Since their freshman year, the six members of the women's cross country team's class of 2005 have steadily taken Duke in one direction: up.
Three years ago, then-freshmen Shannon Rowbury, Clara Horowitz, Sally Meyerhoff, Laura Stanley and Liz Wort raced in their first NCAA Championship. The group occupied five of the women's cross country team's seven entry slots to help Duke earn 17th place-the highest finish at the NCAAs in the school's history to that point.
Last year, then-juniors Meyerhoff, Rowbury, Horowitz and Natasha Roetter bested that record and led the Blue Devils to a second place finish at the meet. Stanley was forced to red-shirt the cross country season with a broken elbow.
This year, for the first time since their freshman year, the six seniors of the class of 2005 are all running together during the cross country season. And with Duke ranked at No. 1 for the first time in program history, the seniors are helping to make history again.
"Everyone is very excited," head coach Kevin Jermyn said of the team's No. 1 ranking. "We have a lot of upperclassmen on this team that have worked very hard. Their hard work over the years has paid off. The fact that we have them all clicking together right now is great."
As seniors they have taken advantage of their collective experience to help lead the team.
"When we came in as freshmen, we had seven really talented girls but we didn't really have anyone to lead us," Rowbury said. "Now the atmosphere has definitely changed. We have a chance to provide leadership for the freshmen that we never had."
During its final season together, the class has focused on fostering a sense of team unity and "building the team dynamic" through various activities, Rowbury said.
"It's really a great environment," Rowbury said. "We really came together this year. Hopefully it will show."
Adding to Duke's newfound cohesion and continued success are the team's additions from the class of 2009. Freshman Whitney Anderson has placed third in both of her races as a Blue Devil, including the Blue Devils' win at the Great American Cross Country Festival Sept. 24.
The Blue Devils have spent the early part of the fall season training hard so they will hopefully peak at the NCAA Championships in November.
Led by Meyerhoff, Duke finished 109 seconds behind Colorado at last year's championship.
"We finished second last year," Jermyn said. "Our goal is to be better."
For Rowbury and Meyerhoff, the 2005 NCAA Championships will be their fourth and final chance to compete in the meet and to take Duke to the top.
"I think we have the talent for it," Rowbury said. "You never really know until it happens, but we definitely have the potential."
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