gold rush - april 2014

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APRIL 2014 WAKEFORESTSPORTS.COM WAKE WILL: THE CAMPAIGN FOR WAKE FOREST EVALUATION STAGE NEW FOOTBALL COACH DAVE CLAWSON AND HIS STAFF LOOK TO BUILD SOUND FOUNDATION FAMILY ALL IN THE MATT CONWAY (PICTURED) AND KEVIN CONWAY COME FROM DIFFERENT ATHLETIC BACKGROUNDS, BUT THE TWO BROTHERS JOIN FORCES ON THE WFU BASEBALL TEAM

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The Official Publication of Wake Forest Athletics

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Gold Rush - April 2014

april 2014 wakeforestsports.com

WAKE WILL: THE CAMPAIGN FOR WAKE FOREST

EVALUATION STAGENew football coach Dave clawsoN aND his staff look to builD souND fouNDatioN

family

all in the

Matt Conway (piCtured) and Kevin Conway CoMe froM different athletiC baCKgrounds, but the two brothers join forCes on the wfu baseball teaM

Page 2: Gold Rush - April 2014

13-25530 PNT gt thngs dne qkr_WAKE FOREST8.625” x 11.125”File built @ 100%10/21/13

download the app today

© 2013 YP Intellectual Property LLC. All rights reserved. YP, the YP logo and all other YP marks contained herein are trademarks of YP Intellectual Property LLC and/or YP affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.13-25530 PNT_10/21/13

gt thngsdne qkr.

Proud Supporter of Wake Forest Athletics

Page 3: Gold Rush - April 2014

Sophomores Codi Miller-McIntyre (left) and Devin Thomas led the Wake Forest basketball team down the stretch in the 2013-14 season. The Deacons capped off their home regular season schedule with a thrilling win over Duke prior to this year’s ACC Tournament in Greensboro. (Photos by Donnie Roberts)

BROTHER, BROTHERMatt and Kevin Conway never played on the same baseball team until they came to Wake Forest, but now they are making up for lost time.

// 6

BUILDING A PROGRAMNew football coach Dave Clawson looks forward to the start of springpractice and putting his plan in place.

// 10

A DIFFERENT ROLEFormer Deacon women’s basketball standout Brooke Thomas has traded in her ball for a microphone as she embarks on a broadcasting career.

// 14

ON THE COVERMatt Conway, at 6-foot-7 and 255 pounds, is one of the most powerful players in the ACC. The redshirt senior first baseman nowhas little brother Kevin, a redshirt sophomore, with him on the Deacons’ baseball team.

16 100% cotten

4 from the ad 22 where are they now?

31 calendar

32 compliance corner18 inside the deacon club

contents // april 2014

eDitor

Jim Buice

pHotoGrapHer

Donnie Roberts

Writers

Jay Reddick, Sam Walker, Stephanie Hudson, Katharine Williams

Design & layout

Summit Athletic Media www.summitathletics.com

advertising

IMG CollegeJeff Salisbury, Tim Herr, Julia Heelan

For information on advertising, please call (336) 758-7230

Gold rush is published eight times a year in august/september, october, November/December, January, february/march, april, may/June and July 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 college540 N. trade st.winston-salem, Nc 27101

all material produced in this publication is the property of wake forest University and imG and hall 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.

Vol. 23 // issUe 6(USPS 014-373)

april 2014 3

Page 4: Gold Rush - April 2014

ron WellMan

DirectoroF atHletics

Dear Demon Deacons,

At the recent ACC athletic directors’ meetings, an important topic of discussion was the number of conference football games that we will play in the future. We currently play eight ACC games — six in our division, one permanent crossover game (Duke) and one rotating opponent from the Coastal Division.

There is interest in playing nine ACC games in the future. There are many benefits of playing nine games rather than eight as well as some challenges with an expanded schedule. A nine-game schedule would allow us to play a third Coastal Division opponent. It would also allow us to play all ACC teams within a six-year cycle, whereas it currently takes 12 years to play all teams with the existing eight-game schedule. Playing all ACC schools in a shorter period of time is certainly attractive to our players and fans.

The challenge of a nine-game schedule is the unbalanced number of home and away games. Each year we would have a different number of home and away games. Home-field advantage is so impactful in football that we would be putting the teams that play only four home games at a competitive disadvantage. Our ultimate decision will be deciding if playing an additional ACC game is worth playing an unbalanced home and away schedule.

Our football program is moving forward with the smooth transition that Dave Clawson has made to Wake Forest. He has signed a full recruiting class of 25 players. He has hired an outstanding group of assistant coaches and administrative staff and has met many of our faculty members and donors already. Now that Dave and his staff are off the recruiting trails, he is getting to work with our current team as they are in the midst of their winter workouts. Spring practice will start on March 25 and the Spring Game will be held on Saturday, April 26, at 2 p.m. I hope that you plan to attend the Spring Game and get an idea of what a Dave Clawson-coached team will look like.

Our fall sports finished on a positive note. Following the conclusion of the fall sports’ championships, Wake Forest is ranked 27th in the Director’s Cup standings with 188 points. It is the most points we have accumulated in the fall since collecting 216 points in 2010.

I look forward to seeing you not only at the Spring Football Game but at our other spring athletic contests as well.

Go Deacs!

Ron Wellman

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ACC CONSIDERS NINE CONFERENCE GAMES

gold rush magazine4

FroM tHe a .D. // ron WellMan

Page 5: Gold Rush - April 2014

COMMUNITY. SERVICE. EDUCATION.

In 1899 our founder, S.G. Atkins, established the first hospital for African Americans in Forsyth County. The hospital served the needs of the community while providing on-site training for the school’s nursing program.

Today, we continue the proud legacy of community service and health sciences training with the Health on Wheels mobile health clinic, the Center of Excellence for Elimination of Health Disparities, the Biomedical Research

Infrastructure Center, and graduate programs in Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Healthcare Administration.

This is WSSU Now.

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Page 6: Gold Rush - April 2014

Brothers in BatsMatt and Kevin Conway CoMe together for baseball squad

ou might think brothers Matt and Kevin Conway have been playing baseball together all their lives, but you’d be wrong.

In fact, the two brothers had never played together on an organized team before they came to Wake Forest. Matt,

a redshirt senior first baseman, is older by a couple of years, so the two played on different age-group teams growing up in Birmingham, Mich., and then Matt played on a Florida traveling team during the summers as he got older. Kevin, a redshirt sophomore outfielder, attended Detroit Country Day School as a high-schooler while Matt was at Brother Rice High.

So Wake Forest became the site of an unofficial family reunion when Kevin joined Matt on campus in 2011-12. Matt has been a standout performer for the Deacons, finishing second on the team in batting average last year and starting this season at the top of the same list. Kevin spent last season as a platoon specialist, hitting primarily against left-handed pitching, and is looking to increase that role this season.

“To see two Conways in the lineup is pretty cool,” Matt said. “I’m just trying to cherish every moment I can play with my brother this year.”

The two brothers are quite different, and it extends far beyond their varied roles on the team. At 6-foot-7, 255 pounds, Matt is one of the most powerful players in the ACC, while Kevin, at 6-2, 205, is still a work in progress.

“Kevin’s very strong, but he’s more sleek and built for speed,” said Deacons coach Tom Walter. “He was raw when he got here, but he’s shaved half a second off his 60-meter time, and his body has changed a great deal.”

Matt and Kevin both played big roles in one of the defining victories of the early season, against Davidson on Feb. 18. Matt opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly, but the Deacs eventually had to rally from a 3-1 deficit to force extra innings. In the 12th inning, Kevin, who had entered as a pinch-hitter, was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring home the winning run.

Both were more concerned with what the win meant for the team than anything they had done individually.

“We had to battle back a couple of times in that game,” Matt said. “It’s about stepping up when it’s your time. One timely hit, one win like this, can get everything rolling.”

Matt played sports from a very early age and never really gravitated to one sport over another. He played football and basketball but said tennis was his biggest sport until he was about 13, when baseball took the lead. He was a star hitter and pitcher, and both skills would eventually come in handy for the Deacons.

Here’s proof of his natural athletic ability — as a junior at Brother Rice, despite playing no competitive tennis during the season (he was too busy with baseball), he picked up a racket for the state tournament and reached the championship match. By then, though, he was already committed to play baseball for the Deacons.

“As a teenager, I was pretty good in all sports, but as a tall left-hander (pitcher), I knew I would hopefully be given a good chance to play college baseball. I came to a camp at Wake my sophomore year and committed, so I knew where I was going. That made high school a lot easier for me.”

His versatility paid off immediately at WFU. He hit .382 as a freshman and also made seven appearances on the mound. An abundance of pitching depth meant Matt didn’t pitch as a sophomore, but after a broken kneecap in 2012 led to a redshirt, he returned in 2013 as a valuable midweek starter, going 2-1 with a 4.14 earned-run average in seven starts. He also hit .335 and led the team in slugging and doubles.

“Matt saved us last year,” Walter said. “He brought stability to that midweek starter role, and those games are so important when it comes to NCAA selection or seeding. His contributions were huge.”

This season, pitching is not part of Matt’s plan. Instead, he said the one facet of his game he worked on the most this summer was leadership. He has been a team captain for three years, but as a senior, he knows that’s more important than ever.

“I’m just trying to do what I can to help the team win,” Matt said. “I understand my role. It’s a team game.”

Kevin’s athletic upbringing was different from his brother’s. He played several sports for a while, but by midway through high school, he had left the rest behind to focus on baseball. Even though Kevin and Matt weren’t on an organized team together, they obviously helped each other through workouts and saw games when they could. Kevin now says Matt was aninspiration to him as a youngster.

“We weren’t on the same team, but we played for the same organization for a while,” Kevin said. “Every day he’d go into the batting cage, and as a kid, I didn’t want to do the work. And he’d say, ‘You have to do this now. In the end, you’ll thank me.’ I watched the work ethic that he had, took after that, and now we’re playing together in the ACC. It’s a dream come true.”

Kevin soon carved his own path, hitting .435 as a senior at Detroit Country Day and earning all-region honors. When Walter looked at Kevin, he saw pure potential.

“Kevin was very raw,” Walter said. “He was smaller, but faster. A totally different kind of player. Baseball is a sport of repetition, and sometimes it’s not about physicality as much as finesse. We’ve worked with him

by jay reddick

Y

gold rush magazine6

baseball // Matt anD KeVin conWay

Page 7: Gold Rush - April 2014

KEVIN CONWAYCLAss: Redshirt sophomore

PosItIon: Outfield

MAjor: Economics for now; application to business school pending.

FAvorItE CoLLEgE CLAss: “I’m good with numbers, so I’ve enjoyed my statistics classes. Accounting was one of my harder classes, but I enjoyed putting the time in and getting something out of it.”

FAvorItE BooK: “American Sniper,” by Scott McEwen, Jim DeFelice and Chris Kyle

FAvorItE sPorts MovIE: “Miracle”

FAvorItE Food: Chicken

Any PrEgAME suPErstItIons? “Not really. I just try to get to the locker room early and get my mind right.”

FAvorItE AthLEtE: Derek Jeter

MATT CONWAYCLAss: Redshirt senior

PosItIon: First base

MAjor: Finance, completed all classes. “I’ve just got one elective left to get my diploma — I’m taking History of Western Dance right now.”

FAvorItE CoLLEgE CLAss: “Financial Derivatives. All of it gave me a good general background of the business world.”

FAvorItE BooK: “Lone Survivor,” by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson

FAvorItE sPorts MovIE: “Miracle”

FAvorItE Food: Chicken parmesan

FAvorItE CoLLEgE CLAss: Finance 231 with Professor Jarell

Any PrEgAME suPErstItIons? “No, but I have to put my batting gloves, elbow guard and helmet on in a specific order before each at-bat.”

IF you CouLd hAvE dInnEr WIth Any onE PErson, Who WouLd It BE? Muhammad Ali

FAvorItE AthLEtE: Miguel Cabrera

april 2014 7

Page 8: Gold Rush - April 2014

2014 BASEBALL OUTLOOK2013 rECord: 28-27 (9-20 In ACC, FIFth In AtLAntIC dIvIsIon)

CoACh: toM WALtEr (104-119 In FIvE yEArs At WFu; 530-447 In 18 yEArs ovErALL)

stArtErs rEturnIng: 9 (sIx PosItIon PLAyErs, thrEE PItChErs)

KEy rEturnEEs: CF EvAn stEPhEns (sr.), 1B MAtt ConWAy (r-sr.), P jACK FIsChEr (sr.)

KEy LossEs: ss PAt BLAIr, P AustIn stAdLEr

outLooK: thE dEACons WErE PICKEd to FInIsh sIxth In thE sEvEn-tEAM AtLAntIC dIvIsIon. PItChIng, EsPECIALLy thE BuLLPEn, CArrIEd thE tEAM In thE EArLy goIng, But IF thE oFFEnsE CAn stArt to CLICK, WFu CouLd surPrIsE soME tEAMs In thE ACC BEForE thE yEAr Is ovEr.

on pitch selection as a hitter and on the ability to make adjustments in different situations. It’s raised his baseball IQ.”

Kevin’s specialty since he has come to WFU has been hitting left-handed pitching. On many teams, that would just net him a start here or there when a lefty was written on the lineup card. But Walter is a big believer in situational substitutions, and he’ll call on Kevin almost anytime he sees a left-handed reliever on the mound in a key spot. In 2013, Kevin started in the outfield 13 times but entered as a pinch-hitter in another 14 games. Both of those numbers figure to rise this year.

“He’s a big weapon for us against left-handers,” Walter said. “He can really help neutralize a pitching change and deliver clutch hits for us in any situation.”

A game on Feb. 25 provided one example. The Deacs trailed UNCG 8-6 in the eighth inning of a back-and-forth game, and with runners on and a lefty pitcher, it was Kevin’s time. He delivered a two-run double that helped WFU force extra innings.

Kevin’s secret? As Walter said, baseball is a sport of repetition.

“I just work off the machine in the batting cage,” Kevin said. “The righty spin gets most people, but if I just go in the cage and do my work, the confidence goes up, and I know things will go well.”

The Conways often have family in the stands at Wake Forest Baseball Park. Their father, a Detroit businessman, comes to games on most weekends, while their mother stays closer to home and follows their younger sister, a star pitcher at Marian High School.

“She’s a tall left-hander like me — she’s 5-11,” Matt said with pride. “They won district last year.”

For now, most of the brothers’ attention is focused on the season in progress. The pitchers were ahead of the hitters in the season’s first weeks, but the hitters were gaining confidence and ready to put it all together.

“We can’t just rely on one or two guys,” Matt said. “The freshmen and the pitchers are stepping up right now — once us old guys get it going, we can compete for an ACC championship.”

gold rush magazine8

baseball // Matt anD KeVin conWay

Page 9: Gold Rush - April 2014
Page 10: Gold Rush - April 2014

by sam walker

n the short time since he was named Wake Forest’s new head football coach, Dave Clawson has been looking at the challenges and his new job with eyes wide open.

He is looking at the returning players, the newly signed recruiting class, the freshly assembled coaching staff, the culture and community of Wake Forest, and a mile-long to-do list that needs to be accomplished daily. It has been a non-stop process since Clawson was hired to succeed Jim Grobe on Dec. 10. He had to hit the recruiting trail hard, hit the road and stay on social media to fill out his first recruiting class all the while thinking about and hiring a coaching staff.

Clawson is beginning to get settled in Winston-Salem and considering how he can mold the 2014 Demon Deacons.

“Right now we’re really in an evaluation stage,” Clawson said. “We’re looking at the current players and part of that is their physical attributes — who’s strong, who’s fast, who can change direction. We’re evaluating their competitiveness, and we’re doing morning

mat drills where we get to see them compete and see which guys push themselves. And part of the evaluation is what they are doing in class and off the field. Who are the players that are accountable, reliable, dependable in everything we’re asking them to do? Those are certainly traits we want in a Wake Forest football player.”

Clawson said on defense he will run a 4-2-5 scheme, and there are hybrid versions of that defense, but much of what Clawson’s staff sculpts into an offense or defense revolves around what they learn the rest of this academic year, during spring practices and in August as the full team reports and summer camp begins.

I

Finding the Winning Formulanew head CoaCh dave Clawson and his staff begin the tasK of Molding the deaCon football prograM

“We want to build a program that has a

really sound foundation, and we want it built in

a strong way and to sustain it.”

gold rush magazine10

Football // DaVe claWson

Page 11: Gold Rush - April 2014

“We have some of the players on film and can evaluate and see what they do well and where they fit in our scheme,” he said. “A lot will come out in spring. For instance, a lot of the guys who played D-line graduated, so we’ve started guys in certain positions, and in the spring we’ll see who will be the best fit for each position. You have systems and terminology and your base distributions, but your systems have to be flexible to accommodate the personnel you have.

“It took us four to five years to adjust our systems at Bowling Green, and we tweaked them. The way we ended up is what we want to do here, but it depends on how recruiting goes and inevitably you miss on one and hit on another. Offensively, we’ll be a no-huddle, at times look like a spread and at times look like more of a pro-style. We run a lot of similar plays out of multiple formations. We

try to be multiple in terms of our tempo, multiple in terms of our personnel groups and multiple in terms of our formations and motions, but simple in plays we execute.”

At this time of year, every college football coach has concerns about how to fill certain positions and about personnel, and Clawson is no different. What is different this year at Wake Forest is the focused evaluation — the job of getting an understanding of how to put players and the team in the best possible position to compete and win games. There’s more trial and error, and some unanswered questions. Clawson called it a blank slate, but at the same time a blank slate makes creativity and innovation possible. The coaching staff Clawson has assembled certainly has a history of being both.

Clawson named Kevin Higgins, who spent the previous nine seasons as the head

coach of The Citadel, as the assistant head coach. Warren Ruggiero remains Clawson’s offensive coordinator after serving in the same role at Bowling Green. Clawson rung in the New Year announcing he would retain linebacker coach Warren Belin and secondary coach Derrick Jackson, and add Dave Cohen as the defensive line coach on Jan. 2. Cohen will once again work with defensive coordinator Mike Elko, who came over from Bowling Green. Elko was the defensive coordinator at Hofstra from 2006-08 under Cohen, who was then head coach. Four days later, Clawson announced Adam Scheier would leave Bowling Green after serving as its interim head coach following Clawson’s hiring at Wake Forest. He is the Deacons’ tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. John Hunter was announced as running backs coach, also coming

Ryan Janvion and Merrill Noel combine to make a tackle in a game last season against N.C. State.

april 2014 11

Page 12: Gold Rush - April 2014

from Bowling Green. By Jan. 14, Clawson completed the hiring of his coaching staff, naming Nick Tabacca the offensive line coach.

“It’s a really good mix of guys — I’ve worked with five guys, including the strength coach for five straight years, and other guys I’ve known for 21 and 25 years, and guys who have played and coached in the ACC,” Clawson said. “It’s like recruiting — I got my first choice at every position. I have my ideal staff. There were certain guys here like Warren Belin, and after spending a month on the road recruiting with him it was at the point where I wanted to retain him. I wanted him to stay. Warren is a guy who has a lot of experience, is respected in coaching circles and was going to have other opportunities. It’s not who I hired from outside but who I was able to keep.”

Asking Clawson about personnel at this point is almost unfair until he and his staff have seen the entire team in person and fully evaluated the players, their skill sets and built relationships with their groups. As far as building depth through redshirting players, Clawson has his own formula for making that decision.

“Until we go through a spring, it’s hard, and you don’t want to guess or make

projections,” Clawson said. “I think Tyler Cameron at quarterback is the guy with experience. Kevin Sousa will have an opportunity, and then we recruited two freshmen we are really excited about. Tyler will have a chance to get a head start. Traditionally, I have redshirted two-thirds to three-quarters of the freshman class, but if a player can help you win that year, it’s not fair to the team not to play them. I think the difference with a freshman is how much are they really going to play and affect your ability to win or lose. If they can play 30 to 40 snaps, it’s not fair not to play them, but at the same time, you don’t want to shortchange your future.”

Getting acclimated to Wake Forest will, of course, take time, but Clawson is excited about the warm welcome he has received and the commitment he feels from not only athletic department staff, but also the academic faculty. The Wake Forest community has proven unique and supportive.

“I think it’s been easier here than in some other places in the willingness of the players to buy in and go with some of the changes we want to make,” Clawson said. “It’s certainly more challenging at this level because the process is so far along for next year’s

recruiting class. Not only are you behind on the ’14 (recruiting) class but also the ’15 class, so we’re dead even on the ’16. But we’ll have to play catch-up, and I feel we’ll do that. We have been aggressive with that, but we have to be sure we get players that fit Wake Forest. That’s the learning curve I have. You can go to any guide book and look at the numbers and see where we are in U.S. News and World Report and all the data, but part of it is about walking around and getting to know the people and the institution.

“My focus has been trying to get to know the players on the team and the coaches in the department, but the neat thing about working at a school is there is a whole university community here. Getting to know those people and their histories, and how they got here, what they like and why they’ve stayed. It’s interesting. I don’t know if I’ve been here long enough to get a feel for it yet, but the campus is so small and the dots that connect. I don’t think it will take long to get to know everybody. It was very encouraging going through recruiting how much the faculty here was willing to help. I think they want to be a part of it and support something when it’s done the right way. And what we are trying to do fits within the mission of the university and not outside of it.”

One can sense the determination to get things right when talking with Clawson, but he admits there’s no magic formula, and mistakes are part of the process. But the bottom line remains the same.

“The vision is to win championships, and at some point you have to present a vision of how you want the program to look, and the idea is to get there as fast as you can,” Clawson said. “I’m not dealing with what is reasonable or realistic, but we are working toward a goal, and the sooner we get there the better. Systems and culture take time, and you can’t rush them. There’s a certain culture we want in our locker room and the way we want to play the game. There’s a certain way we want to run our academic support, a way we want to recruit, and they take time, and they have to be different at each school.

“What I enjoy is the strategic thinking that goes with that. You make mistakes, but I think there’s a formula to win at each school, and it’s easier to find at some schools than others. We want to build a program that has a really sound foundation, and we want it built in a strong way and to sustain it. We want the players that are here to become part of that foundation. They didn’t come here to play for Dave Clawson and his staff, but we’re going to make them ours, and the players will make us theirs, too. I really like our guys, and Jim (Grobe) recruited a lot of good kids.”

Cornerback Kevin Johnson breaks up a pass in a game last season.

gold rush magazine12

Football // DaVe claWson

Page 13: Gold Rush - April 2014

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Page 14: Gold Rush - April 2014

Creating opportunitiesformer deacon standout brooke thomas isn’t playing basketball anymore, but she has used her background to construct a career in broadcasting

rooke Thomas always knew she would find a career in basketball. She just didn’t always expect to be holding a

microphone instead of a ball.If you ever saw Thomas play basketball

before she graduated from Wake Forest in 2012, you know she was a person who can’t stand still for long. That’s how she is in life, too. She had WNBA dreams after college, but when those didn’t pan out, she quickly had a life plan in place.

First, use her basketball knowledge, her communication skills and the ACC Futures internship she earned at WFU to construct a career in broadcasting. Then, take the self-confidence she developed as a college student and teach younger kids how to believe in themselves.

And then she accomplished all of it.Thomas is now working for Fox Sports

Florida in her hometown of Orlando as a production assistant and interviewer. She’s also a color analyst for women’s basketball at the University of Central Florida. In whatever spare time she has, she is giving back to her community with the Every Kid Outreach program, teaching life skills classes at middle schools.

Life has given her obstacles; she has created opportunities. And she said she developed the skills and fortitude to accomplish her goals while she was a Wake Forest student.

“When I started my internship at Fox Sports Florida (in the summer of 2012), they didn’t have any big plan for me,” Thomas said. “I could have just been a gofer for my time there, but I developed an internship plan and after three weeks, I brought it to my boss. He let me go for it.”

Thomas grew up hanging around the Orlando Magic’s games and practice facilities thanks to her AAU coach, then-Magic broadcaster (and former Kentucky/

by jay reddick

B

BROOKE THOMAS hoMEtoWn: Orlando, Fla.

AgE: 24

oCCuPAtIon: Production assistant, Fox Sports Florida; color analyst, UCF women’s basketball network; junior writer and development assistant, Every Kid Outreach

gold rush magazine14

atHletics // brooKe tHoMas

Page 15: Gold Rush - April 2014

NBA star) Jack Givens. Her plan took her back to Amway Center, as the writer of a Q&A column for the Fox Sports Florida website called “Ask the Magic,” plus work as a writer and production assistant for TV segments during the “Inside the Magic” show on FSFL.

When her internship was over, she had another plan — she would stay on at Fox Sports Florida, but venture out from behind the keyboard or behind the camera.

“I’m not writing anymore, but how can I stay involved?” she said. “This year is the 25th year for the Magic, and they’ve been bringing back all these legends on game nights — I told my boss, everybody else is working on game nights, but if you want these legends, I can do it. My boss knew I was a good interviewer, so he gave me the job.”

Typically, Thomas sits just off-camera and questions former stars such as Penny Hardaway and Tracy McGrady, then the interviews are edited for broadcast. It’s not the on-camera role she craves, but it’s getting closer.

“My time at Wake taught me to be more confident in myself,” Thomas said. “As a production assistant, they want to keep you behind the scenes, and it’s hard to break out of that — start behind, stay behind. The way I see it, I fought to get my status as a college athlete, and this is my next fight.”

The job as an analyst at UCF is another round in that fight – a chance to work as a color commentator for a few women’s basketball games this season. It’s an opportunity for Thomas to finally be on the air, but it’s also a means to an end.

“ESPN is putting together the SEC Network, and I want to be there,” Thomas said. “Working at UCF, now I have a reel that I can put in my portfolio. Before, I could just promise them I could be good at this.”

Just as Thomas’ life has brought her full-circle back to Orlando, back to basketball and back to the Magic, now she’s bringing it full-circle

back to her school days. Every Kid Outreach is a nonprofit founded in the Orlando suburb of Eatonville in 1991 to help at-risk children develop leadership skills. When she was in grade school, Thomas was part of a related mentoring program for girls called G-Rated (God’s Respected Anointed Trustworthy Eternal Daughters).

“Eddie Cole was the founder,” Thomas said. “He saw underprivileged kids succumbing to street life, so he started the organization, and now it reaches more than 1,000 kids every year. His daughter is now the president, and she was my mentor in seventh and eighth grade.”

Even during college breaks, Thomas volunteered for EKO, and now that she’s back in Orlando, she’s taken a job as a junior writer and development assistant, helping the group write a plan to find more fundraising and grow the organization. She’s also teaching life skills classes to local middle schools, which she said are similar to those she taught in the CHAMPS program at Wake Forest.

“The great thing about what I learned at Wake Forest, a lot from (former CHAMPS coordinator) Julie Griffin and other interactions — people matter most,” Thomas said. “You can be so focused on yourself — goals, career, education — and if you don’t give back, don’t serve others, it won’t go as well as it could.

“I don’t think I would be the same person if I hadn’t gone to Wake Forest. You don’t find that a lot. People are concerned about their team, their stats, their record. It’s uncommon to find people like that.”

She said everything she has experienced — her struggles, her triumphs, her lessons — feed into what she tells her students.

“When I didn’t make the WNBA, I had feelings of inferiority. I didn’t have that confidence,” Thomas said. “I decided I don’t ever want that to stop me again from reaching a goal. If that’s what stopped me, I want to give back so that doesn’t stop anybody else. Believe in themselves, and have the confidence to be great.”

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stan cotten

Voice oF tHe DeMon Deacons

I don’t know when I’ll see Tim Duncan next, but when I do, I’ll have something to tell him. He made quite an impression on my neighbor. That likely won’t come as a shock to Tim as I’m sure he’s been told something similar by more folks than he can remember.

My neighbor died on the Tuesday prior to Wake Forest’s only regular season basketball game with Boston College in Winston-Salem. I attended his memorial service that morning of March 1 in Mocksville before heading to the arena for the broadcast of the game between the Demon Deacons and Eagles.

James Austin Hicks was a piece of work. He was extremely intelligent, a Harvard man. He was also a husband, a father, a grandfather. He was a soldier, a POW in Germany in World War II. A Tim Duncan man.

As Austin aged, he got out less and less. But when he did come outside, he usually made his way over to my house for a quick chat that generally would consist of the same things. Dementia had him locked on one repeating track.

He would talk a little baseball. He loved the St. Louis Cardinals. He would talk a little politics. He wasn’t particularly enamoured with President Obama. And on his way out the door, after emptying his pocket of two or three dog biscuits for my German shepherd, he would always compliment Tim Duncan and Wake Forest. “Classy” is the term he would use. “He is just fabulous,” he would say. “Why some of these other players these days act the way they do is just nuts!” he would lament. “He’s a real Wake Forest kind of guy.”

As I sat in the church that morning remembering my friend, I also got jolted back into reality as to what is important in life. What’s most important for us men is how we love and care for our wives and children, our parents, our friends and neighbors. How we carry ourselves. We’re not on this earth for very long, and sadly sometimes it takes death to remind us how to live.

We all love Wake Forest and our Deacons. Are the games that we work and attend and sit on the edge of our seat for important? Yes, they are – on many levels. There’s absolutely nothing wrong in striving for excellence and demanding it in everything we do as Demon Deacons. And if we do it correctly, we’ll make lasting, positive impressions on those around us. Duncan impressed Austin until the day he died.

I’ll miss Austin’s frequent visits to catch up. Boone will miss the dog biscuits, but I will miss this man who fought for our country and watched out for his neighbor. And when I see Tim Duncan next, I’ll thank him — for Austin — for being who he was at Wake Forest and who he continues to be as a pro.

A Wake Forest kind of guy.

Lasting Impressions

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100% cotten // stan cotten

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barry FairclotH

associate atHletic Director, DeVelopMent & sales

It’s Going To Take an ‘All-In’ Approach For the Sports Performance Center To Become a RealityAt 5:25 a.m. I pull into campus with others in my group trying to get in a workout. For me, I hit the pool in Reynolds Gym with a masters swim group. With work and three children, it is the only time I can get in a workout that fits my schedule. As I move about campus at this early hour, I consistently run into many of our student-athletes on their way to work out in the Bob McCreary Strength Complex inside Manchester Athletic Center. This early time of day is a choice for me, but for some of our teams, it is the only time they can get scheduled in the facility.

For years we have had 18 sports and approximately 350 student-athletes sharing a 7,000-square-foot strength and conditioning facility. With academic classes typically blocked from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and practices from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., not to mention team meetings, study hall and other activities, there are only a few small windows of opportunity for our student-athletes to work out. In order to accommodate everyone’s training needs, some teams start as early as 5:30 a.m. while others train well into the evening.

The solution to this problem is the new Sports Performance Center. Still in the planning and fundraising phase, the Sports Performance Center is designed to meet the strength training and nutrition needs of our student-athletes. With a strength and conditioning area that is expected to be nearly four times the size of the existing space, this facility will feature state-of-the-art equipment and resources and will allow multiple athletes from different sports to work out simultaneously, thereby relieving some of the scheduling challenges. The Sports Performance Center will also include a nutrition area designed to support the vital role nutrition plays in the pursuit of athletic excellence by providing educational resources and convenient access to healthy, grab-and-go food options.

In order to make this facility dream a reality, it is going to take an “all-in” approach. You have undoubtedly heard about Bob McCreary and his generous $7.5 million gift to the Sports Performance Center. It is, by far, the largest gift in the history of our Athletic Department

and one of the largest in University history. But just as important are the many other gifts that you probably have not heard about. A $2,000 gift from a retired athletic department employee who was inspired by our new football coach and wanted to show his support ... a $1,500 gift from a former student-athlete who understands the impact that a new weight room will have on our programs ... a $10,000 gift from the parents of a recent graduate who wanted to show their appreciation for the opportunities Wake Forest gave their child ... a $500 gift from an alumnus who read about Alan Fox’s recent commitment of $2 million and was inspired to contribute what they could. While, at first glance, these gift amounts might not seem as impressive as $7.5 million, they are just as significant, both to the donors themselves and to Wake Forest Athletics. Every gift counts! Every gift, no matter the size, brings us one step closer to realizing our vision for this facility. To date we are fortunate to have had more than 130 donors contribute to this top priority for the Athletic Department, but we need everyone to get on board with this initiative if we are going to be successful.

We appreciate everyone who has already contributed and others who are considering a contribution at this time. As you consider supporting this project, please know that your gift will positively impact each and every Wake Forest student-athlete and support our department’s vision of Developing Champions by helping them become stronger, healthier and more competitive.

I imagine that even after this facility opens its doors, I will still encounter the occasional student-athlete headed for a workout in the early morning hours, but hopefully, it will be because they are eager to take advantage of all the facility has to offer, and not because it’s the only time available to them.

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Keep up with the Deacon Club on Facebook & TwitterFor the latest news and information from the Deacon Club and to connect with other members, be sure to find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook.com/WFUDeaconClub

@WFUDeaconClub @DeacOnTheRun @BarryFaircloth

Save the DateFooTBAll SPRInG GAme And ReunIon Weekend The football spring game will be held on April 26 at 2 p.m. at BB&T Field. We also invite all football alumni to reconnect with friends and former teammates and stay engaged with Wake Forest Athletics by attending the reunion April 25-26. Remain on the lookout for more information coming soon!

HomeComInG And VARSITy CluB Weekend Save the date and make plans to come back to campus for Homecoming Weekend, Sept. 19-20, 2014. The Homecoming football game will be against Army on Saturday, Sept. 20. Also, all former student-athletes and managers are invited to return to campus for Varsity Club Weekend, Oct. 17-18, 2014. The Varsity Club football game will be against Syracuse on Saturday, Oct. 18. More details will be sent later this spring, so be on the lookout for more information coming your way soon!

CoACHeS TouR dATeS ComInG Soon

Plans are underway for the 2014 Coaches Tour. Exact dates and locations will be coming soon, so be on the lookout for more information. Current plans for this year’s tour include stops in the following cities.

• Charlotte,NC

• Greensboro,NC

• Greenville,SC

• Raleigh,NC

• Winston-Salem,NC

PRemIum SeATInG AVAIlABle FoR 2014 FooTBAll

If you’ve ever thought of upgrading your football game day experience, now is your chance. A variety of premium seating options are currently available for the 2014 season, including:

• FlowLexusClublevel–clubseatsandclub tables

• Boxsuites

• TouchdownClub

• FieldLevelsuites

To learn more about available premium seating opportunities, please visit DeaconClub.com or call Jon Hoban at (336) 758-4030.

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on Hyman (’05) has never been one to shy away from giving 110%. As an undergraduate, Jon was deeply involved in campus life, serving as a student

government representative, a president’s aide, a member of the Harbinger Corps (now Ambassadors in Admissions) and a leader of the Wake Forest Rowing Club.

For someone with such varied interests, it is not surprising that Jon was interested in an institution that not only offered stellar academics, but a competitive athletic program when he began his college search.

“I really liked that Wake Forest was a small school with big-time sports,” he said. “When I visited campus, I took a tour and really fell in love with it from the beginning, so I applied early decision and got in. My whole experience at Wake Forest was awesome. I met my best friends, the majority of whom I’m still close with today, at Wake.”

Jon also met his wife, Natalie Antoun Hyman (’07), while an undergraduate at Wake Forest. After moving to Chicago, Jon and Natalie are now back in North Carolina. Reflecting on the move, Jon said that the couple was excited to become more involved in the Deacon Club and the campus community, given their proximity to campus.

“Now that we are in Charlotte and are closer to campus, we are able to get back and see games more often which was something we were looking forward to,” he said. “(With the move) it seemed like a good time to get more involved. Hopefully, we will set down roots and be here long term, and can continue to increase our support for the athletic program.”

Jon also noted the appeal of helping ensure athletic success at Wake Forest and its appeal to future potential students.

“The blend of a small school with big-time athletics was a

J

Jon Hyman Happy To Give 110% To Support Alma Mater

From left to right, John Malloy (‘11), Jonathan Hyman (‘05), Natalie Antoun Hyman (‘07), David Kahn (‘05), Aimée Meyer and Jeremy Hyman (‘11) enjoy the Wake Forest football game vs. Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

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Donor proFile // jon HyMan

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draw for me as a prospective student,” he said. “Helping us be competitive against big schools is something that I want to do so hopefully others looking at Wake Forest down the road, seeking that same blend in their college choice, will find this is the place for them, too.”

In his support of athletics at Wake Forest, Jon has participated in the 110% campaign, where Deacon Club donors are asked to give 110% of their previous year’s commitment. He has also made five-year pledges to the Deacon Club annual fund to support student-athlete scholarships and the new sports performance center project. In speaking about the 110% campaign, Jon noted that the challenge of the program appealed to him, as well as the mission behind the annual fund.

“I have faith and confidence in the purpose and goal of helping our student-athletes and furthering the goal of keeping Wake Forest competitive,” he said. “For me, the college sports component is an integral part of the whole college experience. Being able to preserve, maintain and facilitate that going forward has been a large reason for me participating in the Deacon Club and specifically the 110% campaign. For me, the goal is challenging yourself to continually

step up to the plate and increase your support to the extent that you can. The 110% campaign was something that I felt was achievable and at the same time challenged me. I like the extra drive that is given to me by the commitment to that program.”

In speaking about his commitment to the Sports Performance Center, Jon mentioned a two-fold aim in his motivation to invest in the project.

“The Sports Performance Center is exciting because it will: A) be beneficial to our teams from a recruiting perspective and B) help put our current student-athletes on a level playing field as it relates to the resources available to them to succeed,” he said. “I am excited for the project to break ground, and I hope it leads to greater prospects as it relates to recruitment

and everything else to keep us on a competitive playing field.”

Jon’s passion for Wake Forest athletics runs deep. From his first campus visit to his return to North Carolina and attendance at games this coming fall, he truly embodies what it means to be a Demon Deacon.

“I am the guy that screams at the television when the call doesn’t go our way,” he said. “I get frustrated when Wake Forest doesn’t win. To me being a Demon Deacon is a lot of passion and pride for your school and a desire to see them succeed and excel. At the same time, Wake believes in doing things the right way, putting our principles and values first before the ‘W.’ Being a Demon Deacon is embodying that same mentality and representing the school well by our conduct. For me, it’s a continuous love that no matter how frustrated I get, I continue to watch the game because I can’t help it. It can be very frustrating at times but at the same time rewarding. I like to think Wake Forest students and alumni embody all of these principles on campus and at games, representing the university well.”

deacon club photosDeacon Club members are encouraged to submit photos for publication in the Gold Rush. Send your photos in digital format to [email protected]. Submission of a photo does not guarantee that it will be published. Thanks for showing off your Demon Deacon pride!

1 Ryan Janvion and Brenner Shrimanker pose while filming a commercial for an upcoming United Way “Live United” campaign.

2 Anthony Tang (’11) showed his Demon Deacon pride during a snowstorm that covered Winston-Salem in February.

3 Wake football alums Steve Vallos (’06) and Dan Callahan (’06) snap a photo in MetLife Stadium prior to Super Bowl XLVIII.

1 2 3

“The 110% campaign was something that I felt was

achievable and at the same time challenged me. I like the extra drive that is given to me

by the commitment to that program.”

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When did you graduate from Wake Forest? I was officially part of the class of ‘87.

What was your major and/or minor? My major was economics but chose to forgo my senior year and enter the Major League Baseball draft. The Seattle Mariners drafted me in the second round in June of 1986.

What does being a Demon Deacon mean to you? Many large universities feel like a city where you’re just a number. Wake is more like a master-planned, private community. There’s definitely a special bond being a Deacon because of the quality of education and our ability to compete in the ACC, in spite of a small enrollment.

Why are you still involved in Wake Forest Athletics? Most people know about Wake Forest’s esteemed academics but to also be successful, athletically, gives me a sense of pride.

Why do you feel it is important to give back to the University? It’s important to give back so that others can experience everything Wake has to offer. If they have some success, then they, too, could pay it forward and continue to build excellence.

What is your current occupation? I retired in 2000. For the last 13 years, I’ve been competing on the amateur golf circuit. Primarily, I play in amateur events on the West Coast but have been lucky enough to qualify for 10 USGA events.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Wake Forest? Any time we beat Carolina or Duke. It wasn’t often but it made for good times!

What makes you most proud of Wake Forest? Even people “out west” are familiar with Wake’s academic reputation, but they don’t realize that we are one of the smallest Division I schools, and still we compete at such a high level.

When you come back to Wake Forest, you always… Walk the campus and reminisce.

I was there when… We beat DePaul for the Elite 8 and trashed the Quad.

Who is your favorite coach at Wake Forest, current or past? That has to go to “Skip” Crater and Gene Hooks. Skip was one-of-a-kind and Dr. Hooks was the consummate professional.

n each issue, Where Are They Now showcases a former Wake Forest student-athlete. This issue highlights former baseball player Erik Hanson (’87). A right-handed pitcher known for his curveball and a 90 mph fastball, Erik was named a preseason All-American in 1986 and was a second-round

draft pick by the Seattle Mariners. He holds the Wake Forest record for the most strikeouts in a game with 18, set against Virginia on April 17, 1985. Since retiring from baseball in 2000, Erik has competed on the amateur golf circuit and has qualified for 10 USGA events in the last 13 years. Erik and his wife, Laura, currently split time between Scottsdale, Ariz. and Seattle, Wash.

I

Erik Hanson

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WHere are tHey noW? // eriK Hanson

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the wake forest motto, pro humanitate, which translates as “for humanity,” is embodied by wake forest student-athletes who regularly go above and beyond their academic and athletic duties by volunteering their time in the community.

since the beginning of the school year, wake forest student-athletes have volunteered more than 2,000 hours in service to others throughout the community.

Football players join fourth-graders from Midway Elementary School after serving as “referees” in the school’s “Multiplication Bowl.”

Student-athletes wrapped more than 500 gifts and delivered them to 126 families throughout Winston-Salem.

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Deacons GiVinG bacK

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Volleyball players pose with young fans at

Paisley Middle School’s Health and Fitness Fair.

Football players take time out of their weekend to fight hunger with H.O.P.E.

The men’s soccer team gives back by helping revitalize the historic Odd Fellows Cemetery.Members of the women’s track and field

team reach new heights while working with Habitat for Humanity.

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BAsEBALLCoAChEs/sCoutsNeil Avent MLB Oakland A’s Area ScoutAdam Bourassa MLB San Diego Padres Area ScoutJohn Hendricks MLB Toronto Blue Jays Area ScoutMichael Holmes MLB Oakland A’s Assistant Scouting Director Kevin Jarvis MLB San Diego Padres Pro ScoutBill Masse MLB Seattle Mariners Area ScoutMatt Price MLB Kansas City Royals Pro ScoutMike Rikard MLB Boston Red Sox National Cross CheckerEric Schmitt MLB New York Yankees International ScoutingRoss Atkins MLB Cleveland Indians Director of Player DevelopmentDanny Borrell MLB New York Yankees Minor League Pitching Rehab

CoordinatorAdam Wogan MLB New York Mets Director of Minor League OperationsTommy Gregg AAA Kansas City Omaha Storm Chasers Hitting CoachGeorge Greer A New York Mets St. Lucie Mets Hitting Coach MInor LEAguE rAnKsPat Blair Tampa Bay Rays Dave Bush Free Agent Tim Cooney St. Louis CardinalsMichael Dimock Houston AstrosAllan Dykstra New York Mets Brian Holmes Houston AstrosCarlos Lopez Washington NationalsMike MacDougal Free AgentNiko Spezial Washington NationalsJustin Van Grouw Arizona DiamondbacksMac Williamson San Francisco Giants

MEn’s goLFLee Bedford Web.com Made over $30,000 last year in first full pro seasonBill Haas PGA Finished T6th at the Humana Challenge; has

finished in the top-25 in 5 of 8 events Jay Haas Champions Off to a great start this season, finishing in the top-

5 in all three eventsGary Hallberg Champions Has played in one event and finished T59 at the

Allianz ChampionshipScott Hoch Champions Finished T30 at his first event of the year, the ACE

Group ClassicLen Mattiace Web.com Finished T49 at the PGA Tour’s OHL Classic at

Mayakoba in NovemberKyle Reifers Web.com Played in 2 PGA Tour events at the end of the year.

Has yet to play on the Web.comJay Sigel Champions Has yet to play an event this seasonCurtis Strange Champions Finished T34th in the season-opening Mitsubishi

Electric Champ.; has made 3 startsWebb Simpson PGA Has 5 top-10s in 7 events; is currently sixth in the

FedEx Cup StandingsRon Whittaker Web.com Hasn’t played in an event this season

WoMEn’s goLFLaura (Philo) Diaz LPGA Had a solid first tournament, finishing T25 at the

Pure Silk-Bahamas ClassicJean Chua Symetra Has yet to start her seasonNannette Hill Symetra Missed the cut in her first event of the seasonNatalie Sheary LPGA Was T63 at the Symetra Tour’s Visit Mesa Gateway

ClassicMichelle Shin Symetra Finished T28 at the tour’s season-opening event.Cheyenne Woods Symetra Won the Australian Ladies Masters on the LET;

finished T14 in her first Symetra event

MEn’s soCCEr Anthony Arena Houston DynamoCorben Bone Philadelphia UnionBrian Carroll Philadelphia UnionSam Cronin San Jose EarthquakesAustin da Luz Carolina RailHawks (NASL)Chris Duvall New York Red BullsAkira Fitzgerald Carolina RailHawks (NASL)Luca Gimenez Philadelphia UnionTolani Ibikunle Colorado RapidsStephen Keel FC DallasMichael Lahoud Philadelphia UnionJustin Moose SJK (Finland)Ike Opara Sporting Kansas CitySean Okoli Seattle SoundersMichael Parkhurst Columbus CrewJames Riley L.A. GalaxyJalen Robinson D.C. UnitedZack Schilawski Carolina RailHawks (NASL)Jared Watts Colorado Rapids

CoAChEsJohn Hackworth Philadelphia Union (Head Coach)Rob Vartughian Philadelphia Union (Technical Director)

WoMEn’s soCCErBianca D’Agostino Boston Breakers

MEn’s BAsKEtBALLAl-Farouq Aminu NBA New Orleans PelicansTim Duncan NBA San Antonio SpursTaron Downey Cyprus Etha (Cyprus)Josh Howard NBADL Austin TorosJames Johnson NBA Memphis GrizzliesChris Paul NBA L.A. ClippersIshmael Smith NBA Phoenix SunsJeff Teague NBA Atlanta HawksTy Walker NBADL Maine Red ClawsJustin Gray Turkey Pertevniyal IstanbulC.J. Harris Germany LudwigsburgJamaal Levy Argentina MH BasketChas McFarland Japan Akita NHNikita Mescheriakov Belarus Tsmoki-MinskDarius Songaila Lithuania Lietuvos RytasKyle Visser Germany NY PhantomsDavid Weaver Portugal BenficaL.D. Williams France Bourg

WoMEn’s Pro BAsKEtBALLLakevia Boykin France Pau OrthezSandra Garcia Puerto Rico FoAAlex Tchangoue France Nice

FootBALL Tommy Bohanon NFL FB NY JetsJosh Bush NFL S NY JetsTyson Clabo NFL OL MiamiBrandon Ghee NFL CB CincinnatiChris Givens NFL WR St. LouisJoe Looney NFL OL San FranciscoCalvin Pace NFL LB NY JetsSteve Vallos NFL OG DenverKyle Wilber NFL LB Dallas

CoAChEs/stAFF Charlie Dayton NFL Carolina Vice PresidentPat Flaherty NFL NY Giants Offensive Line CoachJoe Kenn NFL Carolina Strength CoachRicky Proehl NFL Carolina Wide Receivers CoachDiron Reynolds NFL Minnesota Defensive Line CoachJohn Spanos NFL San Diego Executive VP of Football OperationsBrad White NFL Indianapolis Quality Control Defense

Tim Duncan was averaging over 15 points and 10 rebounds per game for San Antonio in early March, leading the Spurs to a 44-16 record and first place in the NBA’s Southwest Division.

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Deacons in tHe pros

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athletic department helps student-athletes prepare for the future

hat is your plan after graduation? That was the question on the minds of many of the 250-plus student-athletes who attended the Student-Athlete Career Development Night, sponsored by IMG

College and the Wake Forest Athletic Department, on Feb. 5 at IMG’s headquarters in downtown Winston-Salem. With representatives from 11 different companies on hand to speak to student-athletes and answer questions about internships and full-time jobs, all student-athletes, freshmen through seniors, were invited to “dress to impress,” and if possible, to bring a few copies of their resumes for any employers that interested them.

“I recognized there was a need for this event when I asked juniors and seniors, particularly seniors, ‘What is your plan after graduation?’

and surprisingly too many of them said, ‘I have no idea,’” said Dwight Lewis, associate athletic director of Student-Athlete Development and former collegiate athlete at California State University, Chico. “A growing theme with college athletes these days is that they dedicate so much time to their sport and their classes that they rarely spend any time thinking about their future.”

Senior soccer star Katie Stengel understands that all too well. “I do not know what I want to do after college,” Stengel said. “All I have ever known is soccer. I always assumed companies would not want to hire me because of my lack of experience.”

This self-doubt seemed to be the biggest problem circulating through the room that night. With the impeccable resumes that most students at Wake Forest have, where do the student-athletes fit in?

by Kylie hargreaves and Matalee reed

W

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That is where Andy Chan, former collegiate swimmer at Stanford and vice president of Personal and Career Development at Wake Forest, who spoke to the student-athletes at the beginning of the event, stepped in to remind the athletes they have something most college students could never put on their resumes.

“I wanted to make sure that they all are aware of how much employers are interested in hiring student-athletes,” said Chan, whose speech revolved around the analogy between the sporting world and the business world. “By treating the process much like preparing for the sports season, student-athletes can succeed. You need to assemble a team of great coaches to advise you and provide a realistic perspective.”

His words resonated with the student-athletes in attendance.

“These companies all want to hire us because we have so many skills that we developed as athletes here at Wake” said senior baseball player Grant Shambley, “Not many people can say that they played a college sport that requires serious time commitment and being able to work on a team.”

Over the course of the evening, student-athletes were given the opportunity to talk in a group with the different companies for five minutes each. After the five minutes were up, the company’s representative would go talk to a new set of athletes to tell them about their company. After the group talks were over, the juniors and seniors were allowed to go talk one-on-one with any company that they found interesting.

According to the event’s coordinators, Chan, Lewis and Ashley Wechter, the assistant director of Student Athlete Development, the first-time event was a success, and the student-athletes in attendance agreed.

“It helped me to hear what the employers were looking for when they hire,” said Ashlee

Rusk, a junior on the women’s volleyball team. “Some of the employers landed jobs that were outside of their major so that was encouraging for me to hear.”

“I did not want to come to this event at all,” said junior linebacker Britt Cherry, “I did not even have a resume to hand out. But once I started talking to the different representatives, I realized getting an internship this summer is a good idea. I actually have an interview with BB&T next week.”

Will Robinson, a sophomore on the men’s soccer team, said, “Career Night gave me a huge chance to meet and create relationships with successful business people, who only want to help.”

This event was the first of many more that are to come for the student-athletes. The goal of the administration is to have at least two events like this per year, so that by the end of a student-athlete’s four years at Wake Forest, they are better prepared for the transition from college and more than ready to take on the task of finding a career.

“We want our athletes to have confidence when they graduate from here. We just want what is best for all of them,” Lewis said.

“Career Night gave me a huge chance to meet

and create relationships with successful

business people, who only want to help.”

— Will Robinson

sophomore, men’s soccer team

april 2014 29

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Page 31: Gold Rush - April 2014
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New NCAA Recruiting Rules to Take EffectThe NCAA recently adopted legislation that will significantly change the landscape of college recruiting. Proposal 2013-26 will allow coaches to have unprecedented access to prospects throughout the recruiting process. Specifically, coaches will now be allowed to make unlimited phone calls to recruits beginning Sept. 1 of their junior year. Previously, calls could not be made prior to July 1 after the completion of the junior year in most sports. In addition, all forms of electronic correspondence will now be permissible. This includes text messages, instant messages, social media and e-mails. Under the previous rules, e-mails and facsimile were the only permissible modes of electronic communication.

This legislation grew out of the NCAA’s recent deregulation effort that sought to eliminate inconsequential and unenforceable rules. While monitoring recruiting communication is indeed a cumbersome task, some critics have cited work/life balance issues for coaches as well as the intrusiveness into the lives of recruits as potential concerns. Similar legislation was adopted last year but was later rescinded due to these concerns. The new legislation is scheduled to take effect on Aug. 1, 2014.

For any questions related to this issue, please contact Todd Hairston at [email protected].

toDD Hairston

associate atHletic Director, coMpliance

450 North Spring Street, Winston-Salem | (336) 293-4797 | info @ Spring House NC . com | www . Spring House NC . com

Progressive, southern-insPired destination

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Page 33: Gold Rush - April 2014

Th e new Sports Performance Center is the top facility priority for our department as it is critical to training our athletes to win ACC and NCAA championships as well as attracting the very best prospects to Wake Forest. Th e Sports Performance Center has gained great momentum over the past couple of months. Since last October’s launch of “Wake Will: Th e Campaign for Wake Forest”, we have received more than $13 million in commitments to support this vitally important project.

In this special campaign update section, you will have the opportunity to learn more about Alan Fox and Bob McCreary who both have made multi-million dollar commitments to the Sports Performance Center. We are so grateful for their generous support and the support of the many others who have contributed to this initiative. Th anks to their generosity, we are moving forward with the planning phase of the project. Our team has been hard at work designing a facility that will best fi t the needs of our entire program. Th ey have made tremendous progress in designing one of the fi nest facilities in the entire country. As with any project of this magnitude, the details of the facility continue to evolve. I look forward to sharing those with you as we make fi nal decisions and solidify our plans.

It is crucial that we get construction underway as soon as possible, but we must also be fi scally responsible. Th ere is still a lot of work to be done to raise the necessary funds to allow us to break ground. Th is eff ort will require an “all-in” approach, so I hope you will consider contributing to this essential facility.

You will fi nd much more information about the Sports Performance Center on the following pages. I encourage you to read about our plans and learn more about the impact this project will have on our entire department.

“Th e new Sports Performance Center is the top facility priority for our department as it is critical to training our athletes to win ACC and NCAA championships as well as attracting the very best prospects to Wake Forest.”RON WELLMAN, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

A LETTER FROM RON WELLMAN, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

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Sports Performance Center

For Wake Forest student-athletes, training and preparing to compete for championships requires year-round commitment, and a focus on much more than just practice. Th at is why it is critical our student-athletes are provided with

exceptional facilities and support services that will enable them to develop into true champions.

“� is new facility will be the training ground for our athletes, who strive to achieve the most out

of their athletic careers. Athletes who come to Wake Forest compete academically at a � rst rate

institution and athletically in a � rst rate conference on the national level. � ey should prepare

in the � nest facilities available. � is facility, which will be recognized as one of the greatest in

collegiate athletics, will help our current athletes and future Demon Deacons achieve our mission of

Developing Champions.”

Ethan Reeve, Assistant Director of Athletics, Sports Performance

“A � rst class sports performance center is vital to the success of any

college football team. � e proper equipment, the right amount of

space and the right coaching all play a role in how we perform on the

� eld. We don’t attract many 5-star athletes coming out of high school

but with our coaching sta� and the proper strength and conditioning

program, we can play like 5-star athletes at the collegiate level.”

Michael Campanaro (‘13), Communication

VisionTh e new Sports Performance Center will feature a larger, state-of-the-art strength and conditioning facility that will allow multiple athletes in diff erent sports to work out simultaneously, as well as a nutrition area that will directly support the vital role that proper nutrition plays in the pursuit of athletic excellence. It will also include football coaches’ offi ces and team meeting areas.

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For more information, visit http://wakewill.wfu.edu/athletics or call (336) 758-5626.

LocationPlans call for the new sports performance center to be located adjacent to the Miller Center. Th e facility will extend out onto the space currently occupied by the practice football fi eld closest to the Anthropology Museum.

Impact

Th is state-of-the-art facility will not only provide

critical resources and support services for our student-

athletes, but will enable our strength & conditioning

staff to meet the needs of all of our student-athletes

and prepare them for success on the fi eld. It will also

provide our football program with the space necessary

to support the coaching staff as they look to enhance

and expand their recruiting eff orts.

Sports Performance Center

“Th e Sports Performance Center truly shows the commitment level of Wake Forest Athletics and the University to the football program. We will be very fortunate to have one of the top facilities in college football with the completion of the Sports Performance Center.”Dave Clawson, Wake Forest Head Football Coach

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Bob McCreary (‘61) Invests $7.5 Million in Sports Performance Center

Even if Deacon fans don’t know Bob McCreary (’61) personally, it is likely they have seen his name at BB&T Field or around campus. Regardless, if they have visited Deacon Tower, watched a replay on the video board at BB&T Field, or

watched any of the 350+ student-athletes compete in any of Wake Forest’s 18 sports, then, whether they know it or not, they have felt Bob’s impact on Wake Forest Athletics. His generosity and support over the years has led to a total transformation in the way Wake Forest football is experienced at BB&T Field. Th e same kind of transformation that the football stadium has undergone in recent years is getting ready to happen to the facilities that serve the training needs of our student-athletes, and Bob is again at the forefront of making this plan a reality.

On March 5 at a special reception in Deacon Tower, Wake Forest University President Nathan O. Hatch and Director of Athletics Ron Wellman announced that Bob had made a generous commitment of $7.5 million in support of the Wake Forest Football program and the new Sports Performance Center.

“When I heard about the plans for the new Sports Performance Center, I was extremely excited and wanted to know how I could help get us moving on this project right away. Th e construction of this building is going to have many far-reaching, positive eff ects on our football program and athletic programs as a whole, and I am looking forward to seeing it come to fruition.”

Bob’s investment of $7.5 million will provide signifi cant momentum to the athletic department’s plans to move forward with construction on the 95,000 square foot Sports Performance Center. Th e four-story facility, designed to meet the training needs of more than 350 student-athletes will be located behind Miller

Athletic Center adjacent to the football practice fi elds. Th e new building will feature a robust strength and conditioning area which will allow multiple sports to work out simultaneously, increasing effi ciency and helping ease confl icts with class schedules and workouts. Th ere will also be space dedicated to

enhancing the nutrition program for all Wake Forest student-athletes with convenient access to nutritional resources and grab-and-go food options. Additionally, the facility will serve as the home for the football program with space for football coaches’ offi ces, team meeting rooms and other areas designed to enhance recruiting eff orts.

“I look at this as an investment in the future of Wake Forest Football and our athletic programs as a whole. Th e new Sports Performance Center is going to be a game-changer when it comes to training Wake Forest student-athletes as well as recruiting future generations of Demon Deacons.”Bob McCreary (‘61)

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Bob’s unwavering dedication to giving back to the athletic department is rooted in his gratitude for the opportunities provided to him as a student-athlete. Born and raised in rural Caldwell County, Bob is the son of a factory worker and the oldest of four boys. He came to Wake Forest on a football scholarship in the fall of 1957 and embarked on a journey that helped shape the man he is today.

“The only way I would have gone to college was with the football scholarship that I earned at Wake Forest, and there’s no question about it, my years at Wake Forest were incredible and were instrumental in shaping my future.”

After college, Bob was selected as the 64th pick in the 1961 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers and began a brief professional football career that included stints with the Dallas Cowboys and the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL. Following his football career, Bob joined Bernhardt Furniture as a sales trainee in 1965. After 20 successful years in sales, marketing and management in the furniture industry, he founded McCreary Modern in 1986. The company now employs 800 and operates six manufacturing facilities in Catawba and Caldwell Counties.

Bob credits Wake Forest with playing an integral role in his success, and states that it is an honor and privilege to be in a position to give back.

“Coming from where I came from to have what I have today, I am so incredibly blessed to give back to the University that gave so much to me. The scholarship that was provided to me and the education I received enabled me to excel in business and life, and I don’t forget the people or the institutions that were responsible

for my success.”

As a founding member of the Moricle Society, the highest level of annual giving within the Deacon Club, Bob has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to help fund student-athlete scholarships through his support of the Annual Fund. He has also been a lead supporter of several key capital initiatives since graduating.

Thanks to his generosity, the original strength training facility for Wake Forest student-athletes, the Bob McCreary Strength Complex in Manchester Athletic Center, was dedicated in 2000. In 2007, Bob also made a significant commitment of more than $2 million towards the construction of Deacon Tower. A few

years later Bob generously committed $1.5 million to fund the construction of the state-of-the-art video board at BB&T Field that was dedicated in October 2011. This latest gift brings his total lifetime commitments to more than $15 million, making him one of the University’s most generous benefactors.

Although Bob admits it has been fulfilling to see Wake Forest athletics grow and improve over the years, his “Deacon Pride” is most evident when he talks about the impact that the athletic programs, and particularly the football program, have on the development of Wake Forest student-athletes.

The Bob McCreary Video Board in Honor of the Class of 1961 wass dedicated on Homecoming Weekend in 2011.

Members of the football team show their appreciation for Bob’s gift by putting their own confetti-filled spin on the long-standing football tradition of the “Gatorade shower.”

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“We do it the ‘right way.’ I think that’s one of the great things about Wake Forest today. We bring in young men, many of them we build into great athletes, but more importantly, we build young men with character and integrity that go on and make a signifi cant contribution to our society. I think Wake Forest should be very proud of that.”

Bob’s generosity has helped our athletic program make incredible strides in just a few short years. As we look to the future of Wake Forest athletics, the promise of much

excitement is on the horizon for the Demon Deacons.

“I look at this as an investment in the future of Wake Forest Football and our athletic programs as a whole. Th e new Sports Performance Center is going to be a game-changer when it comes to training Wake Forest student-athletes as well as recruiting future generations of Demon Deacons.”

Th e success of Wake Forest Athletics is undoubtedly a team endeavor. It requires tremendous eff ort and fi erce commitment on the part of our student-athletes; the hard work and dedication of our coaches and staff ; and the loyal and generous support of thousands of donors and fans. It is with immense gratitude that we recognize Bob McCreary for his continuous faith in Wake Forest athletics, believing in the direction we are going and supporting the investments necessary to take us there.

Wake Forest alumnus Alan Fox (’79, MBA ’81, P ’12) is a Demon Deacon through and through. A Winston-Salem native, he attended kindergarten on campus while his mother worked for the University. He even recalls sneaking into Reynolds Gymnasium to play basketball a time or

two while growing up. Given his history with Wake Forest, it was likely no surprise when he enrolled as an undergraduate in 1975.

From memories of traveling to the Tangerine Bowl with his Sigma Pi fraternity brothers to competing in intramural sports, Alan recalls his time on campus with great fondness.

“When I look back on my years at Wake Forest, I view those as some of the very best years of my life.”

Alan so enjoyed his time as an undergraduate, he said, that he didn’t want to leave. Fortunately, he applied and was accepted to the MBA program on campus – one of the only students to be admitted straight out of college.

“I knew by the time I got out of undergraduate school at Wake that I someday wanted to have my own business. I went back to business school specifi cally to learn enough so that one day, if I had a good idea for a business, I would have the wherewithal to start one.”

Aft er graduating from the MBA program in 1981, Alan went to work for a company he had

Alan Fox (‘79, MBA ‘81, P ‘12) Donates $2 Million

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learned about in a case study – Texas International Airlines – and stayed with the company as they expanded and acquired Continental Airlines. In 1983, Continental filed for bankruptcy and the department Alan worked for was dissolved. It was at that time that he started Vacations To Go, today one of the largest online U.S. travel agencies.

In February, just one day after Wake Forest welcomed 26 football prospective student-athletes who signed a National Letter of Intent, Alan made his intent to invest in Wake Forest Athletics abundantly clear with a gift of $2 million in support of the Wake Forest Football program.

“Providing the Sports Performance Center to prepare our athletes to compete at the highest level is paramount. Our plans for this facility will allow us to provide critical resources and support services for our student-athletes and will significantly enhance our recruiting efforts,” said Director of Athletics Ron Wellman. “Alan’s gift helps make our vision one step closer to reality.”

His investment allowed the department to begin the process of solidifying ideas and developing designs for the Sports Performance Center. His gift, along with others including Bob McCreary’s recent commitment, brings the total amount raised for Wake Forest Football and the Sports Performance Center to more than $13 million since the launch of Wake Will: The Campaign for Wake Forest in October, demonstrating significant momentum under new head football coach Dave Clawson.

Alan and his wife, Karen, have been longtime supporters of the University and the Athletic Department. Prior to his gift to the football program, Alan and Karen funded a scholarship program for service trips abroad through the Center for Global Programs and Studies at Wake Forest. Alan has supported the athletic department as a member of the Moricle Society for six years, has served on the Deacon Club Board of Directors and is currently a member of the Athletic Executive Committee for the Wake Will campaign.

Alan was inspired to reengage with the University and the athletic program when his son, Christopher Fox (’12), was accepted during his senior year of high school.

“Christopher noticed when he was about 16 that in almost every picture from his childhood he was wearing a Wake Forest cap or t-shirt,” Alan explained. “We would bring him through campus when we would visit my parents in Winston-Salem, so when he expressed interest in applying and coming in for an interview, I was very excited about the possibility that he would go here. When he was accepted and chose Wake Forest over some of the Texas schools that were his alternatives, I purchased a home here and started to reconnect.”

Alan was also drawn to the Athletic Department through his cousin, Bryan Andrews. “One of my first experiences at a football game in many years was sitting up in the Moricle Suite, and there is no better way to watch a football game,” said Alan. Along with the amenities of the newly-constructed Deacon Tower, Alan greatly enjoyed the camaraderie and game day atmosphere.

When asked what motivated him to make this recent donation, Alan said, “I believe very strongly that we have the right coach to lead us into the future, that we have the right plan for these facilities, and that we need these facilities to remain competitive in the ACC. I’m happy I’m able to support the project.”

“I believe very strongly that we have the right coach to lead us into the future, that we have the right plan for these facilities, and that we need these facilities to remain competitive in the ACC. I’m happy I’m able to support the project.”Alan Fox (‘79, MBA ‘81, P ‘12)

For more information on Wake Will, visit http://wakewill.wfu.edu/athletics or call (336) 758-5626.

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