Wake Forest elects seven to Sports Hall of Fame
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame has elected seven new members in the class of 2018-19.
The seven new inductees combined for 18 first team All-ACC selections and seven first team All-America honors.
The seven include football offensive linemen Tyson Clabo and Steve Justice, baseball pitcher Kyle Sleeth, field hockey star Claire Laubach, professional golfer Webb Simpson and tennis All-American Todd Paul. In addition, John Zeglinski, who starred in both football and baseball, will be the Heritage inductee.
Tyson Clabo was a four-year letterwinner for the Demon Deacons from 2000-03. A native of Knoxville, Tenn., Clabo earned first team All-ACC honors in 2003 after being an honorable mention selection in 2002. Clabo made 37 career stars on the offense line including starts at left guard, left tackle and right tackle during his career. He anchored an offensive line that helped Wake Forest lead the ACC in rushing in 2001 and 2002. Clabo signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2004 and joined the Atlanta Falcons in 2005. Named to the 2010 Pro Bowl, Clabo started 132 career games in the NFL, primarily during his seven-year career with the Falcons from 2006-12.
Steve Justice is the most decorated center in school history. One of just a handful of Deacons to earn consensus All-America honors, Justice was a first team selection in 2007 by the Associated Press, ESPN, the American Football Coaches Association and CBS. He became just eighth Wake Forest player to win the Jacobs Blocking Trophy given to the top blocker in the Atlantic Coast Conference. A three-year starter, Justice started the final 37 games of his career and was the runner-up for the Rimington Trophy in 2007. After being drafted in the sixth round, Justice played the 2008 season with the Indianapolis Colts and spent three seasons in the UFL with New York and Florida.
Claire Laubach becomes the fifth Wake Forest field hockey player to join the Hall of Fame. A four-year letterman from 2001-04, Laubach was a first team All-ACC pick in 2003 and 2004 and an All-American in 2004 as a senior. She was a member of all three of Wake Forest’s national championship teams and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team in 2003 and 2004. Following her collegiate career, Laubach was a member of the U.S. National Team and a 2012 London Olympian. She spent eight seasons with the national team and played in 167 international competitions.
Todd Paul was the first two-time All-American in the history of Wake Forest’s men’s tennis program. A first team All-American in 2006 and 2007, Paul graduated as the Deacons’ all-time leader with 118 career singles victories including 32 as a senior in 2007. The ACC Rookie of the Year in 2004, Paul led the team with 28 singles victories in 2004 and 27 in 2006. He was a four-time All-ACC selection and the only Deacon to earn four men’s tennis All-ACC awards. Paul was ranked as the No. 1 singles player in the NCAA as both a junior and senior and earned ITA Regional Player of the Year honors in 2007.
Webb Simpson was the ACC Player of the Year in 2008 as a member of the Demon Deacon men’s golf team. The ACC Freshman of the Year in 2005, he earned second team All-America honors in 2006 and 2007 before earning first team honors as a senior in 2008. Simpson was the ACC champion in 2008 and led the conference with a 70.38 stroke average. He posted 16 top 10 wins during his collegiate career including four wins. As a touring pro, Simpson won the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic Club in San Francisco and the 2018 Players Championship among his five PGA Tour victories.
Kyle Sleeth posted a career 31-6 record as a staring pitcher for the Demon Deacons from 2001-03 while tying an NCAA record by winning 26 consecutive decisions. The native of Westminster, Colorado, Sleeth became the only freshman in school history to win 10 games when he went 10-3 and earned Freshman All-America honors. As a sophomore, Sleeth posted a 14-0 mark with a 2.97 ERA to set the Wake Forest record for wins in a season while earning first team All-America honors. As a junior in 2003, Sleeth was named first team All-ACC for the second consecutive year while posting a 7-3 record. A member of the 2002 USA National Baseball team where he went 7-1, Sleeth was the third pick in the first round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft before an arm injury cut his professional career short.
John Zeglinski, a former football and baseball star, is the Heritage Committee inductee, reserved for former Deacons who played 40 or more years ago. As a wide receiver, Zeglinski was fifth in the nation in receiving yards as a sophomore in 1975 while leading the ACC in punt returns. He was Wake Forest’s team scoring leader and all-purpose yardage leader in 1975 and led the Deacons in punt returns for three consecutive years between 1976-78. As a first baseman, Zeglinski was a first team All-ACC honoree in both 1976 and 1977. The MVP of Wake Forest’s 1977 ACC baseball championship team, Zeglinski earned all-region and All-South honors. John finished his baseball career with a .294 batting average with 19 homers and 98 RBIs.
The date of induction for the Hall of Fame class will be announced at a later date.