Demon Deacons Announce 2027 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame Class

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest Athletics and the Winston-Salem community proudly unveiled the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame 2027 induction class on Friday.

This year’s class includes women’s soccer All-American Kaley Fountain, football defensive anchor Kyle Wilber, men’s soccer MAC Hermann Trophy winner Ian Harkes, volleyball standout Andrea Beck, women’s tennis legend Terry Ann Zawacki, beloved former head swim coach Leo Ellison and all-purpose ACC champion football performer Steve Bowden.

As a group, the Class of 2027 achieved massive success during their collegiate careers, combining for 270 wins, eight All-American honors, 13 All-ACC selections and two ACC tournament championships.

“This year, we welcome a remarkable group of people into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame,” said Nate Plageman, Faculty Athletics Representative & Chair, Hall of Fame Committee. “Our new inductees exude a number of traits – leadership, talent, and purpose – that make Wake Forest Athletics special and successful. I appreciate our committee members for their hard work and look forward to honoring these outstanding individuals and their many contributions to our University community.”

“Congratulations to our 2027 Hall of Fame class, a special group of Demon Deacons whose leadership, dedication, and achievements have left a lasting impact on Wake Forest University” said Vice President & Director of Athletics John Currie. “We are proud of the way they have represented our community and inspired the student-athletes who followed them. Their legacy was built in Winston-Salem, and we are thrilled to welcome them back home this winter.”

A ceremony date has been set for Friday, Jan. 15th, 2027 at 7 p.m. inside the Snead Room on the second floor in Bridger Field House. Stay tuned to GoDeacs.com for further details to come.

2027 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

Kaley Fountain, Women’s Soccer

Four-year letterwinner for Wake Forest women’s soccer from 2006-09

Ranks third within program history in total assists (23) and ninth in games started (81)

Holds several high single-season rankings for the Deacs:
- T-3rd in assists – 10 in 2009
- T-4th in points – 32 in 2009
- T-7th in goals – 11 in 2009
- T-10th in shots – 69 in 2009

Attained All-American honors for four consecutive years from 2006-09
- Third Team All-American (2008 & 2009)
- Fourth Team All-American (2007)
- Freshman First Team All-American (2006)

2009 All-South Region selection

Tabbed to the 2009 Soccer America MVP second team

Three-time All-ACC selection
- First Team All-ACC (2009)
- Second Team All-ACC (2007, 2008)

Named to the ACC All-Freshman Team (2006)

2006 ACC All-Academic Team pick

Earned a spot on the USA U-17 (2005), U-20 (2007-08) and U-21 (2009) national teams all prior to her professional career

Drafted by FC Gold Pride in the second round of the 2010 Women’ Professional Soccer draft
- Played in 10 WPS games in 2010 – five for FC Gold Pride and five for the Atlanta Beat
- Played for the Western New York Flash from 2011-13

Kyle Wilber, Football

A five-year member of the Wake Forest football program from 2007-11

Ranks 11th in program history with 13.5 career sacks

One of just six Demon Deacons to record 3.0 or more sacks in a single game (3.0 vs. Presbyterian on Sept. 2, 2010)

Recorded 195 tackles through 43 career games at Wake Forest

Two-time All-ACC selection by Phil Steele
- Third Team All-ACC (2011 & 2010)

Athlon Sports Preseason Third Team All-ACC (2010)

Started all 13 games as a senior in 2011, finishing the season with a career-high 70 tackles and second on the team with 11.5 for loss

As a junior in 2010:
- Started all 12 games
- Finished third on the roster with 65 total tackles
- Led the Deacs with 14.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks
- Ranked second on the team with four pass breakups

Earned Freshman All-America honorable mention honors from College Football News in 2008

Participated in the 2012 East-West Shrine Classic

Drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft with the 113th overall selection by the Dallas Cowboys

Spent 10 years in the NFL, competing for the Dallas Cowboys (2012-17) and Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2018-21)
- Finished his professional career with 153 total tackles

Currently an assistant special teams coach for the New Orleans Saints since 2025
- Also served as a special teams quality control coach for the Green Bay Packers from 2023-24

Ian Harkes, Men’s Soccer

Four-year starter who served as an anchor of the Demon Deacons’ midfield from 2013-16

One of three Wake Forest players to win the MAC Hermann Trophy (National Player of the Year), doing so in 2016
- Also named NSCAA Scholar Player of the Year and First Team All-American that same season

Became the first player in ACC history to be named the ACC Midfielder of the Year, ACC Championship MVP and NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Offensive Player in the same season (2016)

Earned a spot on an All-ACC team three times at Wake Forest
- First Team All-ACC (2016 & 2015)
- Second Team (2014)

Landed on the ACC All-Freshman Team (2013)

Three-time All-South Region selection (2014-16)
- Also named to the ACC All-Tournament Team in 2015

Made 82 career starts, tied for eighth in program history

Finished with nine goals and 18 assists
- Four of his five goals in 2016 were game-winners

Paced Wake Forest to the title game at the NCAA College Cup for the second time in program history, as well as the team’s second-ever ACC Tournament title

Led the team in assists in 2013 (7) and 2016 (4)

Four-time ACC All-Academic Team pick (2013-16)

Andrea Beck, Volleyball

Winston-Salem native who competed for Wake Forest volleyball from 2009-12

Scattered throughout the program’s all-time career records:
- 7th in hitting percentage (.297)
- 7th in total blocks (349)
- T-7th in assisted blocks (292)
- 8th in kills (1,236)
- 9th in solo blocks (57)
- 11th in kills-per-set average (2.97)
- 12th in blocks-per-set average (0.84)
- 12th in hitting attempts (2,826)

Named to Capital One Academic All-America first team (2012)
- First-ever Wake Forest volleyball player to earn the honor

Two-time All-ACC Team selection (2010 & 2011)

Led Wake Forest in kills (396), blocks (99) and hitting percentage (.295) as a senior during the 2012 season
- Beck’s 396 kills rank 15th all-time for a single season within program history

Two-time Preseason All-ACC pick (2011 & 2012)

NCCSIA University Division All-State Volleyball Team (2010)

Four-time ACC Volleyball All-Academic Team pick (2009-12)

COSIDA Academic All-American (2012)

Capital One Academic All-District III Team nod (2011)

First Team ESPN Academic All-District (2010)

One of 30 national nominees for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award (2012)

Named the 2009 Wake Forest Volleyball Rookie of the Year

Terry Ann Zawacki, Women’s Tennis

Four-year letterwinner for the Wake Forest women’s tennis program from 1992-96

Became the first player in school history to be nationally ranked through four consecutive years

Rests in the top 25 of several categories within the Wake Forest all-time career records:
- 1st in wins at No. 1 singles (51)
- 2nd in singles wins (116)
- 5th in doubles win percentage (.773)
- 7th in combined singles and doubles wins (184)
- T-21st in ACC singles wins (18)

Two-time Singles All-American (1994 & 1996)

ITA Southeast Region Senior Player of the Year (1996)

ITA Region Rookie of the Year (1993)

Four-time All-ACC selection (1993-96)

First Demon Deacon to reach the NCAA Individual Championships as a freshman in 1992 and repeated that feat for the next three years

Finished her senior year ranked 12th in the ITA poll and peaked as high as 6th during her career

First Wake Forest player to compete in all four legs of the ITA’s Collegiate Grand Slam – the National Clay Courts, Riviera All-American, Rolex Indoors and the NCAA Championships

Selected to the ACC 50th Anniversary Team

Has served as the head coach of Virginia Tech women’s tennis since 2003

Leo Ellison, Former Head Swim Coach

Head coach of the Wake Forest swim team for nearly two decades (1958-1977)

Paced the 1972 and 1973 Demon Deacons swimming teams to its highest place in the ACC throughout program history, good for 4th place
- Those two seasons also included the highest team point totals within program history

Had another successful year in 1974, en route to totaling the fourth-highest point total through program history

Led the Deacs to winning records in his last nine seasons

Coached some of Wake Forest’s all-time best performers — including Drew Taylor, Gary Bice, Allen Lydick, Bruce Mallette, Bruce Copus, Don Gilchrist and Mike Gaona

Helped develop Wake Forest Sports Hall of Famer Drew Taylor, a member of the 1964-66 swimming and diving teams who won five ACC Championships during his career
- Taylor captured the ACC one-meter diving titles in 1965 and 1966 while sweeping the three-meter championship in all three seasons from 1964-66

Led a number of Demon Deacons to set program records during his time as head coach
- Such events include: 400 yard medley relay, 200 yard individual medley, 100 yard butterfly, 200 yard butterfly, 100 yard backstroke and the 200 yard backstroke

Helped several swimmers compete as finalists in multiple events, including Don Gilchrist, Chip Bach, Bruce Mallette and George Bell

Remained active as a professor and intramural director until retiring in 2000

Steve Bowden, Football

Standout student-athlete for Wake Forest football from 1969-71
- Member of the 1970 ACC Championship team

Showcased his versatility by playing multiple positions as an all-purpose player, including running back, wide receiver, and defensive back
- Defense: Totaled five interceptions in 1971, tied for eighth in a single season all-time
- Rushing: Carried the ball for a total of 86 times, accumulating 273 rushing yards
- Receiving: Recorded 28 receptions, totaling 394 receiving yards, and scored three touchdowns