LOUISVILLE – What was Rocky Hansen ’23 this Halloween?
A runaway ACC champion.
The Christ School alumnus — winner of an unparalleled 10 individual state titles in his time as a Greenie — and Wake Forest junior attained his biggest college milestone yet on Friday, speeding through the E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park in a course record of 22 minutes, 18.60 seconds.
Rocky’s margin of victory in winning the 8-kilometer (4.97 miles) ACC Championship Cross Country Meet was more than 20 seconds clear of runner-up Gary Martin from Virginia (22:39.40). Rocky came in 32nd place in the same meet a year ago. He and Wake Forest were the third-place team Friday (111 points) behind Virginia (61 points) and second-place Syracuse (65).
"Rocky really crushed a very strong field and destroyed the course record on a course that has had many elite athletes compete on it," said the Deacons' Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, John Hayes, who recruited Rocky while he was at Christ School.
Now, Rocky will be talked about as a contender for a national championship. The NCAA meet takes place Saturday, November 22, in Columbia, Miss.
Rocky’s hometown is Hendersonville, N.C., and he holds every all-time state record in North Carolina high school cross country and track from the 1,500 meters to the 5,000 meters.
Congratulations, Rocky!