-day appointments Extended hours, including Saturday X-rays onsite Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
SPORTS MEDICINE 888-716-WAKE | WakeHealth.edu/SportsMedicine
VOL. 27 // ISSUE 8 (USPS 014-373) EDITOR
Jim Buice PHOTOGRAPHERS
Donnie Roberts, Brian Westerholt WRITERS
Sam Walker, Stephanie Hudson, Rachael Bari, Lauren Close Design & Layout
Summit Athletic Media www.summitathletics.com Advertising
IMG College Jeff Salisbury, Ike Fullard, Neil Bishop, Kelsey Gomes For information on advertising, please call (336) 758-7230
Gold Rush is published eight times a year in August, October, November, December, February, March, May and June by IMG College in conjunction with Wake Forest Athletics. Periodicals postage paid at Winston-Salem, NC 27102 and at additional mailing offices. The price of an annual subscription is $20. Members of the Deacon Club receive a one-year subscription as part of their membership. Persons wishing to subscribe to Gold Rush should send a check or money order (credit cards not accepted) to: IMG College 540 N. Trade St. Winston-Salem, NC 27101 All material produced in this publication is the property of Wake Forest University and IMG and shall not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission. POSTMASTER: Please send all address changes to the attention of Stephanie Hudson, Wake Forest Athletics, 519 Deacon Blvd. Winston-Salem, NC 27105. The appearance of advertising in this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the advertiser and/or the advertiser’s product or service by Wake Forest or IMG. The use of the name of the University or any of its identifying marks in advertisements must be approved by WFU and IMG.
ON THE COVER Wake Forest celebrates a spectacular finish to the 201718 season with an NCAA team championship in men’s tennis and individual national titles in men’s tennis by Petros Chrysochos and women’s golf by Jennifer Kupcho.
CONTENTS
// J U N E 2 0 1 8
PUMP UP FOR PICCOLO: Members of the Wake Forest football team joined the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and other Wake Forest fraternities, sororities and student organizations to compete in a weight lifting and strength event to raise money for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund Drive in early May. The Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund Drive was established by students in 1980 in memory of a great Wake Forest athlete/alum and Chicago Bear football star who died of cancer at the age of 26. The inaugural year of the drive brought in $3,500 and each successive year has seen increases in both community involvement and money raised. The “Pump Up for Piccolo” event has raised over $1.7 million in 33 years. The money raised is donated to the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University.
4 20 22
FROM THE AD 100% COTTEN
26 30
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? COMPLIANCE CORNER
INSIDE THE DEACON CLUB
// 6 HOLDING SERVE The Wake Forest men’s tennis team, which was ranked No. 1 all season, completed its storybook season by winning the NCAA Championship on its own home courts, followed by Petros Chrysochos claiming the NCAA Singles Championship in an allDeacon title match.
// 12 BRINGING HOME THE TROPHY After finishing as the runner-up last season, Wake Forest junior Jennifer Kupcho led from start to finish to become the first Deacon women’s golfer to capture a national championship.
// 18 MAJOR LEAGUE MISSION Former Deacon slugger Will Craig, who was called the “best hitter I’ve ever coached” by Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter, keeps climbing the ladder in the minor leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
JUNE 2018
3
FROM THE A.D.
// R O N W E L L M A N
Celebrating national titles and a departing coach Dear Demon Deacons,
RON WELLMAN DIRECTOR O F AT H L E T I C S
4
When Wake Forest fans and sports enthusiasts look back at the last week of May 2018, they will notice that the Demon Deacons had one of the most historic sports weeks in school history. In a one-week span, we celebrated three national championships and the retirement of one of our esteemed coaches. Needless to say, there is much to celebrate with each of those events even though it is difficult to imagine our women’s golf program without its 30-year leader, Dianne Dailey. When we won the bid five years ago to host the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships this year, we were thrilled not only for the opportunity to host such an illustrious event but also because we truly believed that Tony Bresky was building a program that would be a national contender by 2018. He and the team came through for us as we won every championship available: the ITA National Team Indoor Championship in February, the ACC regular season championship, the ACC Tournament Championship; and, finally, the NCAA Championship. Winning the national championship included winning six straight matches and concluded with a big victory over Ohio State and Tony being named the ITA National Coach of the Year. Throughout the season, the team regularly stated its goals for the year…winning each of those championships.
GOLD RUSH MAGAZINE
They didn’t shy away from acknowledging their extremely high expectations and worked diligently to achieve each of them. Having Petros Chrysochos and Borna Gojo meet in the NCAA men’s singles championship final was another historic moment. To have the National Champion place two of its top players in the singles final was a moment that Deacon fans will never forget. Hosting a national championship event is challenging and exhilarating. For more than two years, our staff has prepared to host this event in a manner that would exceed everyone’s expectations. The feedback we have received from the student-athletes, coaches and NCAA Tennis Committee has been superlative. A huge thank you to our staff and the many volunteers who committed so many hours to make sure that this championship would be remembered fondly by all participants and spectators. And those spectators/ fans were fabulous! Yes, we certainly had a home court advantage with not only our players’ familiarity of our courts but also the incredible turnouts and electric atmosphere that we had for each of the six matches that we played on the Leighton Tennis Courts throughout the tournament. You played a major role in each of those victories…thank you! The day before our men’s tennis team won its national championship, Jennifer Kupcho won
the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship. Jennifer had a spectacular year as she won four tournaments and finished in the top five in six tournaments and top 10 in seven tournaments. Jennifer finished the season with a school-record 70.60 scoring average, eclipsing the record of 70.61 she set during her sophomore season. She is a consensus All-American and ranked as the No. 3 women’s amateur in the world. After 30 years of leading our women’s golf program, Dianne Dailey has decided to retire. Her last event was coaching Jennifer to the individual national championship…quite a way to depart! She built one of the most consistent and best women’s golf programs in the nation. Consider just some of her achievements over the last three decades: • Inducted into the Golf Coaches Hall of Fame; • Coached five ACC Players of the Year, 28 All-Americans and 39 All-ACC selections; • Selected the ACC Coach of the Year five times (2004, 2005, 2009 and 2010); and • Led 15 teams to the NCAA Championships and won four ACC Championships. Dianne led our program with passion and integrity throughout her career with us. She handled every situation professionally and has always prioritized the welfare of her athletes. Thank you, Dianne, for your superb 30-year career. You will be missed. Go Deacs!
Ron Wellman
AERIAL
COVERAGE THE 2018 ROGUE SPORT®
The 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport stands tall to give you a better view of what’s in front of you on the road. And with Nissan Intelligent Mobility technologies like Nissan's available Class-Leading Intelligent Around View Monitor, it gives you a better view of every other side, too. Nissan. A proud supporter of college athletics.
PROUD PARTNER OF THE WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS. GO DEACS!
AutoPacific Segmentation. 2018 Rogue Sport SV with Premium Package vs. latest in-market competitors in the XSUV Compact Class. Available feature. Intelligent Around View Monitor cannot eliminate blind spots and may not detect every object. Driver should always turn and check surroundings before driving. See Owner's Manual for safety information. Based on manufacturer's website.
The Hawthorne Inn & Conference Center 420 High Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101 | (800) 972-3774 | HawthorneInn.com
Service focused & Premier Downtown Location
Complimentary Hot Breakfast & Wi-Fi
100% Non-smoking facility
In-room refrigerator, microwave & coffee maker
Outdoor Pool & Fitness Center
Over 9,500 SqFt of Flexible Meeting Space
Mention “Gold Rush” for special University rates! (based upon availability)
JUNE 2018
5
MEN’S TENNIS
// N AT I O N A L C H A M P I O N S
"WE WON
EVERYTHING"
6
GOLD RUSH MAGAZINE
DEACONS CLAIM FIRST NCAA TITLE PLAYING BEFORE THEIR HOME FANS AT WAKE FOREST TENNIS COMPLEX By Jim Buice
A
fter being ranked No. 1 all season and winning the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, followed by the ACC regular season and tournament titles, the Wake Forest men’s tennis team saved its best for last by capturing the 2018 NCAA Championship on its own courts.
The Deacons held off third-ranked Ohio State 4-2 in the tense finals before a raucous, standing-room only crowd at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex on May 22 for the program’s first-ever national championship. And if that wasn’t enough, Wake Forest capped that incredible run in the six days following the team competition, putting its top two singles players in the championship match of the NCAA Men’s Singles Championship with fourth-seeded Petros Chrysochos beating seventh-seeded Borna Gojo for the individual title (see related story) in an all-Deacon final.
“It feels amazing,” head coach said Tony Bresky after winning the team title. “A lot of time, sacrifice and hard work goes into something like this. It is a special group of guys that we have. They care so much, and the biggest challenge for us is to get them to care less. “For me, it is so rewarding with all the people this means so much to. To see our alumni and our supporters and so many people out there crying, it means so much. I am going to have to thank so many people. Tennis is such an individual sport, so to accomplish something in tennis as a team, it feels great.” But the Deacons weren’t done as Chrysochos and Gojo carried the mantle even farther. “Then the day after we win the team thing, you’re so tired, and you’ve given everything,” Bresky said after the conclusion of singles … and 11 straight days on the courts. “And you keep finding more in them. To do this at home, it’s fantastic. What a way to end the year.” It will be a scene to always remember for the home team and all of its supporters on Court 4 when Bar Botzer secured the team’s victory in the title match against Ohio State. The freshman from Israel won his first set in the No. 4 singles but was down 5-2 in the second set before rallying to win the next five games to secure the clinching point for Wake Forest, which finished 31-2 in the memorable season. JUNE 2018
7
MEN’S TENNIS
// N AT I O N A L C H A M P I O N S
When the Buckeyes’ Tim Seibert dumped Botzer’s serve into the net on the final point, Botzer fell back on the court in joy while his teammates rushed to pile on. The celebration spread to Court 2 for the trophy presentation as hugs were exchanged and tears flowed among the Deacon contingent. “There are no words,” said senior captain Skander Mansouri, who holds the program’s record for both career singles and doubles wins. “Like for this match, I don’t know, there were goose bumps. I was shivering during my match. It was unbelievable playing out here in front of this crowd. This is a dream come true.” After the extremely tight doubles point, which was secured by 7-5 victories at No. 1 with Mansouri and Gojo, and at No. 2 with Chrysochos and Botzer, a convincing victory in singles by No. 2 Chrysochos was sandwiched between losses by Alan Gadjiev and Christian Seraphim at No. 5 and 6, respectively. That made the match score 2-2, but Mansouri then prevailed at No. 3 to put the Deacons up 3-2. So Wake Forest needed to win one of the remaining two singles matches on court – Botzer or Gojo at No. 1 singles. Gojo, dropped his first set to sixth-seeded Mikael Torpegaard before fighting back into a tiebreaker in the second set. Meanwhile, Botzer, who had jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first set at No. 4, held on to win that set 6-4 but then looked like he was in big trouble with the 5-2 deficit in the second set before storming from behind to win 7-5 and claim the decisive match and team point. “I told everyone I knew, he was going to come back,” Mansouri said. Bresky said that the match was “pretty nerve-racking from the first point of doubles” but after claiming that crucial point, he had a good feeling about Botzer after Chrysochos and Mansouri won their singles matches. “You never really know when a match is going on, but when Petros and Skan won, I felt like I knew,” Bresky said. “That is how much I believe in him. When the pressure comes and it is his turn to shine, he just plays better and better. Obviously, I felt incredibly comfortable with Borna left on the court. The guy is an absolute warrior. I knew one of those guys were going to get it done.” Botzer, who had won 16 straight matches before losing in straight sets in the Deacons’ semifinal victory the previous day over Texas
A&M, said he felt like he started to “find my groove a little bit” after falling behind 3-0 in the second set against Ohio State’s Seibert. “It’s a team effort,” Botzer said. “Yesterday, I didn’t play that well, and my friends were there to pick me up. That is the great thing about our team. There is always someone that is going to step up. For me, it gives me a lot of confidence to play my match because I know they are going to play well. “A guy like Petros (Chrysochos), people don’t pay enough attention. He finishes his matches in an hour. For me to play next to a guy like that and see how he cruises from the first point to the last point, it gives me a lot of energy and motivation.” The steady Chrysochos, who is ranked No. 4 in the nation in singles and stretched his personal winning streak to 30 when he won the singles title, cruised to a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Ohio State’s JJ Wolf. He said that this was a moment he would cherish forever. “I can’t even imagine what this national championship can do for the program,” he said. “We won the National Indoors this year, and I thought that was huge, but I can’t imagine what this one means. We were fortunate enough to actually win the match last night when Christian (Seraphim) put us in position to win the final. And we are so fortunate to have Bar on the team. This has been a great team effort.” Seraphim, playing at No. 6, has been a vital cog in the lineup. The semifinal match against Texas A&M, which was plagued by a threehour delay due to rain and lightning, was tied 3-3, with the Aggies overcoming a 3-0 deficit, and ultimately came down to Seraphim’s match against Barnaby Smith under the lights on Court 6. Seraphim won the opening set 7-6 some six hours earlier before the weather delays, but Smith stayed alive by taking the second set 6-4. That set up a final set to determine which team would advance to the finals against Ohio State, which defeated No. 2 UCLA in its semifinal match. The lanky 6-10 redshirt senior seized his big moment in the spotlight, cruising 6-0 in the deciding set to propel the Deacons into the championship match. “It’s fitting,” Bresky said of Seraphim’s clinching victory. “All of the guys work so hard, and they deserve this. Christian Seraphim has been with me for the longest of anyone. He’s made a lot of sacrifices to be here and to be a part of this and to be playing the
Enjoying the home cooking By Jim Buice
There’s no place like home … for the Wake Forest men’s tennis team. And what a coincidence that the year the Deacons were ranked No. 1 from the start of the 2018 season to the finish – and on the way to the championship – that the Wake Forest
8
GOLD RUSH MAGAZINE
Tennis Complex was the site of the 2018 NCAA Championships. Those not close to the sport figured Wake Forest was playing at home because of its ranking, but the impressive tennis complex, which is home to the Winston-Salem Open ATP World Tour 250 series tournament in August, was selected as the host site in a bid process by the NCAA five years ago. Most would agree that the NCAA event was an overwhelming hit, especially when the home team was on the courts with large crowds present. Some even sought out seats all the way at the top of the East stands at nearby BB&T Field just to get a glimpse of the action. And it wasn’t just the numbers. It seemed more like a football or basketball game with the cheers and chants from an enthusiastic audience. Deacon head coach Tony Bresky said that the vocal crowd meant a lot to his team. “That atmosphere was incredible,” he said after Wake Forest defeated Ohio State 4-2 in the hard-fought
Freshman Bar Botzer way he is. He deserves it. You can see that in the way that he played at the end. He played fearless.” Seraphim, who also won the clinching match in the 4-0 victory over Illinois in the quarterfinals, was overjoyed with those victories, the national championship and having the chance for his family to come from Germany to see him play in college for the first time.
championship match. “In tennis, you go play lower-level pro tournaments, futures and challengers, even some ATP events, you don’t get a crowd anything like that. It was like a Davis Cup match. “It means more to win at home in front of our fans. With how the weather has been all week, we were so fortunate to have almost ideal conditions at 5 p.m. You could just sense that it was meant to happen.” Wake Forest students, fans, alumni and former players were there to root the players on. Todd Paul, a standout player from 2003 to 2006 and now a teacher in Connecticut, caught a last-minute flight to come see his alma mater on such a special occasion. “This was amazing to see,” Paul said. “It’s been an unbelievable turnaround. When I started here, we were ranked 44. The facilities, the players, the program, it’s just so nice to see. Tony has done a great job. It’s a good group of guys – 1 through 6. They battle and they play hard and show a lot of heart.” Of course, the opposition would have preferred a more neutral site, but everyone seemed to agree it was a great venue and well-run tournament.
“This means everything to me,” Seraphim said. “The beauty of it is that it’s college tennis. It’s a team effort. We share it. Every point matters out there. We have some great guys who always deliver. “I started out here four and a half years ago. There has been constant improvement in this program. To go out like this with a national championship title, I couldn’t imagine anything better.” Certainly, Wake Forest has been building to this special moment for some time under Bresky, who was named the ITA National Coach of the Year the day after his team brought home the team trophy. He took over the program prior to the 2011-12 season with a roster of only three players with significant collegiate experience and a team ranking of No. 69 in the country. Bresky started out by changing the culture, expectations and talent, starting with some “tough American kids,” followed by the “amazing” recruiting class for the 2014-15 season that netted Mansouri from Tunisia and Seraphim along with American Noah Rubin, a Wimbledon junior champion who was ranked as the ITA’s top newcomer for NCAA Division I. Adding Rubin, who only played one year here, “changed everything” for the program, according to Bresky. Then came Chrysochos from Cyprus the next year, followed by Gojo, who is from Croatia, and Alan Gadjiev from Uzbekistan last year and then Botzer this year. The Deacons climbed into the top 15 in 2015 before taking the next step in 2016, opening the season at No. 11 before finishing at No. 8 and securing the unforgettable ACC tournament championship over perennial powerhouse Virginia. Last year saw Wake Forest win the ACC regular season title, a No. 1 national ranking and the top seeding in the NCAA Championship, leading to this magical year – one for the record books. “That was one of the reasons I chose to come to this school,” said Botzer, the newcomer of the group. “It was a goal that we had from the beginning of the year. We were trying to win everything that we could, especially knowing we were hosting NCAAs. Everybody always gave us the best conditions and the best chance to succeed. I couldn’t imagine how much fun it would be.” Now he knows – along with everyone else who is a part of Deacon Nation.
Head coach Ty Tucker of Ohio State knew it would be a tough place to play. “Obviously, we’re very disappointed in the outcome but I’m pleased with the way we handled ourselves and tried to fight through the adversity of playing on Wake Forest’s home court in the national championship,” Tucker said. “I felt there was a tremendous crowd and environment and a match I will remember forever. I loved every minute of it.” Then there was Steve Denton, head coach of Texas A&M, who had a similar take after his team fell to the Deacons in the semifinals. “It was a new experience for our guys,” Denton said. “It is the first time in Texas A&M history that we’ve been on this stage, and it’s tougher when you’re facing a home crowd. We played a lot of tough matches. It’s a lot of fun playing in front of a crowd like that.” All the Wake Forest players had high praise for being able to play at home before their faithful fans. “Hosting this was a real honor,” said the Deacons’ Petros Chrysochos, who was a double winner as a team and individual champion. “It was a huge advantage to play at home, and I think we got the best of it.”
JUNE 2018
9
MEN’S TENNIS
// N AT I O N A L C H A M P I O N S
CHRYSOCHOS TAKES NCAA SINGLES CROWN IN ALL-DEACON TITLE MATCH AGAINST GOJO By Jim Buice There’s no way Wake Forest could have lost in the finals of the NCAA Men’s Singles Championship. Less than a week after claiming the coveted team trophy for the school’s first national championship, the weary Deacons came back from that exhilarating moment to place the two top singles players in their lineup – Petros Chrysochos and Borna Gojo – in the finals. Chrysochos, the No. 4 seed, grinded out a 6-3, 6-3 victory over his teammate, Gojo, the No. 7 seed, to take the individual championship as Wake Forest fans rooted them both on – although there was no celebration on the Wake Forest Indoor Tennis Center court at the conclusion. That happened the previous week. “I just walked on the court with my friend, my teammate,” Chrysochos said. ”You saw at the end I didn’t celebrate at all. There was no need to. Both of us being in the finals, it was a team effort. It wasn’t individual. Most of the times it is an individual accomplishment, if you make it to the finals, especially if you win. “In my mind, I keep thinking about the team accomplishment, the team win we had over Ohio State in the finals. I don’t think I’ll be thinking about this as much as the team – sharing the moments with my teammates on the court being next to them instead of across the net.” It was the first-ever individual national title for a Deacon men’s tennis player, and Chrysochos and Gojo became just the second and third WFU players to reach the championship match, joining Noah Rubin, who lost in the finals in 2015. It was only the fourth time in NCAA men’s singles history that two teammates had met in the finals. Head coach Tony Bresky said that it was yet another special moment for a program that has basically won everything this year, but he admitted it was difficult for the two players who are friends and teammates. “Going into that match was really tough for them,” Bresky said. “Yesterday, they actually both did not want to play, and both were asking if they could be co-champs. It’s not that the title doesn’t mean a lot. It does. It’s just they are so close, and our team is so close. They just had no interest in playing each other, but they competed with class and character.” Chrysochos concluded his spring season with a 33-1 record, including a 30-match winning streak, and said he
10
GOLD RUSH MAGAZINE
planned to return for his senior season after fans chanted “One more year” to both players after the match. “I’m not going anywhere,” said Chrysochos, who said he was to begin summer school the day after winning the singles title. “I started this degree and my college career, and I have to finish it. How can you not embrace these people and my teammates?” Gojo, a 6-5 sophomore who had been struggling with a leg injury and considered pulling out of the tournament except for playing in the national championship before the home fans, had no comment about turning pro afterward. Chrysochos advanced to the finals by knocking off top-seeded Martin Redlicki of UCLA 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in the semifinals of the 64-player field and then moved beside the court next to him to join his teammates and the fans in the stands to root on Gojo to a 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 triumph over third-seeded Nuno Borges. The previous day, Gojo eliminated second-seeded William Blumberg of North Carolina 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. Skander Mansouri, the third Wake Forest player in the singles draw, won his opening match before falling to Borges in three sets in the second round. Chrysochos and Bar Botzer lost in the first round of the NCAA Doubles Championship. Although the tennis season came to an end on Memorial Day, the Deacon men’s team looked forward to one more chance to celebrate as a trip to the White House was planned two days later. In the NCAA Women’s Doubles Championship, Wake Forest’s Emma Davis and Chandler Carter, who had a 23-7 record together and won three matches in the past month over top-15 opponents, upset Stanford’s third-seeded doubles team in their first match before losing in a third-set tiebreaker to Winthrop’s Lauren Proctor and Megan Kauffman in the Round of 16. Davis, who was 22-8 in dual matches at No. 1 singles and made the All-ACC First Team, lost in the first round of the Women’s Singles Championship to Washington’s Vanessa Wong 6-2, 6-2. The Deacon women’s team won 20 matches for the first time since 2004 and made it to the NCAA Regionals in Athens, Ga., beating Arizona State 4-2 in their first match before losing to host Georgia 4-0.
Winston-Salem Downtown 125 S. Main Street
336.714.2800
Proud to be a Demon Deacon!
JUNE 2018
11
WOMEN'S GOLF
// J E N N I F E R K U P C H O
ONE FOR THE
BOOKS JUNIOR JENNIFER KUPCHO EMERGES FROM BEING A ‘DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH’ TO WFU’S FIRST-EVER NCAA WOMEN’S GOLF CHAMPION By Sam Walker
O
ver the long and storied history of the women’s golf program and the list of players whose accolades warranted induction into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame, it is not without thoughtful consideration to write that junior golfer Jennifer Kupcho may be the best to have ever played here. Comparisons are difficult, and statistics provide insight, but Wake Forest has never had a NCAA women’s golf individual national champion … until now.
“All the awards are great, but this is the one thing you look toward and want to do,” Kupcho said after her wire-to-wire victory at Karsten Creek Golf Course in Stillwater, Okla., in the NCAA Championship.
12
GOLD RUSH MAGAZINE
“Besides winning the U.S. Open, it (the NCAA title) is just a really big goal I had.” The national championship was Kupcho’s fourth victory of the year and seventh career title. She won this season at the Ocean Course Invitational, Bryan National Collegiate and the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. Kupcho finished this season with a school-record 70.60 scoring average, eclipsing the record of 70.61 she set during her sophomore season. She was named a first team All-American by the Women's Golf Coaches Association for the second straight year. “We’ve never had a national champion, and we’ve only had one four-time All-American in Stephanie Neill,” said Dianne Dailey, who announced shortly after the tournament that she was retiring after 30 years as head coach of the Deacons. “But Jennifer has broken all the scoring records, and she is on track to break the number of tournaments won. She’s won seven, and Stephanie won 10. I think she is, right now, the best player we’ve ever had. I don’t put those words out there lightly, but she had a scoring average of 69-something in the fall, and we’ve never had anybody shoot those kinds of scores.” Perhaps Kupcho’s victory in the NCAA Championship was something those on the outside should have seen coming, as she was the runner-up for the national title just one year ago. With a 4-under backnine, she earned a two-shot victory – finishing birdie, par, birdie to post a final round score of 71 and win the title with a score of 8-under par.
“ I THINK SHE IS, RIGHT NOW, THE BEST PLAYER WE’VE EVER HAD. I DON’T PUT THOSE WORDS OUT THERE LIGHTLY, BUT SHE HAD A SCORING AVERAGE OF 69-SOMETHING IN THE FALL, AND WE’VE NEVER HAD ANYBODY SHOOT THOSE KINDS OF SCORES.” – COACH DIANNE DAILEY ON JENNIFER KUPCHO
JUNE 2018
13
WOMEN'S GOLF
// J E N N I F E R K U P C H O
JENNIFER KUPCHO HEIGHT: 5-7 CLASS: Junior MAJOR: Communication HOMETOWN: Westminster, Colo. FAVORITE BOOK: “The Real Lucky Charm” by Charisse Richardson FAVORITE FOOD: Mac & Cheese FAVORITE ATHLETE: Jordan Spieth, PGA
“Winning the national championship has been great, but it was great having my teammates there to walk alongside me in the final round and helped keep me loose going through the back nine,” Kupcho said. Wake Forest’s team qualified for the NCAA Championship with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. The Deacons tied Clemson for the sixth and final NCAA Championship qualifying place but won a one-hole playoff as Kupcho birdied and the other four players parred for a one-shot victory. “I was so nervous over both putts and what was able to calm me was we were sitting on the 18th hole watching Clemson come up,” Kupcho said. “A couple of girls had putts of the same distance, but my team just looked at me and said they wouldn’t want anyone else there but me. When I looked at that putt (of about 4 to 5 feet), I thought about that, thought I got this, I can make it, and after I made it, it was great to break through knowing my team would be there right beside me competing for the national championship.” Considering her accomplishments, it’s even more intriguing that just a few years ago that Kupcho was a virtual unknown junior player before Dailey discovered what she called “a diamond in the rough.” Golf was a family affair at the Kupcho house, and Jennifer said she first felt forced to play the sport when she began around age 5 before falling in love with the game. Her parents, Mike and Janet, played golf, and her brother, Steven, played collegiately at Northern Colorado. Ed Oldham, the director of Instruction at The Ranch Country Club in Kupcho’s hometown of Westminster, Colo., helped develop her game.
14
GOLD RUSH MAGAZINE
Kupcho ultimately ended up at Wake Forest but only because the booming sound of one drive off the tee caught the ear of Dailey. She was recruiting at the U.S. Junior Championships in Fort Wayne, Ind., and stopped, watched and followed Kupcho through the end of her round, and quickly determined there was something special about her. “It was really by accident,” Dailey said of discovering Kupcho. “It was the first time Jennifer had played much outside the state of Colorado. I had been out there recruiting in the hot sun for two days and was getting ready to go home. As I was walking to the parking lot, I had to wait before I could cross the fairway to get to my car and I was looking at my phone and all of a sudden I heard this drive – a big whack – and I asked myself who did that? I looked up, and there were a couple of coaches from the state of Colorado watching, so I thought I’d just watch her play this hole. I watched a little bit, and I thought, this girl is pretty good. I went up to the next tee to see her drive, and she hits another drive that was just really, really good. I’m thinking, where did this girl come from? I had never seen her before. “I texted my assistant at the time (former assistant coach Kevin Diaz) and said to get over here because she only has two holes to go, and I think this girl is really, really good. We followed her the last two holes. We didn’t know how to get in touch with her and ended up leaving right away, but I drove, and within 30 minutes Kevin Diaz had her teacher on the phone. We talked about her and asked him if she would call us. The U.S. Amateur was in Charleston, S.C. that year (2013), so they decided to stop at Wake Forest on the way down to visit, and we started the recruiting process during that visit when she was a junior in high school. “I think she was thinking about staying in Colorado, and she just slipped under everybody’s radar. I tried to put a big bug in her ear to get her to come here, and I think she liked our facilities. She could come out and within walking distance practice as much as she wanted and liked the small size of the school. The academics were attractive, especially to her parents, because they knew she was going to get a great education.” As good as an impression Wake Forest made with Kupcho during that visit, she still left undecided as to where she would play collegiate golf. It wasn’t until signing day of her junior year at Jefferson Academy that a phone call to her brother Steven, who played college golf at Northern Colorado, helped her make her final decision, – to leave Colorado to become a Demon Deacon. “I don’t know how (Coach Dailey) convinced me to do it, but it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made,” she said. “Wake is a long ways away from home, and that added a little bit of fear. But a few of my top schools were in Kansas and here in Colorado. It’s not warm here. At Wake, I could practice year-round. The school is smaller, I went to a small high school, so I didn't want to go to a huge state school. Then just the coaches knew what they were doing, knew where my boundaries were, and helped me, so it was just a really good fit for me.” Dailey said when Kupcho came to Wake Forest she was ranked around 900 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. By the end of the fall semester of her sophomore year, she was ranked first by Golfweek. “In two years, she went from under the radar to being one of the top players in college golf and No. 3 in the world amateur rankings,” Dailey said. “As a freshman, she still wasn’t on anybody’s radar and snuck into an Honorable Mention All-American. Then last year (as a sophomore) she was
First-Team WGCA and First Team Golfweek All-American.” Last season, Kupcho won multiple first-team All-American honors and finished as the NCAA runner-up. This year she wanted to finish strong and got plenty of help from her teammates. “My team had kind of quieted down after I had a rough start, but after I made birdie on 11, they were screaming so loudly and trying to make me laugh, loosen me up, and I think that was a big factor,” Kupcho said. “It wasn’t just the birdies but them being so loud the group in front of us could hear them. They were the leaders along with the girl in my group, who was also one of the leaders. That was a little intimidation. Then when I got to 16 and made birdie, I was excited, everyone screamed and
yelled so loudly. I think that just shows how much of a factor they were and influenced me as well. “(Assistant Coach) Ryan (Potter) and I made a deal not to look at scoreboards, so we had no idea how I was doing. I kind of had a feeling I was up a couple of shots but didn’t know. I had 215 into the green, which was a perfect hybrid, and I knocked it onto the green, got up there figuring a two-putt would win it. I hit the first putt down to about four feet, and then on my line, I can see my teammates lined up with multiple bottles of water behind a camera. At that point, I knew they were either confident I was going to make this putt or I had multiple putts to win this, so it was great to finish out with a birdie.”
Dailey Ends Outstanding Career By John Justus
Wake Forest women’s golf coach Dianne Dailey, who guided the Demon Deacons to 30 team titles including four ACC Championships, announced her retirement on May 22, concluding three decades as leader of the WFU program. In addition to 2018 NCAA Champion Jennifer Kupcho, Dailey coached 28 All-Americans, 39 All-ACC selections and five ACC Players of the Year. Her teams qualified for 15 NCAA Championships and for NCAA Regionals every year since that system was instituted in 1993. “It has been an honor to be able to coach at Wake Forest for the past 30 years,” Dailey said in making the announcement. “I can’t believe I have been able to spend my entire coaching career at such an outstanding university. “When I took the job, I really thought it would be for just three or four years,” she told Gold Rush. “I said that to Jesse (Haddock) and he told me once you come to Wake Forest, you’ll spend your life here. And he was right.” A four-time ACC Coach of the Year, Dailey led the Deacons to conference championships in 1994, 1995, 2009 and 2010. Her four titles rank second in the history of ACC women’s golf coaches.
In 1993, Wake Forest made its first appearance at the NCAA Championship, finishing seventh. It was the first of four top-10 NCAA finishes for Dailey squads, highlighted by a third-place finish in 1995. Dailey’s caring coaching demeanor allowed her to adjust to the changing personalities and playing styles of the studentathletes that she mentored for 30 years. “They (student-athletes) have changed a lot,” she pointed out. “The quality of play is much better, of course, but it’s also different because many times they already have their own coach and their parents usually are more involved, having traveled with them to tournaments throughout their careers as young players. “A point of emphasis for me has been for them to take personal responsibility for themselves and for being a part of a team. You gently point things out to them as you go along, letting them know what is expected, with a goal of developing life skills as well as golf skills.” In 2001, Dailey was named the LPGA Coach of the Year and was also inducted into the National Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame. She has served as the president of the NGCA as well as chairman of the NCAA Golf Committee. In 2010, she was honored as the Dianne Dailey Learning Center, an on-campus state-of-the-art training center for the men’s and women’s golf programs, was named for her. “We thank Dianne for her incredible career at Wake Forest,” Director of Athletics Ron Wellman said. “Her passion built our women’s golf program into one of the best in the nation. When you look back at the history of Demon Deacon women’s golf – the ACC Championships, the NCAA appearances, the team and individual victories – that is the legacy Dianne Dailey leaves.” And what does a retiring golf coach look forward to doing? “I really would like to play some golf,” Dailey said with a laugh. “My goal is to get my game in shape and qualify for the USGA Senior Women’s Open at Pinehurst in 2019. I also hope to get more involved in volunteer work in the community and in the sport now that I’ll have more time to do so.”
JUNE 2018
15
NCAA CHAMPIONS
// I N D I V I D U A L A N D T E A M
WFU Team NCAA Champions 1955 BASEBALL
2003 FIELD HOCKEY
Wake Forest’s first national championship also served as the first national title for any member of the newborn Atlantic Coast Conference. In the title game of the College World Series, Western Michigan took a 6-3 lead after four innings before Jack McGinley was called from the bullpen and asked to pitch on one day’s rest. He responded by throwing 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball. The Deacons knotted the game with a three-run fifth inning and then won it in the eighth when Linwood Holt singled to score Luther McKeel with the winning run in the 7-6 victory.
The final match of the 2003 NCAA Field Hockey Championship pitted No. 1 Wake Forest against No. 2 Duke. In front of a crowd of 2,320 fans, the Deacons won their second consecutive national title with a 3-1 win over the Blue Devils at the University of Massachusetts, getting goals from Katie Ackerman, Kelly Wood and Kristi Harshman.
1974 MEN’S GOLF
Wake Forest was five strokes off the lead after each of the first two rounds of the 1974 NCAA Championship at Carolton Oakes Country Club in San Diego. The Deacons improved by one shot after the third round and entered the final round trailing Florida by four strokes. Coming on strong with a full-fledged team effort, Wake Forest trailed by just one stroke after nine holes and passed the Gators on the back nine and held a one-stroke lead as Curtis Strange and Florida’s Gary Koch approached the 18th hole. Strange’s dramatic eagle on the final hole of the championship not only determined the team title but also clinched his one-stroke medalist win over Koch. 1975 MEN’S GOLF
Golf World called Wake Forest’s 1975 men’s golf team “the best college golf team ever.” And the results do not disagree. The 1975 team won nine tournaments before capturing the ACC and NCAA crowns. In winning the national title for a second consecutive year, Wake Forest swept aside tournament favorite Oklahoma State by 33 strokes, which to this day is still the largest margin of victory in NCAA men’s golf history. Jay Haas was the individual champion. 1986 MEN’S GOLF
Wake Forest had appeared to have played itself out of contention for the NCAA title on the nearby Bermuda Run course in 1986. Trailing by 16 strokes and with four teams ahead of them heading into the final round, Coach Jesse Haddock’s Deacons waited until the back nine to pull off the miracle. Down by 12 strokes at the turn, the Demon Deacons played lights out on the back nine. Chris Kite led the charge and went five-under on the back nine to finish the day at 66. 2002 FIELD HOCKEY
Wake Forest defeated Penn State 2-0 to win its first national championship at Louisville’s Trager Stadium. The Demon Deacons became the first women’s team in school history to win a national championship. On the way to the title, the Deacons went through all four rounds of NCAA play without allowing a single goal.
16
GOLD RUSH MAGAZINE
2004 FIELD HOCKEY
The Wake Forest field hockey team captured a third straight national championship in 2004, beating Duke 3-0 in Kentner Stadium. Tamar Meijer scored two goals, and Kelly Wood added another as the Deacons finished the 2004 season with a 20-3 record. 2007 MEN’S SOCCER
The Wake Forest men's soccer team walked away with its first-ever national championship following a 2-1 win over Ohio State. Marcus Tracy tied the match with a goal, and Zack Schilawksi, who grew up five minutes from the 2007 College Cup site, scored the gamewinning goal for the Deacons.
2018 MEN’S TENNIS
The Deacons were ranked No. 1 throughout the regular season and entered the NCAA Tournament as the top seed. Wake Forest opened the first round at home and quickly dispatched Navy and South Carolina to move into the round of 16. Wake Forest had been awarded the 2018 NCAA Tennis Championships at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex, and first came a win over Columbia, followed by a victories over Illinois in the quarterfinals and Texas A&M in the semifinals before downing Ohio State 4-2 in the national championship match in front of a huge home crowd.
WFU INDIVIDUAL NCAA Champions
ARNOLD PALMER GOLF – 1949, 1950
CURTIS STRANGE GOLF - 1974
JENNIFER KUPCHO GOLF – 2018
JAY HAAS GOLF - 1975
GARY HALLBERG GOLF - 1979
ANDY BLOOM DISCUS & SHOT PUT 1996
BEA BIELIK TENNIS – 2002
MICHELLE SIKES 5,000 METERS – 2007
PETROS CHRYSOCHOS TENNIS – 2018
MICHAEL BINGHAM 400 METERS – 2009 JUNE 2018
17
BASEBALL
// W I L L C R A I G
BIG BAT FORMER DEACON BOPPER WILL CRAIG SEEKING POWER SURGE TO REALIZE DREAM OF PLAYING IN THE BIG LEAGUES By Jim Buice
W
ill Craig remembers in his first year of professional baseball riding on the team bus past Altoona, Pa., on the way to State College or Williamsport in the summer of 2016 as a member of the West Virginia Black Bears.
The 6-3, 212-pound slugger from Wake Forest had just been drafted in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft as the 22nd overall pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he was looking down the road to the path that could lead to his dream of playing in the big leagues. The first stop for Craig as a high-profile top pick was in Morgantown, W. Va., in the New York-Penn League – a Short Season A League that is
18
GOLD RUSH MAGAZINE
several stops away from the ultimate goal. Altoona is a Double-A team in the Eastern League – much closer to where he aspires to land. “In that year in Morgantown, you always drive past Altoona, and I was thinking that would be cool to be up there one day,” Craig said. “It’s been like a year and half, and it’s like it’s already come.” Indeed, Altoona is now his home base. Through games of May 23, Craig was hitting .250 for the Curve with six home runs, leading the team in RBIs with 31 and looking to prove why he was the National Player of the Year in college as a sophomore with a .382 batting average, 13 home runs and 58 RBIs and 52 runs scored, followed by a .379 average, 16 home runs, 66 RBIs and 53 runs scored as a junior in his final season at Wake. Deacon head coach Tom Walter said that Craig is the best hitter he has ever coached in his 20-plus years in the business. “He was the National Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year his sophomore year, and I thought he was even better as a junior,”
WILL CRAIG AGE: 23 HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-3, 212 pounds BATS/THROWS: R/R POSITION: First baseman CURRENT TEAM: Altoona Curve (Double-A, Eastern League) in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization DRAFTED: First-round pick (22nd overall) of the Pirates in the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft CAREER AT WAKE FOREST: Played from 2014 to 2016 as a third baseman, first baseman and pitcher HOMETOWN: Johnson City, Tenn.
Walter said. “A lot of times, you see kids their junior year, their draft year, when so much is on the line, they won’t have as good a year. He was just the opposite. “He’s a guy who can just really hit. He’s a talented pitcher, too. I’ve told scouts if Will could not hit, he would still be a fifth-round pick as a pitcher. He has that kind of arm, but his bread and butter is on the offensive side. He’s just a mature and complete hitter. He just doesn’t have any weaknesses as a hitter.” After dominating with the bat in college, Craig quickly realized that it was a different ballgame in professional baseball. “I think I’ve done pretty well so far,” he said. “I don’t think I started as strong as I wanted to. The physical part is a little different because a lot of the guys are four or five years older than half the guys I played with in college. And the lifestyle, too. In college, we had three weekend games and one midweek game, maybe two. Now you’re playing every day and traveling a lot more. Every three or four days, you might be going three to five hours away, maybe more. There are lot of ups and downs. I expected myself to hit .360 with all these home runs and RBIs, but it’s not that easy. There’s a lot of work to do.” In his abbreviated first year in Morgantown after the June draft, Craig hit .280 with two home runs, 23 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .412 in just 218 at bats. After moving up to Bradenton in the Advanced A Florida State League last year for his first full season, he hit .271 with six home runs, 61 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .373. Craig started out at third base with the Pirates’ organization before moving to first, where he has a better opportunity to advance with the mix of players in the system, but knows the expectation for corner infielders is to hit for more power and be a run-producer. “Last year, in my first full season, I wanted to have a little more power, but I think I still played well overall and am moving along pretty steadily,” he said. “I think I’m just scratching the surface of what I could be. Once I get into a comfort zone, then I’ll be good to go.” Walter has no doubt the power numbers will be there as the 2018 season goes along. “The thing about Altoona is that it’s been cold there early, and power hitters usually hit their stride as the temperatures get warmer and the ball starts to carry better,” he said. “In today’s game, I think he’s a 25 to 30 home-run guy or more for sure. You need your first baseman to do that and drive in runs in the middle of the order. “Double A usually tells the tale. With the adjustments he makes, if the numbers are good there, you usually do well in the big
leagues. If he has a good couple of months, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets called up later this year if the Pirates are out of the playoff race and they bring Will up to get his feet wet, thinking he’s going to be their future first baseman. But it’s probably more likely it will happen next year.” Like any player, Craig admits to have been looking at who’s ahead and behind him in the pecking order, realizing the Pirates and every other team are drafting 40 new players every year. But at Pirate City in Bradenton while preparing for the new season, he talked about a different approach to his timetable. “They’re looking to come and take your job, and you’re trying to take the job of the ones ahead of you,” he said. “Last year, I got caught up in that. This year, I’m just trying to take it step by step and be level-headed and consistent. To play at the highest level, I need to be mentally and physically ready every day.” Craig, a native of Johnson City, Tenn., who married his high school sweetheart Morgan in December, stays in touch with his former Deacon teammates and is pleased to have been been part of a program that has scaled new heights in the last couple of years – making the NCAA Regionals in his final season, and then going to the Super Regionals last season, finishing one win short of making the College World Series. “When I was there, I wanted to leave an unbelievable legacy with them,” Craig said. “Last year, when they stepped it up and went to the
Will Craig at Pirate City
Photo by Jim Buice
Supers in Florida, that was something I was real proud of and followed them all the way.” When Walter reflects on recent seasons with the Wake Forest baseball program, Craig is an obvious standout. But the Deacon coach said that there is more to him than just the player. “What a great teammate,” Walter said of Craig. “He has a good personality, is very humble and loyal but a fierce competitor on the field and a blue-guy collar guy who everybody likes. When he was a junior, he took a great leadership role with our guys. I have so much respect for him as a human being, and he has always stayed true to that. Will is just the best.” JUNE 2018
19
100% COTTEN
// S TA N C O T T E N
Time Flies
S TA N COTTEN VOICE OF THE DEMON DEACONS
The last time you and I got together in this space, we had just turned the corner on May and were wondering if the young baseball Deacons would be able to finish strong and make the NCAA Tournament again after missing the College World Series a year ago by just one game. Well, that was not to be – but I think just about everyone across the ACC believes that Tom Walter’s team next season, and the foreseeable future, will be a force to be reckoned with. So many players, most in their first season at the collegiate level, got invaluable experience with weeks and weeks filled with inning after inning that just can’t be discounted. Time will tell. And speaking of time – where in the world did the year go? As I sit down to bang out one last
column on the way to summer’s hibernation, seniors have walked and obtained degrees and two Wake Forest players, Borna Gojo and Petros Chrysochos, ended up playing each other for the individual national title in men’s tennis. Chrysochos won the match, the first-ever national champion for a Deacon tennis player, but there was no way the Deacs could lose in that one. What a way to end the season! And that brings me to the incredible start and finish to the athletic year we have already witnessed. Let’s begin at the end, a week before the title by Chrysochos, on back-to-back days mind you, Wake Forest put on the mantle two NCAA championships
R
Keeping Deacon Fans
MOSQUITO FREE! Locally owned & operated by Chip & Shea Crutchfield
-5278
2 336-71
ITO
SQU MBugsBITE.com TY 800.709.1190 THORI AU
om
TE.c I B s g u B
20
GOLD RUSH MAGAZINE
– one from Jennifer Kupcho who rattled home a birdie putt from a mile out on the 16th hole to cement for the Deacs their firstever individual national champion on the women’s side of the fairway. Arnold Palmer, Curtis Strange, Jay Haas and Gary Hallberg are all past men’s individual champions. Kupcho was the first wire-to-wire winner of the women’s tournament in nearly 20 years. She has since been named a first team AllAmerican. That was on a Monday. The following day, it was men’s tennis on center stage, or court, as the Deacons, ranked No. 1 in the nation all season long, put down third-seeded Ohio State 4-2 to capture the NCAA title for the first time in school history – the ninth team title ever for Wake athletics. What an accomplishment for head coach Tony Bresky, the ITA National Coach of the Year, and the Deacons – to go all season long with a target squarely on their backs and still come out with a national championship. That’s stuff of legend. And the thrills we’re all feeling right now as the athletic year winds down take me back to the very beginning. The fall. It wasn’t that long ago, or at least it doesn’t seem that long ago, when Dave Clawson’s Deacons stood toe to toe with SEC power Texas A&M in the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, forcing the Aggies to blink late in a 55-52 win. The football Deacons set the table for the rest of their classmates, and with the athletic year losing runway in a hurry (again it’ll be over by the time this is published), this year has already been one for the ages. And before you know it, we’ll start all over again. Yep, as you read this, it’s basically summer. Which means it’s pretty much football season again. I don’t know who ‘they’ are – but I do know ‘they’re’ right. Time flies.
Toll Free: 1.800.852.1504 www.timwelborn.com
PROUD SUPPORTER OF WFU ATHLETICS
Your l o c a l ly
owned l o c a l ly sourced
your culinary
adventure
awa i t s
drink
dine unwind
Indulge in progressive, seasonally-inspired southern cuisine at Springhouse Restaurant, Kitchen and Bar. After your meal, relax with hand-crafted cocktails at the library bar.
info@SpringHouseNC.com | www.SpringHouseNC.com | 450 North Spring Street | Winston-Salem | 336.293.4797
JUNE 2018
21
INSIDE THE DEACON CLUB
Investing in Our Future
BA R RY FA I R C L O T H SENIOR A S S O C I AT E AT H L E T I C DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT
22
Nearly 10 years ago, Don Flow (MBA ’83) first approached the Athletic Department with a big idea. He envisioned Winston-Salem as an epicenter for world-class tennis at both the collegiate and professional levels. At that point, the tennis teams were competing on campus at the Leighton Tennis Stadium, which only had five courts. It quickly became clear that if we were going to make this vision a reality, we would need to make a major investment in our men’s and women’s tennis programs and, more specifically, the teams’ facilities. In the months that followed, plans were developed which included building out what we now know as the Wake Forest Tennis Complex near BB&T Field. In addition, there was a goal of securing the rights to an ATP World Tour 250 tournament. With the completion of the $3 million, 13-court tennis complex and the $1 million initial phase of seating in 2011, Wake Forest established itself as having one of the best facilities in all of college tennis. In addition, the Wake Forest Tennis Complex hosted the inaugural Winston-Salem Open — an ATP 250 event — in August 2011, leading to increased exposure for our programs and facilities. Since then, several enhancements have boasted the complex’s appeal, including the addition of the $4.5 million Southern Family Seating, renovations to the locker rooms in the Wake Forest Indoor Tennis Center and, even more recently, the installation of a new team scoreboard at the Jim Leighton Courts. Aside from the Winston-Salem Open being recognized as the 2016 ATP World Tour 250 Tournament of the Year and Wake Forest receiving the opportunity to host the 2018 NCAA Division I Tennis Championships, watching our men’s tennis team capture its first NCAA title in program history on our home courts was the perfect culmination of all that went into the process. Tony Bresky, head coach of the men’s team and 2018 ITA National Coach of the Year, and head women’s coach Jeff Wyshner have leveraged the facility progress to secure highly rated recruits. Without these facilities, we would not have hosted the NCAA championships and wouldn’t have had the opportunity to see the Deacs compete for and win two national championships in our own backyard.
GOLD RUSH MAGAZINE
Ultimately, our facilities enabled Wake Forest fans to rally around our student-athletes and create an unrivaled atmosphere in collegiate tennis. It isn’t just our tennis programs that have reaped the benefits of facility upgrades, however. Other teams, such as men’s and women’s golf, have also seen the impact of these investments. In the spring of 2010, the 17-acre Arnold Palmer Golf Complex was updated. Highlighting those renovations was the 3,500-square-foot Dianne Dailey Golf Learning Center, which is equipped with state-of-the-art technology. While this was already revered as one of the top training facilities in the country, the addition of the $4.5 million Haddock House in the spring of 2016 brought our golf facilities to a whole new level. Fast forward to today, and now we are celebrating Jennifer Kupcho’s 2018 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship — the first NCAA individual champion for the Wake Forest women’s golf program. Amidst this excitement, I can’t help but think about the importance of our facilities and how they play a role in recruiting and developing student-athletes like Jennifer, leading them to achieve monumental success. As we move forward and look ahead, the men’s and women’s soccer programs, who experienced massive facility upgrades at Spry Stadium and their practice fields, also have the ability to find themselves among the nation’s best yet again this fall. With that said, however, we are only one phase away from having similar advantages in basketball and football. With the Sutton Sports Performance Center and Shah Basketball Complex scheduled to be completed in January 2019, we will fundamentally change the landscape of those programs. Pending funding, the final phase will also involve renovating the on-campus football locker room and basketball clubhouses for the men’s and women’s teams, which will include locker rooms and players’ lounges. When I look at where we were 10 years ago, it’s hard to believe how far we’ve come. We have proven that the investment in facilities has paid huge dividends across the board for our programs, and it’s exciting to see all the success that has taken place. I look forward to continuing to support our student-athletes and helping provide them with the resources they need to succeed, both academically and athletically. Lastly, I would like to thank all of you who have so generously supported our student-athletes and their efforts. Each of you has played a huge role in helping us get to where we are now, and we are extremely grateful. We are incredibly lucky to have such a special group of people who are so passionate about our programs and dedicated to ensuring our student-athletes succeed. Go Deacs!
INSIDE THE DEACON CLUB
SAVE THE DATE: VARSITY CLUB AND HOMECOMING WEEKEND We hope you’ll be able to join fellow Deacon fans, Varsity Club members, Wake Forest coaches and staff on Friday, Nov. 2, and Saturday, Nov. 3. The Deacs will play Syracuse at the Homecoming football game on Saturday (game time TBA). More information will be provided in the coming months.
Keep up with the Deacon Club on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! For the latest news and information from the Deacon Club and to connect with other members, be sure to find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! @WFUDeaconClub Facebook.com/DeaconClub @WFUDeaconClub | @DeacOnTheRun @BarryFaircloth
IS WAKE FOREST ATHLETICS IN YOUR WILL? Planned giving ties your legacy with the future of Wake Forest Athletics. To learn more about the many ways you can support Wake Forest Athletics through planned giving, please contact Paul Kennedy at (336) 758-3875 or kennedpj@wfu.edu.
DON’T MISS OUT ON 2018 WAKE FOREST FOOTBALL SEASON TICKETS It’s not too late to purchase season tickets for the upcoming 2018 football season! With a home schedule that includes seven games — including Clemson and Notre Dame — you won’t want to miss out. Certain areas are quickly selling out, so be sure to contact us to place your order by calling (336) 758-3322 ext. 1.
JUNE 2018
23
DONOR PROFILE
// F R A N K A R M S T R O N G
Frank Armstrong excited to give back to a ‘special place with special people’
s
ometimes life takes you down an unexpected path, and for Frank Armstrong (’81), the unforeseen decision to attend Wake Forest proved to be a life-changing experience. Growing up as a three-sport athlete in inner-city Philadelphia, Armstrong didn’t have a plan for what would follow his high school career. In fact, he assumed he would stay in his hometown and continue his education at the local community college. During his senior year, however, Armstrong was presented with a multitude of opportunities that would change his mindset. “All of a sudden, senior year, I started getting looked at by multiple schools for football,” Armstrong remembers. “It wasn’t until then that I realized I really could leave Philadelphia, get a quality education and play football at the next level.” Prior to this point, Armstrong
24
GOLD RUSH MAGAZINE
hadn’t even considered the idea of playing college football. While it came as a surprise, getting recruited opened Armstrong’s eyes and allowed him to begin thinking about the world in a broader context. Wake Forest was among the many schools that expressed interest in Armstrong. Although he was not familiar with the university before being recruited by Coach Steve Bernstein, Armstrong liked what he heard and decided to take a recruiting visit. Once he arrived in Winston-Salem, he fell in love with the campus. “Having grown up in Philadelphia, Wake’s campus was unlike anything I had ever seen before,” Armstrong reminisces. Aside from the beautiful campus, there were a lot of players from the Philadelphia area on the Wake Forest football team at the time, one of whom happened to be Armstrong’s former
baseball teammate. He felt very comfortable knowing he was surrounded by several others from his hometown. When it was ultimately time to decide which school to attend, it was an easy choice for Armstrong. Between the Philadelphia connection, relationships established with the coaching staff, picturesque campus and academic reputation, he knew that Wake Forest was the right university for him. In the fall of 1976, Armstrong officially stepped onto campus as a freshman student-athlete, eager to begin a new experience. Although it took some time to adjust to such a different environment, Armstrong settled in and Wake Forest quickly felt like home. He spent most of his first two years on campus balancing school work, as a Mathematical Business major, and his football schedule. Unfortunately, just prior to
Armstrong’s junior year, the defensive tackle suffered a career-ending injury. Even though he was unable to compete for the Demon Deacons after the injury, he stayed involved with the team, helping to film practices and assist in the press box on game days. Post-injury, Armstrong devoted his extra time to ensuring he was successful in the classroom as he prepared for life after graduation. Once he earned his bachelor’s degree, he headed south and began working for a bank in Atlanta. Armstrong stayed with this company for 12 years and also met his wife, Lisa, during that time. He went on to work for a couple other companies, where his role in financial services brought him to various locations, including London, where he and his family lived for three years. Today, Frank and Lisa Armstrong have three children — Phillip (’13, MAM ’14, MBA ’18), Peter (’16) and Ellen (’22) — and reside in Melbourne, Fla. As a former student-athlete, Armstrong has always felt that it’s important to give back, which is why he started doing so soon after graduating. Knowing the Athletic Department and
University had a major impact on the trajectory of his life, he wants to help current and future student-athletes succeed. “I have always wanted to make sure — to the extent I’m able — that others can have the same opportunity I had,” Armstrong shares. Now a longtime supporter of the Deacon Club and Wake Forest Athletics, Armstrong’s involvement continues to grow as the years go on. “As you get older, you become more reflective on the things that were important to you in terms of your career, the person you are and how you evolved as an individual,” he states. “When I got to the point where I could reflect, I looked at my success and realized there was a direct line to Wake Forest, which is where I learned invaluable life skills, acquired a different perspective and was introduced to the concept of Pro Humanitate.” With more spare time available in retirement, Armstrong now serves on the Deacon Club Board of Directors and is a member of the Analytics subcommittee. For someone who spent their career analyzing and doing statistical work, this has proven to be
a perfect fit. “Giving thoughts on how we can enhance the athletic mission is exciting and intellectually stimulating,” he notes. Armstrong is also a member of the College Board of Visitors. Looking ahead, he is excited about the direction of our programs and realizes the impact of the recent investment in athletic facilities. “I think the new facilities, and those currently under construction, take Wake to a whole new level of competitiveness,” he affirms. “I think Wake Forest has everything a student-athlete could ever want.” Armstrong has generously donated to the Sutton Sports Performance Center and the football locker room project — two facilities that will have a major impact on countless studentathletes for many years to come. “In supporting these projects, there’s a pride factor because you know providing these young men and women with great facilities is contributing to their success,” he explains. “I really do believe Wake is a special place, with special people and it’s an honor to be involved with the Athletic Department and University.”
deacon club photos Deacon Club members are encouraged to submit photos for publication in the Gold Rush. Send your photos in digital format to DeacClub@wfu.edu. Submission of a photo does not guarantee that it will be published. Thanks for showing off your Demon Deacon pride!
1
2
3 2 Student-athletes of the Wake Forest Class of 2018 1 Former football players Tim Davis (’79), Mike McGlamry (’78) and Barry Sikes (’79) (left to right) prepare to take a guided hard-hat tour of the Sutton Sports Performance Center and Shah Basketball Complex construction.
celebrate their accomplishments at this year’s Athletics Graduation Reception.
3 A nne (’75) and Tom Fehring (’76) host a Wake Forest Athletics event at their home in Charlotte with special guest, Head Football Coach, Dave Clawson.
JUNE 2018
25
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
//
CRAIG LONGHURST
I
n each issue, Where Are They Now showcases a former Wake Forest student-athlete. Craig Longhurst (’95) was a member of the Wake Forest men's track & field and cross country teams from 1991-95. He finished fourth at the ACC Men’s Cross Country Championship his senior season and helped the team earn back-toback ACC titles in 1993 and 1994. Longhurst was named to the 1994 All-ACC Cross Country team and was also an All-ACC Outdoor honoree in 1995. He holds a spot in the top-10 all-time Wake Forest men’s outdoor 10,000-meter performances with a time of 29:45.30.
CRAIG LONGHURST When did you graduate from Wake Forest? 1995 What was your major and/or minor? Psychology What does being a Demon Deacon mean to you? I love being the underdog, and Wake Forest always seems to be the underdog. We may not always get the same press or fanfare as some of our in-state rivals, but that has always been something that drives me and makes it even sweeter when the Demon Deacons achieve success. Why are you still involved in Wake Forest Athletics? It’s important to give back to the school that gave a small-town kid from Wendell, N.C., a chance at a great education and to compete collegiately. The cross country team had some lean years recently, but it’s exciting to see John Hayes turning the program around, and I want to be involved in that resurgence as much as I can. Seeing the Deacs compete at our facility is always a pleasure, as there were no indoor tracks in our own backyard when I was in school. Why do you feel it is important to give back to the University? It is sort of the “pay it forward” mentality. There were obviously alums who made it possible for me, as a former student-athlete, to get the opportunities I had at Wake Forest, so now it’s my turn to try and give back. It doesn’t always have to be monetarily either (although that is important, too). Sometimes it’s conversations with the current coaching staff about recruiting and, “Hey, did you see that kid from school X and how they did?” Other times, it’s simply talking to the kids on the current team and sharing our experiences with them. There are so many different ways to give back to the Athletic Department and University, and specifically to the cross country and track programs.
26
GOLD RUSH MAGAZINE
What is your current occupation? Facility Director for JDL Fast Track, an indoor track and field center here in Winston-Salem that hosts over 40 indoor track and field competitions each year. I also serve as Director of Property Management for JDL Castle, a real estate development firm in Winston-Salem. What is your favorite memory of your time at Wake Forest? Finishing fourth at the 1994 ACC Cross Country Championships and leading our team to back-to-back ACC titles. What makes you most proud of Wake Forest? Seeing Wake Forest succeed in the ACC and nationally – the recent success of the soccer and tennis teams, in particular. I’m also very happy to see that the cross country teams are progressing and will likely be returning to the national stage in the next year or two. It’s great to see the commitment from the administration to the teams that are near and dear to me. When you come back to Wake Forest, you always… Living only about three miles from campus, I will sometimes go for a run that takes me through campus. A run through the cross country trails or just around campus is always a nice way to see all the updates happening. I was there when… Dorms on the Quad didn’t have air conditioning! I remember having a fan in the window to try to cool off the room. The first few weeks of classes were a little toasty in a third-floor, back room of Taylor. Who is your favorite coach at Wake Forest, current or past? John Goodridge, who was my coach while at Wake Forest. We affectionately called him “Hey, Bud,” as he usually started off a conversation with something like,
“Hey, bud, how’s it going?” He had a lot of success with four men’s cross country titles in six years and, until recently, had the highest-ever finish by an ACC school at the NCAA Cross Country Championship. The guy needs to be in the Hall of Fame!
THE “WFU QUAD BELT” AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT NORMAN STOCKTON 249 S STRATFORD RD WINSTON-SALEM | 336-997-9012 WWW. NORMANSTOCKTONCLOTHIER.COM
LET US CATER YOUR EVENT! at McCreary Tower
Join us at The Grille for lunch!
The Grille at McCreary Tower is located on the 4th Floor of the McCreary Tower at BB&T Field and open for lunch
Monday - Friday 11am - 2pm grilleatmccrearytower.com
Call ahead for take-out or make a reservation
336.671.6545 We can accommodate large parties and special menus can be customized for your group.
CONFERENCES • BANQUETS • WEDDINGS OFFICE LUNCHES • TAILGATES • PARTIES Contact US to start planning your next event! Email | Emilee_McDaniel@comcastspectacor.com Phone | 336.896.1207
JUNE 2018
27
DEACONS IN THE PROS BASEBALL
Sarah Teegarden Ally Haran
COACHES/SCOUTS Ross Atkins Neil Avent TJ Barra Development Danny Borrell Adam Bourassa Dave Bush George Greer John Hendricks Michael Holmes Crosschecker Bill Masse Matt Price Mike Rikard Eric Schmitt Adam Wogan
MLB MLB MLB
Toronto Blue Jays Oakland A’s New York Mets
General Manager Area Scout Director of Baseball Research &
MLB MLB MLB MLB MLB MLB
New York Yankees Pittsburgh Pirates Boston Red Sox St. Louis Cardinals New York Mets Oakland A's
Rehab Pitching Coordinator Area Scout Pitching Development Analyst Minor League Offensive Strategist National Pitching Supervisor Asst. Scouting Director/National
MLB MLB MLB MLB MLB
Seattle Mariners Kansas City Royals Boston Red Sox New York Yankees Chicago Cubs
Area Scout Area Scouting Supervisor Vice President of Amateur Scouting Director of Minor League Operations Area Scout
MAJOR LEAGUES Mac Williamson
San Francisco Giants
MINOR LEAGUE RANKS Ben Breazeale Tim Cooney Will Craig Michael Dimock Parker Dunshee Stuart Fairchild Aaron Fossas Connor Johnstone Connor Kaden Garrett Kelly Nate Mondou Jonathan Pryor Donnie Sellers Gavin Sheets
Baltimore Orioles (A) Free Agent Pittsburgh Pirates (AA) Arizona Diamondbacks (AA) Oakland Athletics (High A) Cincinnati Reds (A) Cincinnati Reds (High A) Atlanta Braves (AA) San Francisco Giants (High A) Chicago Cubs (Extended Spring) Oakland Athletics (High A) Washington Nationals (Extended Spring) Toronto Blue Jays (A) Chicago White Sox (High A)
MEN’S BASKETBALL Al-Farouq Aminu John Collins James Johnson Chris Paul Ishmael Smith Jeff Teague Andre Washington Coron Williams Austin Arians Chris Ellis Justin Gray C.J. Harris Jamaal Levy Travis McKie Nikita Mescheriakov Codi Miller-McIntyre Dinos Mitoglou Aaron Rountree Devin Thomas David Weaver Eric Williams L.D. Williams Frank Johnson
Ass’t Coach
Dearica Hamby Sandra Garcia Milan Quinn
WNBA Puerto Rico Germany
FOOTBALL Josh Banks Jessie Bates III Tommy Bohanon Michael Campanaro Brandon Chubb Duke Ejiofor Chris Givens Josh Harris Kevin Johnson Marquel Lee Joe Looney Nikita Whitlock Kyle Wilber
Luis Argudo Jon Bakero Corben Bone Sam Cronin Austin da Luz Chris Duvall Steven Echevarria Sam Fink Akira Fitzgerald Ian Harkes Jack Harrison Jacori Hayes Tolani Ibikunle Collin Martin Ben Newnam Jared Odenbeck Ike Opara Sean Okoli Michael Parkhurst Hayden Partain Kevin Politz Jalen Robinson Brandon Servania Emu Twumasi Jared Watts
Columbus Crew Chicago Fire FC Cincinnati Minnesota United FC North Carolina FC Montreal Impact New York Red Bulls II Saint Louis FC Tampa Bay Rowdies D.C. United Manchester City/Middlesborough FC Dallas Ekenas Sport Club (Finland) Minnesota United FC San Antonio FC Charlotte Independence Sporting Kansas City Free Agent Atlanta United FC Sacramento Republic New York Red Bulls D.C. United FC Dallas FC Dallas Houston Dynamo (3/30/18)
COACHES/MLS FRONT OFFICE James Riley Kurt Schmid Zack Schilawski Stephen Keel Ryan Martin
MLS Director of Player Relations Seattle Sounders (Head Scout) North Carolina FC U23s (Assistant Coach) MLS Social Media Manager DC United Academy Director
WOMEN’S SOCCER Aubrey Bledsoe Katie Stengel
28
Washington Spirit (NWSL) Utah Royals FC (NWSL)
GOLD RUSH MAGAZINE
Portland Trail Blazers Atlanta Hawks Miami Heat Houston Rockets Detroit Pistons Minnesota Timberwolves Raptors 905 Greensboro Swarm Khimik Mineros UBT Cluj Napoca Sakarya BSB Universitarios Louaize Tsmoki-Minsk Parma Panathinaikos Koroivos RETAbet Bilbao TED Kolejliler Geneva Lions ToPo
Milwaukee Bucks
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Laura (Philo) Diaz Nannette Hill Olafia Kristinsdottir Cheyenne Woods Jean Chua Marissa Dodd Allison Emrey Natalie Sheary Sierra Sims
MEN’S SOCCER
NBA NBA NBA NBA NBA NBA NBA G-League NBA G-League Ukraine Mexico Romaina Turkey Panama Lebanon Belarus Russia Greece Greece Spain Turkey Switzerland Finland
COACHES/STAFF
WOMEN’S GOLF LPGA LPGA (conditional LPGA for 2018) LPGA LPGA Symetra Symetra Symetra (conditional LPGA for 2018) Symetra Symetra
NC Courage (NWSL) UMF Selfoss (Pepsi Deildin League – Iceland)
NFL NFL NFL NFL NFL NFL CFL CFL NFL NFL NFL CFL NFL
Las Vegas Aces Indias De Mayaguez SV Halle Lions
DT S FB WR LB DE WR RB CB LB OL DL LB
New York Giants Cincinnati Jacksonville Tennessee Detroit Houston Winnipeg Saskatchewan Houston Oakland Dallas Hamilton Oakland
COACHES/STAFF Chad Alexander Charlie Dayton Pat Flaherty Joe Kenn John Spanos Brad White Jeff Triplette James MacPherson Teryl Austin
NFL Baltimore NFL Carolina NFL NY Giants NFL Carolina NFL Chargers NFL Indianapolis NFL NFL Chargers NFL Bengals
Ass’t Dir Pro Personnel Vice President Offensive Line Coach Strength Coach Executive VP of Football Operations OLB Coach Referee Scout Defensive Coordinator
MEN’S GOLF Bill Haas Webb Simpson Billy Andrade Jay Haas Gary Hallberg Scott Hoch Curtis Strange Len Mattiace Kyle Reifers Will Zalatoris
PGA PGA Champions Champions Champions Champions Champions Web.com Web.com Web.com
FIELD HOCKEY Lauren Crandall (Captain) Michelle Kasold
USA National Team (Retired Fall 2016) USA National Team (Retired Spring 2017)
MEN’S TENNIS Noah Rubin
ATP
Take some of the hassle out of moving with Goodwill’s GoodMoves. Get a free donation container for up to 3 weeks (a $400 value). Pack stuff you want to keep. Fill the container with stuff you don’t. Goodwill uses your donations to provide hope, opportunity and jobs for people in your community.
Goodwill GoodMoves • 336-831-4171 • goodwillpickup.org JUNE 2018
29
COMPLIANCE CORNER
// T O D D H A I R S T O N
LEGALIZED SPORTS GAMBLING: A NEW ERA IN COLLEGE ATHLETICS?
TODD HAIRSTON SENIOR A S S O C I AT E AT H L E T I C DIRECTOR, COMPLIANCE
On May 14, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision to legalize sports gambling. In a 6-3 ruling, the Court’s decision overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which previously prohibited states from authorizing sports gambling. Critics of this decision included Senator Bill Bradley, a former collegiate and professional basketball star. Bradley and others have long maintained that the law was needed to safeguard the integrity of sports. The Supreme Court’s decision, however, established PASPA to be unconstitutional. In the aftermath of the decision, dozens of states across the country are making plans to quickly implement sports gambling opportunities. This ruling, of course, now begs the question: What does this mean for professional and collegiate sports, specifically the NCAA, whose ban on gambling activities in college and professional sports has been one of the association’s bedrock principles? In the short run, the answer is absolutely nothing. NCAA Bylaw 10.3 states: The following individuals shall not knowingly participate in sports wagering activities or provide information to individuals involved in or associated with any type of sports wagering activities concerning intercollegiate, amateur or professional athletics competition:
Come In Today!
No Appointment Necessary Mon-Fri 8am-6pm & Sat 8am-4pm
WE DO STATE INSPECTIONS
(a) S taff members of an institution's athletics department; (b) Nonathletics department staff members who have responsibilities within or over the athletics department (e.g., chancellor or president, faculty athletics representative, individual to whom athletics reports); (c) S taff members of a conference office; and (d) Student-athletes. While this prohibition will certainly remain intact, the recent court decision could eventually open the door to new streams of revenue for NCAA institutions in the form of so-called “integrity fees.” Such fees have been proposed by the NBA and MLB as they seek to find ways to profit from the proliferation of sports betting in the United States. The fee would represent a percentage of the money generated from gambling activities involving NCAA institutions, and would be intended to offset the cost that the NCAA and its member schools would incur in their efforts to ensure the fairness and competitiveness of their events. While it remains to be seen just how far reaching the impact of this new legal environment will be, at minimum, it promises to have a profound financial impact almost immediately.
Proud Supporter Morgan Stanley is proud to support Wake Forest University Athletics. Christopher Leak Family Wealth Director Vice President Financial Advisor 100 N. Main Street/Suite 2500 Winston-Salem, NC 27101 +1 336 721-9203 chris.leak@morganstanley.com https://fa.morganstanley.com/theyatesleakgroup/index.htm 1252924
© 2017 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. SUP020 CRC 1596669 09/16 CS 8761888 11/16
30
GOLD RUSH MAGAZINE
DEVELOPING CHAMPIONS
TODAY, TOMORROW, FOREVER
ANNUAL FUND As we continue striving to achieve our goal of raising $24 million for the Annual Fund during the final three years of the Wake Will Lead campaign, there is still work to be done to ensure we can continue investing in the areas that are critical to the growth of each of our student-athletes and programs. From academic support to strength & conditioning to leadership training, your support helps provide over 350 deserving Wake Forest student-athletes with the resources they need to succeed, both athletically and academically. To learn more about how you can positively affect the lives of our student-athletes, or to find out about becoming a volunteer through our Deacon Connectors program, please contact us at 336.758.5626 or DeacClub@wfu.edu.
THE IMPACT OF YOUR SUPPORT
4
51
7
national championships in 2017-18
All-ACC Academic honorees in 2017-18
student-athletes received All-America honors in 2017-18*
94%
4
NCAA Graduation Success Rate in 2017
2018 ACC postgraduate scholarship recipients *As of May 2018
“As a member of the women’s golf team, I truly believe we have the best resources and equipment to help us succeed, both on the course and in the classroom. Your contributions make a huge difference and are greatly appreciated by all of us student-athletes. Thank you so much for all of your support!”
JENNIFER KUPCHO (’19) | 2018 NCAA WOMEN’S GOLF INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION
CAPITAL PROJECT PRIORITIES
$5.0MM
PRUITT FOOTBALL CENTER FUNDING NEEDED BY: FALL 2018
Coming off back-to-back seasons that culminated in bowl wins, it is clear that our investment in transformational facilities—including McCreary Field House and the Sutton Sports Performance Center—has already proven to be a game-changer. Whether it’s training our current student-athletes or recruiting the best prospects, these facilities help foster community among the team while providing the space for our players to grow and succeed athletically, academically and personally. Now, as we continue to move forward, we have the opportunity to impact the football program even further with a full renovation of Pruitt Football Center, which will be highlighted by the following: ▶ Expanded locker room with new graphics, lockers and finishes to provide more adequate space ▶ New players’ lounge including a nutrition area, movie theater, gaming area and relaxation zone ▶ Full renovation of the Bill Faircloth Foyer, including an expanded trophy and memorabilia area to properly showcase the history of Wake Forest football ▶ Upgraded and expanded football training room ▶ Expanded footprint of the football equipment room, increasing both storage and efficiency
$7.0MM
BASKETBALL CLUBHOUSES FUNDING NEEDED BY: WINTER 2018
In order to best equip our student-athletes for success, we must give them the tools, techniques and resources to achieve peak performance, and that includes facilities that provide the best environment for their athletic development. With the Shah Basketball Complex currently under construction and additional updates to the Coliseum further on the horizon, the on-campus clubhouses—featuring locker rooms and team lounges—are the next major priority for our basketball programs. Pending funding, the brand new clubhouses are slated to span over 12,000 square feet in total, which will encompass space in the Miller Center. By completing these renovations, we will not only inspire our current players to greatness, but attract the next generation of talent, all while creating a legacy for years to come. Features of the new clubhouses will include:
▶ Upgraded lockers, furniture and TVs ▶ Enhanced nutrition and treatment areas ▶ Team lounges and gaming spaces to provide space for team bonding, relaxation and studying ▶ Tiered theaters for viewing film and hosting team meetings ▶ Equipment rooms, including the creation of “swag walls,” which will display all current gear ▶ Outdoor living spaces
PERFORMANCE TEAM PRIORITIES Our primary focus is ensuring the well-being of all Wake Forest student-athletes and, in order to accomplish this, it is crucial that we support the initiatives of our Performance Team and continue to enhance our robust sports performance program. With the hiring of a full-time sports nutritionist in 2017, and the recent addition of a full-time sports psychologist who will start in the summer of 2018, our student-athletes will be well-equipped to perform their best. Although these positions have become a reality through the generosity of many donors, funds are still required to support and elevate their programming needs. As the entire Performance Team works to help our teams properly train, compete and recover, it’s critical that these individuals have the necessary equipment and technology to fulfill that mission.
NU T RI T ION P ROGR A MMING Full-time nutritionist | Counsel student-athletes on daily nutrition for performance & health | Develop & oversee training tables & fueling stations | Analysis of body composition & resting metabolic rate data
SP OR T S P S Y CHOL OG Y P ROGR A MMING Assist student-athletes in achieving their goals & enhancing performance | Address issues that may affect sports performance | Provide student-athletes with tools to help maximize their performance and overall well-being
MISC . P ERF ORM A NCE T E A M I T EMS AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill | Keiser strength training machines with air resistance technology | Sleep study equipment | GPS machines for sports performance tracking | Ultrasound & fluoroscopy equipment | DEXA scanner
ATHLETIC ENDOWMENT It is imperative that we continue to invest in ensuring a bright future for our athletic programs for many years to come. With a current athletic endowment of approximately $32 million, we have set a substantial goal of fully endowing Wake Forest Athletics by 2040, which will require a total investment of $640 million. Whether it’s supporting student-athlete scholarships, coaches’ positions or special programs, there are many ways to help support this cause and, in turn, provide relief to the Athletic Department’s operating budget. One way to make a major impact is through supporting a program endowment. In many cases, standard operating budgets don’t allow coaches to accomplish all that they would like to, as they carefully allocate and put every dollar to use. By making a gift to a program endowment, however, you are making it possible for Demon Deacon coaches to meet the individual and unique needs of their respective programs. This flexibility can enhance travel opportunities, expand recruiting efforts and contribute to cutting-edge technology upgrades. For more information about our current program endowments or to make a gift, contact Mike Piscetelli at 336.758.3647 or piscetmf@wfu.edu. In addition to program endowments, funding athletic scholarships remains a key component to realizing our vision of Developing Champions. The figures below show the current scholarship endowment for each Wake Forest athletic program.
SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT UPDATE MEN’S GOLF
MEN’S BASKETBALL 36%
BASEBALL 27%
64%
Scholarships/Year: 4.5 Scholarship Costs/Year: $311,364 Current Endowment: $3,972,521 Cost to Fully Endow: $6,227,280
Scholarships/Year: 13 Scholarship Costs/Year: $918,060 Current Endowment: $6,567,398 Cost to Fully Endow: $18,361,200
WOMEN’S TENNIS
MEN’S TENNIS
14%
14%
Scholarships/Year: 8 Scholarship Costs/Year: $564,960 Current Endowment: $1,598,089 Cost to Fully Endow: $11,299,200 Current endowment
Scholarships/Year: 4.5 Scholarship Costs/Year: $311,364 Current Endowment: $846,683 Cost to Fully Endow: $6,227,280
Needed to fully endow
Scholarships/Year: 11.7 Scholarship Costs/Year: $809,546 Current Endowment: $4,421,899 Cost to Fully Endow: $16,190,928
WOMEN’S GOLF 13%
Scholarships/Year: 6 Scholarship Costs/Year: $415,152 Current Endowment: $1,056,658 Cost to Fully Endow: $8,303,040
Note: Assumes 4.5% endowment payout; all numbers as of May 2018
MEN’S TRACK & CROSS COUNTRY
FOOTBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
8%
9%
6%
Scholarships/Year: 11.6 Scholarship Costs/Year: $871,819 Current Endowment: $1,609,862 Cost to Fully Endow: $17,436,384
Scholarships/Year: 85 Scholarship Costs/Year: $6,002,700 Current Endowment: $9,080,592 Cost to Fully Endow: $120,054,000
MEN’S SOCCER
FIELD HOCKEY
4%
2%
Scholarships/Year: 9.9 Scholarship Costs/Year: $685,001 Current Endowment: $502,551 Cost to Fully Endow: $13,700,016
Scholarships/Year: 12 Scholarship Costs/Year: $830,304 Current Endowment: $353,868 Cost to Fully Endow: $16,606,080
WOMEN’S SOCCER
WOMEN’S TRACK & CROSS COUNTRY
Scholarships/Year: 15 Scholarship Costs/Year: $1,059,300 Current Endowment: $1,201,877 Cost to Fully Endow: $21,186,000
VOLLEYBALL 1%
Scholarships/Year: 12 Scholarship Costs/Year: $847,440 Current Endowment: $149,959 Cost to Fully Endow: $16,948,800
OVERALL ATHLETIC PROGRAM 10%
1%
<1%
Scholarships/Year: 18 Scholarship Costs/Year: $1,245,456 Current Endowment: $171,147 Cost to Fully Endow: $24,909,120
Scholarships/Year: 14 Scholarship Costs/Year: $968,688 Current Endowment: $96,100 Cost to Fully Endow: $19,373,760
Scholarships/Year: 226 Scholarship Costs/Year: $15,841,154 Current Endowment: $32,088,419* Cost to Fully Endow: $316,823,088 *Includes $3.5 million in undesignated endowment
Current endowment
Needed to fully endow
Note: Assumes 4.5% endowment payout; all numbers as of May 2018
ESTATE COMMITMENTS In addition to impacting Wake Forest Athletics by making gifts during your lifetime, you can leave a legacy for future generations through an estate gift. Depending on your chosen area of support, estate gifts can help fund scholarships for future student-athletes, increase recruiting and coaching budgets to attract and retain top talent, expand academic support, and provide resources to elevate training and sports medicine. Over the course of the past year, we have seen an increase in individuals wanting to learn more about planned giving. With that said, several Wake Forest Athletics Legacy Events have been held to provide more information on making an estate gift and the various ways individuals can invest in the future of our studentathletes and programs. If you would like to attend a future Legacy Event or simply learn more about planned giving, please contact Paul Kennedy at 336.758.3875 or kennedpj@wfu.edu.
ESTATE UPDATE
18
$3.5M
new families have made commitments in 2017-18
in estate pledges in 2017-18
HOW TO LEAVE WAKE FOREST ATHLETICS IN YOUR ESTATE With just a few simple steps, there are many ways you can support Wake Forest Athletics in your estate plans, including an outright bequest or by transferring an IRA, life insurance policy, retirement plan or property.
1
2
3
REACH OUT TO YOUR DEACON
DETERMINE THE AREA(S) YOU
COMPLETE A “CONFIDENTIAL
CLUB CONTACT
WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT
STATEMENT OF PLANNED GIFT PROVISION” FORM
4
5
PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION
IMPACT THE FUTURE OF
OF YOUR BEQUEST TO YOUR
WAKE FOREST ATHLETICS
DEACON CLUB CONTACT
FOR YEARS TO COME
Over100 years ofWHY high CHOOSE quality printing
MidAtlantic
A
t MidAtlantic Printers, we produce a variety of products ranging from booklets, brochures, business cards, envelopes, flyers, pocket folders, post cards and more.
FuLFILLMENT
nia • Washington DC • Greensboro • Charlotte • Wilmington
eCOMMERCE
HISTORY sales@mapl.net ph. 888.231.3175 www.mapl.net
1. Established in 1909, we have a rich history in the printing industry.
We have made a commitment to executing speed, accuracy, and integrity in every step of the prepress process to ensure you have the highest quality products.
Our mission is to grow, by providing world-class PRINTING3. In 1990 we expanded our presence andquality and service to our customers through grew into the Washington DC & Charlotte areas. Check us out on social media! advanced technology, teamwork, and meeting 4. With more than 100 years of experience, we have learned a lot—and even each of their unique needs. Contact us today, to managed to win some awards. We MAILING have grown from a small letter shop to a Top 400 Leading Printing Company. find out how our services can help you GROW! 2. We are a family owned and operated company in our 3rd generation of management.
Virginia • Washington DC • Greensboro • Charlotte • Wilmingt
(434) 369-6633
www.mapl.net
sales@mapl.net ph. 888.231.3175 www.mapl.net
Virginia • Washington DC • Greensboro • Charlotte • Wilmington
Check us out on social media!