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Ron Wellman, Director of Athletics
Ron Wellman, who has elevated Wake Forest University athletics to its highest level ever and committed to preparing the program for greater success in the future, is in his 15th year as director of athletics. Wellman, who was named athletic director in October of 1992, is only the fifth man to assume the top position in the athletic department at Wake Forest during the modern era of intercollegiate sports, following Pat Preston, Jim Weaver, Bill Gibson and Dr. Gene Hooks, WFU's athletic director from 1964 through 1992. Since taking over control of WFU Athletics, Wellman has seen Deacon athletic teams rise to national prominence in several sports while perennially competing for Atlantic Coast Conference championships. Wake Forest's success this past fall epitomized how Demon Deacons teams are competing on a national level across the athletics board. The 2006 fall season was highlighted by a remarkable football season. The Deacons, picked by the experts to finish last in their division, stunned the experts by winning the ACC Championship game - their first ACC title since 1970 - and earning a BCS bowl berth to the FedEx Orange Bowl in Miami. Two other Wake Forest teams - field hockey and men's soccer - advanced to at least the national semifinals in their respective sports. The field hockey team, playing in the final four for the seventh consecutive fall, advanced all the way to the national championship game before falling to Maryland. The men's soccer team advanced to the final four for the first time in school history. There were other success stories in the fall. The women's soccer team advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 11th consecutive year. The women's cross country team qualified for the NCAA Championships and senior runner Michelle Sikes earned the prestigious academic honor as Rhodes Scholar. The 2005-06 academic year was equally impressive. All totaled, 10 Wake Forest teams were ranked in the top 25 and placed at their respective NCAA championships. The field hockey team reached its sixth straight final four, men's golf tied for third place at the NCAA Championships, and men's soccer reached the round of 16. Individually, Chris Barclay was the 2005 ACC Football Player of the Year, Jennifer Averill was named ACC Coach of the Year and Allan Dykstra and Christine Suggs were ACC Rookies of the Year in baseball and field hockey, respectively. Off the playing fields, Wellman has spearheaded an effort for the overall development of the student-athlete. He asks his coaches to stress academics and Wellman has instituted programs to assist and develop student-athletes away from competition such as the annual Academic Excellence Banquet, a campus-wide affair which honors those student-athletes who have achieved in the classroom. Another obvious sign of the progress Wake Forest has made - and is continuing to make - under Wellman's leadership is the ambitious facility improvement program that the athletic department has undertaken. Groves (football) Stadium continues to receive multiple phases of cosmetic and structural changes. Prior to the start of the 2006 season, a brick façade was added to the interior of the stands, and a new state-of-the-art FieldTurf surface was installed. In January, after an aggressive fund-raising campaign, coupled with generous donations of its supporters, the 35-plus year-old press box was imploded and construction on the new, spacious Deacon Tower began. Deacon Tower will provide a number of premium seating options, accommodations for the media as well as a main entry point for the stadium. Almost every Wake Forest athletic facility has received recent upgrades, if not complete makeovers. In 2004, Kentner Stadium, home of the Wake Forest field hockey and track programs, received a new FieldTurf surface and a surrounding track surface was installed. At the same time, a new playing surface was installed at the football practice facility. Three years ago, the Pruitt Football Center was completely renovated into new office and meeting space for the Deacon football team and staff. There have been significant facility improvements at Joel Coliseum, home of the Wake Forest basketball teams, including a new state-of-the art locker room facility and video board. There is also Bridger Field House at Groves Stadium, which provides support to every varsity team as well as the athletic department administration and entire university with its many services. The Kenneth D. Miller Center, which opened its doors in 2001, provides additional space for the Student-Athlete Services and CHAMPS programs, as well as a new state-of-the-art practice facility for the men's and women's basketball teams. The Miller Center also includes a spacious fitness center, which is available to students, faculty and staff. The dean of all ACC athletic directors, Wellman has taken an active role on the national level. Wellman previously served on the NCAA Division I Management Council and served as chairman in 2005 - 06. Recently he served as chairman of the NCAA Baseball Committee and directed the implementation of a new and expanded national tournament format, creating significant interest in that event. Wellman also serves as president of the Division I-A Athletic Directors' Association. He is also a member of the NCAA Diversity Leadership Strategic Planning Committee and chairs the NCAA Baseball Academic Enhancement Committee. Wellman is a member of the Tristone Community Bank Board of Directors. Wellman's successful career in college athletics includes both coaching and administration on various levels. Born in Celina, Ohio, he earned his undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University, where he was a pitcher on the baseball team. After receiving a master's from Bowling Green, he joined the faculty and coaching staff at Elmhurst (IL) College in 1971, serving as head baseball coach, assistant basketball coach, assistant football coach and associate professor of health and physical education. In 1977, Wellman became Elmhurst's athletic director and guided the NCAA Division III program to new heights. A total renovation of the athletic facilities at Elmhurst was undertaken under his direction and every sport at the school improved its won-lost record during his tenure. Elmhurst recognized Wellman's contribution to its program in 1985 by naming him to its Hall of Fame. His accomplishments as a baseball coach were substantial as well. Elmhurst teams won more than 200 games (210-136) under his leadership, and in five of his last seven years there, he was named conference Coach Of The Year. That success continued in 1981 when Wellman became head baseball coach at Northwestern. In five years, his squads compiled a 180-97 record (65.0 winning percentage) and 15 of his players signed professional contracts. Additionally, his 1984 team set a school record with 44 wins. In his final three years at Northwestern (1984-86), 18 of his players achieved either Academic All-America or Academic All-Big Ten honors. Wellman began devoting his energies to athletic administration on a fulltime basis in 1986 when he was named athletic director at Mankato State (MN) University. In 1987, he became athletic director at Illinois State. Wellman and his wife Linda have three daughters - Angie, who works for ING in Atlanta and is married to Tim Lynde, a WFU alumnus and former basketball manager; Nicole, a pediatric resident, and her husband, a former captain of WFU's men's soccer team Kevin Rice, live in Winston-Salem; and Melissa, a teacher, and her husband, Ben Norman, live in Greensboro. Both Melissa and Nicole earned their undergraduate and advanced degrees from Wake Forest.
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