The track team represented Duke at three locations across the country over the weekend, as its athletes continued to shine with first-rate individual performances.
To start the weekend, a handful of runners traveled to Madison Square Garden in New York for the oldest indoor track invitational, the Millrose Games. Sophomore Shannon Rowbury had a impressive showing, placing second in the 1000-yard run with a time of 2:36.60. The men's 4x800 team of Steve Craig, Ian Cronin, Jon Amt and Nick Schneider placed fourth in a field of top-competitors with a time of 7:46.28.
"The [4x800] race had some very good competition and we received great exposure in front of the 14,000 spectators," head coach Norm Ogilvie said. "We took the lead late in the race, but were out-kicked at the finish."
The majority of the team did not have to travel far, as it again turned in solid performances at the familiar track in Chapel Hill for the Carolina Classic. Senior standout Brent Warner once again set a school record in the pole vault, finishing second in the meet with 17-0.75.
"The fact that Brent is being consistent only one height away [from the NCAA provisional qualifying height] is a good sign," Ogilvie said.
Also at Carolina, freshman Debra Vento beat her Duke record in the high jump, placing first in the meet with a provisional NCAA qualifying height of 5-10.75. Laura Chen vaulted a personal-record 12-5.5 and Tiara Moore triple jumped 36-4.75, each earning the second-place spot on the Duke all-time list in their respective events.
Three Blue Devil freshmen traveled to Indianapolis for the USATF Junior National Cross Country Championships. Competing against the top 19-and-under talent in the country including high schoolers and collegiate freshman, Elle Pishny finished the 6k course in 22:03. Pishny's performance was good enough to earn herself a 10th-place finish and a spot as an alternate on the national team to compete in the World Championships this May in Brussels, Belgium. Keith Krieger and Alex Romero competed in the men's 8k, placing 23rd and 34th, respectively.
"This weekend there were some nice alterations to the all time list. We're very, very pleased," Ogilvie said.
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