Waggoner places in NCAAs

Sophomore Bo Waggoner capped off a historic weekend for the Blue Devils Monday, and Duke hopes it leads to even bigger accomplishments next year.

Waggoner finished 135th out of 252 runners in the NCAA cross country championships at Indiana State University, completing the 10k race in 31:09.3.

It was the sophomore's first NCAA race, and the Blue Devils' first appearance on the biggest stage since Nick Schneider raced in 2004.

"Bo turned in a solid effort today, especially for a sophomore," Director of Track and Field Norm Ogilvie said. "Bo's experience at this race should pay big dividends next year, when he's hopefully leading the entire Duke team at the NCAA championships."

If this season's IC4A championship is any indication, the Blue Devils may, indeed, be able to compete as a team at the 2009 NCAA championships.

Duke won the IC4A Saturday morning for the second time in the 100-year history of the race. The Blue Devils' other IC4A title came in 2005.

Duke finished the five-mile course at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx with 14 wins and no losses. The Blue Devils' 48 points were 39 better than second-place Duquesne, and their victory was due to the success of all of their runners. The team's top seven runners finished in the top 25, and they each earned all-East honors, topping Duke's previous high of four all-East runners.

The Blue Devils' top five runners finished within 13 seconds of each other-a consistency they're hoping they can continue in 2009 on an even bigger stage, one which their teammate has already experienced.