Lady Deacs Race to Finish Cross Country Season with a Texas-sized Win
The Wake Forest women's cross country team's regular season ended on Friday. The team won their third meet of the season at the Arturo Barrios Invitational in College Station, Texas.
Wake Forest Women Win Arturo Barrios Invitational
The women’s team was once again led by junior Angelina Perez, who finished in second place with a personal-best time of 19:05.4. This marks the Ringwood, N.J., native’s third top five finish of the season, having previously claimed her first individual win at the Queen City Invite, as well as a fourth place result at the Gans Creek Classic.
Four other Demon Deacons placed inside the top-25, including a tenth-place finish from junior Brooke Wilson, who clocked a 19:54.8. Senior Elizabeth Whaley recorded a time of 20:13.2 to place 20th, while graduate student Maisie Wilmer finished one place behind her in 21st. Senior Mackenzie Hart rounded out the top five finishers for the Deacs, crossing the finish line in 25th at 20:22.9.
With the result, Wake Forest has now claimed three team titles on the season, having previously won both the Queen City Invite and the Spartan Classic. The Deacs have also placed inside the top-10 in all four races during the regular season, including a 10th-place finish at Gans Creek.
Women’s Top Five Spread
Place (Points) | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
2 (2) | Angelina Perez | 19:05.4 |
10 (10) | Brooke Wilson | 19:54.8 |
20 (20) | Elizabeth Whaley | 20:13.2 |
21 (21) | Maise Wilmer | 20:18.3 |
25 (25) | Mackenzie Hart | 20:22.9 |
Women’s Team Results
- 1st - Wake Forest - 78 points
- 2nd - LSU - 88 points
- 3rd - Texas A&M - 113 points
- 4th - SMU - 185 points
- 5th - Stephen F. Austin - 198 points
“Proud doesn’t quite cover it. The women displayed a lot of composure and toughness today. The race started off messy with four of them getting tripped right off the line, but they didn’t let that shake them. The officials called the field back, the team regrouped, and from there, it was all heart. They stayed focused on the team title, which was our goal coming into the race. It was a battle the whole way. They rallied over the last 400 meters and they secured the win. This was a gutsy team effort and a strong step for us heading into ACCs in two weeks.”- Associate Head Coach Ashley Bastron
What's Next
Next up for the Demon Deacons is the ACC Cross Country Championships, which will be held on Oct. 31 in Louisville, Kentucky, at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park. The women’s team is set to compete in the 6k race at 9:30 a.m. The race will be streamed on the ACC Network.
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Barry is the managing editor/publisher of both the TCU Horned Frogs On SI and Wake Forest Demon Deacons On SI sites. He oversees a team of 15+ writers, photographers, and podcasters covering all sports at both schools. He writes on football, basketball (men’s and women’s), baseball, men’s tennis, and other sports as needed. His weekly articles include ACC Power Rankings and Poll Watching during the football, basketball, and baseball seasons. Barry is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). He has covered the 2022 Fiesta Bowl, the 2023 College Football National Championship, the 2023 College World Series, the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tennis National Championship, Big 12 Football Media Days, and Big 12 Basketball Media Days. He is an avid sports fan and traveler, and he loves any opportunity to see a sporting event in person. He has been to 18 of the 30 MLB ballparks, experienced game day at 25 college football stadiums, seen 21 NFL stadiums, and been to 16 bowl games.