Women's golf falls at NCAAs, players excel individually
The Blue Devils team went into the NCAA Championships as the prohibitive favorite but could only muster a third-place finish. UCLA won the title, and the Blue Devils ended a 10-win season on a sour note.
Virada Nirapathpongporn, the 2002 NCAA Individual Champion, led the Blue Devils and tied for sixth. Liz Janangelo, who was named Golfweek College Player of the Year and shattered the Duke season record for stroke average, finished 16th individually.
The team, however, got over the disappointment quickly. Playing individual tournaments over the summer, the Blue Devils have compiled an impressive list accomplishments. Sophomore Brittany Lang won medalist honors at the Women's Amateur Public Links in record fashion, registering a 65 on the final day of the event. She moved on to the stroke play event but lost in the quarterfinals.
Nirapathpongporn turned pro and has been competing on the FUTURES Tour. Along with senior Niloufar Azam-Zanganeh, Nirapathpongporn played in the U.S. Women's Open, but both failed to maked the cut.
Horowitz named track and field All-American
Clara Horowitz became the fourth Duke woman to earn All-American status at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships June 12. The Berkeley, Calif., native received the distinction with a fifth-place finish in the 5,000-meter run, crossing the tape in 16:34.44. She is the first Duke woman to be honored as an All-American since Jillian Schwartz in 2001. A record six women qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Layden, Schreiber picked in MLB amateur draft
The Chicago Cubs selected Duke lefty Tim Layden in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball Amateur draft June 7. Layden, who was selected with the 189th overall pick, opted to forgo his final year of college eligibility to sign with Chicago.
Additionally, senior right-handed pitcher Zach Schreiber was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 16th round of the draft. A Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native, Schreiber led Duke starting pitchers in innings pitched and ERA in 2004.
Spring sports wrap up NCAA season
The men's golf team failed to advance to the NCAA Championships, falling one stroke short of a qualifying score at the NCAA East Regional in New Haven, Conn. The Blue Devils, paced by top-15 finishers Ryan Blaum and Nathan Smith, tied for 12th.
The women's lacrosse team qualified for the NCAA Tournament, but the Blue Devils lost a 13-12 overtime match to Georgetown at Koskinen Stadium. Both of the Blue Devils' home losses this year have come at the hands of the Hoyas. The rowing team finished in fourth place at the South Region Sprints in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Duke's second Varsity Eight won its event and the Varsity Eight finished fifth.
The men's tennis team suffered a disappointing 4-3 loss to Clemson in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. After initially surging to a 3-1 lead, Blue Devils Peter Rodrigues and Phillip King both fell victim to cramps, paving the way for an impressive Tigers comeback. The tennis team, which lost ITA Region II Senior Player of the Year King to graduation, finished the season at 20-8.
The women's tennis team made it to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships in Athens, Ga., before falling to eventual National Champions Stanford, 4-0. The team defeated Furman, William & Mary and Northwestern en route to the Elite Eight.
Duke improves Director's Cup standing
Duke athletics recorded an 18th-place finish in the Director's Cup, placing second in the ACC, behind North Carolina. The performance represents an improvement over last year's 21st-place finish, when the Blue Devils placed third in the ACC, behind North Carolina and Virginia.
Stanford won the crown and was followed in the standings by Michigan, UCLA, Ohio State and Georgia. Florida, North Carolina, Washington, California and Texas rounded out the top 10.
Women's tennis adds 3 freshmen
Looking to fill the gap left by four-time All-American Amanda Johnson, the women's tennis team added three recruits--Lauren Archer, Jackie Carleton and Clelia Deltour--to the 2004-2005 team.
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