Track and field show-off depth at home contest

During a season that typically takes it far afield to various meets across the country, the track teams relish their single annual home meet, the Duke Invitational, as an opportunity to show their skills off on campus.

The teams got to host a meet in Durham this weekend, but renovations to the track at Wallace Wade Stadium compelled Duke to hold its own invitational across town at North Carolina Central University.

"It was a great weekend, thanks to support NCCU gave us," women's team head coach Jan Ogilvie said. "It's a big sacrifice to host an event like that."

Despite the off-campus location of the meet, Duke was able to succeed in the same events that have been the team's bread and butter since the beginning of indoor track: pole vault and middle distances.

Pole vaulter Brent Warner landed second place, jumping 15'6.25". Laura Chen pulled out a third place mark with a 12'6".

"Outdoor season has just started getting underway, and I'd hoped to improve upon my finish from last [weekend's IC4A qualifying vault at the Raleigh Relays]," Warner said. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do that."

Both middle distance teams put in a good showing, including two national-caliber finishes in the men's 4x800 meter relay. The "B" team, comprised of milers Ian Cronin, Casey Reardon, Bill Spierdowis and Nick Schneider, ran 7:26.43 to take home first place. The "A" team, made up of 800-meter specialists Tom Gianturco, Aaron Paul, Donny Fowler and Jon Amt, crossed the finish line less than a second later, at 7:27.13, to take second. The two times constitute the second- and fourth-best finishes in the race so far this year.

"The fact that we can field two relay teams of that quality goes to show the depth that this team has," men's head coach Norm Ogilvie said.