A Legacy of Speed and Strength: The History of Wake Forest University Track and Field
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons track and field team represents Wake Forest University, embodying a tradition of athletic excellence within the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and NCAA Division I. From individual champions to facility upgrades, the program has consistently strived to provide a world-class student-athlete experience.
Program Overview
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The program encompasses both indoor and outdoor track seasons, each presenting unique competitive opportunities.
Kentner Stadium: A Hub for Track & Field
Kentner Stadium, located on Wake Forest’s Reynolda Campus, serves as the home for the Demon Deacons track and field program. Recognizing the importance of modern facilities, Wake Forest University is committed to upgrading and maintaining Kentner Stadium. In the continued effort to provide a World Class Student-Athlete Experience and bring Value to the Wake Forest Community, a new track surface will be installed by Beynon inside Kentner Stadium on Wake Forest’s Reynolda Campus.
With Wake Forest University and Kentner Stadium set to be the host site for the Atlantic Coast Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships from May 15-17, 2025 and fresh off hosting the second annual Wake Forest Invitational, Wake Forest is set to resurface the track and surrounding turf areas. "We are looking forward to having the track resurfaced by Beynon at Kentner Stadium," Assistant Director of Landscaping and Athletic Field Maintenance Chris Williams said. "The quality of work and customer service provided by this vendor has been excellent, and I am excited to have them bring their industry-leading product for our track and field athletes and University community."
"We are really excited to have the track resurfaced," said director of track & field / cross country John Hayes. "We want to thank the administration, donors and facilities personnel for making this project a reality. Without their support, we would not have been able to upgrade our facility to better serve our student-athletes and community. I am looking forward to our young men and women training on it and hosting future events inside Kentner Stadium, including the 2025 ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships!"
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"This upgrade follows the turf renovation a year ago for our field hockey program as both surfaces had been well used and have reached the end of their service lives," director of athletics John Currie said. "This upfit will not only be utilized daily by our track & field student-athletes, but our entire community as this track serves as an exercise option for all those in our community. We are grateful to Deacon Club members and fans who help ensure that we have the ability to regularly refresh a most critical element of both student-athlete experience and safety. Led by Vice President Facilities, Real Estate & Planning Chris Kiwus, our University facilities staff do an incredible job of providing and maintaining state-of-the-art competition surfaces which quite literally are the foundation on which our student-athletes compete and train to Win Championships."
Wake Forest University is re-energizing the track surface at Kentner Stadium with Beynon Sports' BSS 2000 RE system. The polyurethane application will help restore the appearance, texture, and performance of the running track, without having to remove and discard the existing aged surface.
Notable Achievements
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons have a history of success in NCAA Division I Track and Field.
Leia Braunagel broke her own program record twice during the 2024 outdoor campaign with a 57.85m throw at the Stanford Invitational. To wrap up the 2023 season 17 Deacs attended the NCAA East Prelims before Tewalt and Facioni competed in the NCAA finals of the 5,000m.
A Commitment to Excellence
Wake Forest University is known for its distinctive combination of world-class academics, unrivaled campus experience, intimate learning environment and Power 5 athletics in a top-growing metro market. A Charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Demon Deacons have won 56 conference titles and are one of only seven ACC schools to win 10 or more national championships, along with Notre Dame, North Carolina, Virginia, Duke, Syracuse and Florida State. Additionally, Wake Forest anchors the Winston-Salem and Triad market, which includes 1.3M residents and was ranked as ESPN's seventh-best market from a viewership perspective.
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Wake Forest's comprehensive excellence includes its highly regarded school of medicine, business school, law school and an innovative department of engineering. Additionally, Wake Forest has campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, DC - providing many academic offerings to students from across the nation and around the world. Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.
Partnership with Beynon Sports
Beynon Sports is a world leader in track and field surfacing with over 7500 installations. The Beynon name is not just a brand; it's a symbol of trust, excellence, and a commitment to the communities and athletes it serves.
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