Wake Forest University

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – With her collegiate career having recently come to a close, Brooke Killingsworth of Wake Forest women’s tennis earned noteworthy recognition from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) on Wednesday, June 12. The Demon Deacon was named the recipient of the 2024 Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award within the Carolina Regional section.

Killingsworth joins her former teammate and doubles partner, 2023 alum Anna Brylin, as Deacs to win the award in back-to-back seasons.

“I am so honored to receive this recognition,” said Killingsworth. “It has been my joy and privilege to work alongside amazing coaches, teammates and the Wake Forest athletic department to make a difference in the places we live, work and play. As an alumni, I look forward to continuing to serve the Lord and bringing the Pro Humanitate spirit everywhere I go. Go Deacs!”

Acting as a four-year team veteran, Killingsworth enjoyed a final standout year for the Deacs during 2023-24. She finished third on the roster in singles victories for dual-match play (12). Partnering with team newcomer Marcella Cruz, the tandem ultimately became one of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s (ACC) notable doubles teams, piecing together a 12-9 record in dual matches. The duo was named ACC Doubles Team of the Week on Feb. 20, earning the nod as the first-ever team to win the new honor, after reaching a first nationally-ranked win over South Carolina’s No. 27 Ayana Akli/Olympe Lancelot. 

Killingsworth took over the No. 2 singles spot within the Deacs’ lineup for the entire spring. She totaled four solo wins over ranked opponents, a mark that finished second-best on the roster behind fellow senior Casie Wooten. Killingsworth was also named a 2024 ACC Postgraduate Scholarship recipient, which honors those who have performed with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community, being chosen by a vote of the league’s Faculty Athletic Representatives at the ACC Winter Meetings.

“Very happy to see that our region’s coaches recognized Brooke’s amazing leadership and success on the court by selecting her for the Carolina Regional Arthur Ashe award,” said Wake Forest head women’s tennis coach Jeff Wyshner. “Brooke’s accomplishments during her career at Wake were amazing. She really made the most of the collegiate student-athlete experience on the court, in the classroom, in her volunteer work and as a member of the broader…