A poster in Gail Goestenkors' office reads "Success is a journey, not a destination."
As she told a crowd of about 500 enthusiastic supporters at yesterday's welcome home celebration in Cameron Indoor Stadium, there is no question that this season has been an incredible success.
"This was an unbelievable journey," Goestenkors said. "It began in San Jose and we wanted it to end in San Jose. There were not many people who believed we could do it. The people standing behind you and in front of you were the only people in the country who knew we could get back to San Jose."
Goestenkors described how Duke had surprised the nation, battling back from a 1-3 season start to beat Tennessee and Georgia on its way to the national championship game. Although the Blue Devils lost 62-45 to Purdue in Sunday's title game, Goestenkors said she is no less proud.
"I told the team, no one is ever going to take this season away from you," she said. "It's something that will stay with us forever."
President Nan Keohane, who introduced Goestenkors, noted that the Blue Devils' accomplishments will become a tangible part of Cameron.
"Shortly, we will, for the first time in these hallowed halls, hang a women's banner," Keohane said.
"It's going to say 'NCAA Final Four 1999,'" she added, "and it will probably be blue with white letters so everybody will know this is the first. You've made history."
Goestenkors recognized each of Duke's six seniors, and asked them to address the crowd. Among them were Michele VanGorp and Nicole Erickson, who both transferred from Purdue in 1995 to protest the school's controversial dismissal of then-coach Lin Dunn. Losing to their former teammates in the national championship only reinforced their decision, they said.
"Coming to Duke was the best decision I've ever made in my life and I'd never take it back," Erickson said.
"I would never, ever, trade my experience with my team for anything," she explained. "I don't care what the outcome would have been."
VanGorp, Duke's first ever Kodak All-American, agreed wholeheartedly.
"Three years ago, when I came here, I had a pretty broken heart and a pretty broken foot," she said. "Thanks to Coach G and the staff, they are both completely healed."
The other four seniors, who have been at Duke all four years, remarked on the program's evolution since their freshman season, when the Blue Devils went 26-7 and lost to San Francisco in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
"Every year, we've made it one step further, and I never dreamed that we would be in the Final Four," said senior Naz Medhanie, fighting back tears. "I've had four great years and I wouldn't trade it for anything."
For the fans who have followed the Blue Devils all season, the rally was an emotional finish.
"It was very powerful just hearing each one of them talk," said engineering senior Jason Holloway, who has seen almost every home and away game this season. "Naz summed it up best-how much this team means to each other, means to us and means to history."
The six graduating seniors will certainly leave a void for the Blue Devils next season.
But Goestenkors believes that the team will be back at the Final Four.
"For the underclassmen, the bar has been raised. Our sights are set at an even higher level," she said. "We're going to get back there. Somehow, some way, these kids are going to get back there."
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