Saturday"s season-opening meet at North Carolina was all about making it to postseason championships. And led by a pair of freshmen, Duke did just that, as three Blue Devils hit the qualifying marks.
Freshman Jade Ellis finished first in the triple jump, setting a Duke record in his first collegiate competition at the UNC Fast Times meet.
'It was an eye-opening performance,' head coach Norm Ogilvie said of the rookie"s showing, which qualified him for the IC4A Championships in May. 'He many not be the best guy in the ACC right now, but he certainly has the potential to be the best in the ACC by the time he leaves here. He"s going to be a factor this year and will definitely compete for the title.'
In the men"s mile, fellow freshman Chris Spooner finished first among collegiate competitors and second overall with a time of 4:12.28, which qualified him for the IC4A Championship. Spooner also ran anchor in the men"s distance relay, in which he teamed up with Ian Cronin, Dan King, and Tyler Wasieleski to finish second to Virginia Intermont College.
Sophomore Debra Vento was the third Blue Devil to finish first in her event, as her jump of 1.73 meters in the high jump earned her a ticket to the EC4A Championship for the second straight year.
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