Blue Devils claim meet over NCCU

The cross country team triumphed in a dual meet against North Carolina Central Sept. 7, 42-34.

In the race—held on the four-kilometer Fit Loop in the Duke Forest—Duke placed four runners in the top five of both the men and women’s competitions, despite the absence of some of the Blue Devils’ top runners.

N.C. Central’s Aisha Brown won the women’s race, but the Blue Devils’ took the next four slots. Lindsay Owen and Katie Simon tied for second place, and Jenny Fraser and Caitlin Klaas finished together in fourth.

On the men’s side, Duke’s Dan Daly dominated the race, finishing a full half minute ahead of his nearest competitors. Alex Reinhart tied for second with N.C. Central’s Rashaad Lee, Duke’s Marco Salmen finished fourth and teammate Mark Buha placed fifth.

The win was Daly’s first since last October, when he placed first in the Nike Race of Champions at the Great American Cross Country Festival.

Duke will start its regular season in earnest Sept. 10. The men (1-0) will race at the Lou Onesty Invitational in Charlottesville, and the women (0-1) will travel to San Diego to take part in the San Diego Invitational.