First Games Set for This Week

RALEIGH, N.C. (November 2, 2009)—The inaugural season for Wake Tech's basketball program tips off tonight with the first game for the men's team, at Cape Fear Community College. The Eagles take on Cape Fear at 7:00 p.m. For Wake Tech Coach Van Williams, the game will be a homecoming of sorts: Williams was associate head coach at Cape Fear Community College from 2006 to 2008. After Cape Fear he served as assistant coach at Shaw University before coming to Wake Tech.

Among Wake Tech's players is Lance Beckwith, who was a starting point guard on the Word of God Christian Academy state championship team in 2008. After graduating, he had a successful year at Bethany College in West Virginia, where he was voted the ECAC South Region's Rookie of the Year. Now he hopes playing for a two-year college like Wake Tech will boost his chances of being recruited by a top university next year.

The Eagles' first home game takes place on Wednesday, November 4th, at the Southeastern Baptist Seminary in Wake Forest. Wake Tech women, coached by Athletics Director Barry Street, start the double-header at 5:00 p.m. with their first game of the season, against Guilford Tech Community College. The men follow with a 7:00 p.m. matchup against Brunswick Community College.

Street says he's looking forward to a great season for both teams. "At Wake Tech we offer a competitive basketball program while supporting our student athletes as they progress to four-year schools -- to play sports, earn higher degrees, or both."

Wake Tech's athletics program began last year with men's soccer, women's volleyball and men's and women's golf. Wake Tech is a Division I member of Region 10 in the National Junior College Athletics Association. Game schedules can be found at http://athletics.waketech.edu.

About Wake Technical Community College:

Wake Technical Community College (Wake Tech) is a two-year, public institution providing education and training for the citizens of Raleigh and surrounding Wake County. Wake Tech provides a comprehensive array of learning opportunities and serves an annual enrollment of more than 65,000 students. Curriculum (for-credit) programs in more than 150 academic, vocational, and technical specialties offer two-year associate degrees in science, applied science, the arts, and general education; university transfer programs for entry into four-year institutions; and diploma and certificate programs that prepare workers to succeed at jobs in high demand in the community. Wake Tech also offers a broad scope of continuing education courses, including training for entrepreneurs and small business owners, public safety officer training (fire, rescue, and law enforcement), high school equivalency classes, and non-credit courses for personal and professional development. As the second largest community college in the state, Wake Tech provides customized workforce training for new and expanding industries and a cooperative education program that interfaces with the corporate community. For more information, please visit http://www.waketech.edu.

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Related Links

1. http://www.waketech.edu
2. http://athletics.waketech.edu