Duke cross country runners shattered several personal records this past weekend. The men dominated the Great American Cross Country Festival, while the women took eight of the top nine spots at the Hagan Stone Cross Country Classic.
“We were waiting for that race and it came today,” men’s head coach Norm Ogilvie said. “I thought that Dominick Robinson ran a courageous race. He was in a real foot race with a legitimate runner... and he didn’t back down. And when it came time to win the race uphill, he found a way to get it done.”
Robinson, a sophomore who took the individual title, was more than satisfied with both the team and individual results.
“I beat my time from last year and I won,” Robinson said. “Those were both my goals so I was happy with it. I had a race where I didn’t die the last mile. I stuck with it and was able to get the win.”
Other Blue Devil runners also had exceptional races at the Great American Cross Country Festival as they forged up the hill to the finish to earn their spots in the top ten.
“I think we saw some career-type races for our second man Brendon Pierson, our third man Joey Elsakr,” Ogilvie said. “So the top five guys [for Duke] here will be running at the Virginia Invitational in two weeks and they’ve got a mathematical shot at making the ACC squad.”
The only downside for Duke at this weekend’s meet was that senior Jonathan Chu struggled with the heat near the end of the race. He was still able to complete, but Ogilvie voiced some concerns.
“He was kind of overcome by the heat coming up the home stretch,” Ogilvie said. “You have to be really careful about bringing a guy back who has suffered some form of heat distress.”
The women’s team also experienced a new level of success as junior Esther Vermeer lowered her personal best by twenty seconds and took first as an individual at the Hagan Stone meet.
“She [Vermeer] ran unattached but had one of the fastest times for a Duke athlete on that course,” women’s head coach Kevin Jermyn said. “There’s a good chance she’ll be competing for us at a championship level.”
Vermeer’s impressive performance bodes well for Duke as the Blue Devils head toward the increased level of competition that accompanies the end of the season.
“We had a girl run this course who placed eighth at nationals and Esther’s time is better,” Jermyn said. “We’re excited about where she’s at.”
Vermeer was happy as well, but quick to emphasize that the top finish was by no means something that would make her complacent.
“I still want to compete for Duke [at a higher level],” Vermeer said. “I want to be in the top seven.”
Despite the continued desire for improvement by Vermeer and the other Duke runners, the coaches of both teams are proud of their squads and their performance this weekend.
“This is one of the more positive competitions we’ve had all season,” Jermyn said. “As for the men, it was just a continuation of the success they’ve experienced thus far.”
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