After a three-week hiatus from racing, Duke will have a chance to measure its progress this season before running in the ACC championships at the end of the month.
The Blue Devils will conclude their regular season slate at the VertCross Invitational Friday at High Point University in Kernersville, N.C. The men's race will begin at 4:30 p.m, and the women’s team will toe the line at 5:30 p.m. The competition includes most in-state squads including, N.C. State, Elon and Campbell, but also features schools from Virginia, Tennessee, and other surrounding states.
The race will serve as an important indicator of how much Duke's women's and men's units have improved since finishing 15th and 22nd, respectively, at the Roy Griak Invitational Sept. 24.
“This is going to be a good chance to see how we stack up against our teams in the region, women's head coach Rhonda Riley said. "Just to see how we do is going to be a good indication of how much progress we’ve made in the last three weeks.”
The women will be shorthanded with ACC Freshman of the Week Sophia Parvizi-Wayne sitting out to rest in preparation for the ACC championship. Parvizi-Wayne—who placed first at the 2013 London Youth Games—previously skipped Duke's season-opener to recover from an extended track season in London.
Even without Parvizi-Wayne, the Blue Devils have recently enjoyed breakout performances from several other underclassmen. Freshman Lindsay Billings paced the Blue Devils at their first two meets and was Duke's fourth finisher at the Roy Griak Invitational. Sophomores Gabrielle Richichi, Sheridan Wilbur, and Liz Lansing have also been consistent top-five finishers in the previous three meets.
“I’m extremely happy with just the way this young team is performing and training right now," Riley said. "They’re stepping up and being able to contribute. All of this is [a] great race experience for them not only this year but as we move forward in our program."
For the men's team, the last three weeks have been a much-needed break after the Blue Devils struggled in their first three races. After defeating a team comprised of Duke alumni at the Alumni Meet, the Blue Devils placed third out of four teams at the Sycamore Invitational Sept.10. At the Roy Griak Invitational, no Blue Devil cracked the top-10 as fourth-year junior Stephen Shine paced Duke with a 12th-place finish.
The race at High Point may pose challenges for some runners. The course features repeating loops, which will give runners less space between each other. Men's head coach Norm Ogilvie said that he wants his squad to jump out to a strong start to avoid becoming trapped behind slower teams on the compact course.
“We just have to be smart, we have to get out," Ogilivie said. "You have to go out hard in the beginning, but then you have to settle down because it’s still 8K. But it will be a really good test for our team at this point of the season. Hopefully we can run well and get some confidence heading into the ACC.”
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