The collegiate track and field indoor season bleeds into the outdoor period, and the two combine to form a lengthy season that lasts in some cases from January until June.
The men's and women's teams have a long way to go toward the NCAA outdoor championships in Sacramento, but the team's indoor results at this past weekend's Carolina Heels Challenge are several fast steps in the right direction.
The meet, which saw five of Duke's women clear their ECAC qualifying times for the first time this season, took place in Chapel Hill Saturday. The high point of the meet came in yet another manifestation of the Duke-North Carolina rivalry: Blue Devil senior Jared Moore and Tar Heel Brian McGovern ran head-to-head in the men's 3,000-meters.
The race was a nail-biter throughout, but Moore took the win on the strength of a speedy 63 second final lap. Moore's 8:25.49 time edged McGovern's 8:26.38, qualified him for the IC4As in March and placed him fifth all-time for Duke.
Other women's teams ECAC championships qualifiers include senior Janay McKie, who had previously qualified in the 200 meters. McKie's 7.66 second finish was a third-place effort and a qualifier for ECACs.
"Last year, I was on top of my 60s," McKie said. "But this year, it's been the 200, so I'm focusing on that. Of course, if anything happens in the 60, that's cool."
McKie found both of her races in order Saturday, taking second in the 200-meters in addition to her 60-meter showing.
Other first-time qualifiers included Phebe Ko in the 5-kilometer run, Meaghan Leon in the mile and Kristie Howard in the pole vault.
Also notable on the women's side was the performance of Sarah Spalding, who netted 12th place in the 800 meters in what women's head coach Jan Ogilvie called a "major personal breakthrough" for the senior.
"We have to start fine-tuning now," Ogilvie said. "We're trying to find races that will allow us to run fast."
Freshmen and distance stars Clara Horowitz and Laura Stanley will journey to Houston next weekend for the World Junior Cross-Country Championships.
The men's competition saw the continued superiority of pole vaulter Brent Warner, who won the event with a vault of 16 feet, 4.75 inches, just several centimeters away from his best mark of the season.
Excepting the two runners in Houston, the rest of the teams travel to New York, N.Y. next weekend for the Armory College Invitational.
Freshman Steve Craig and sophomore Jared Moore took first and second in the 800 meters, with times of 1:55.77 and 1:57.23.
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