Last year, the Blue Devils went to the Three Stripe Invitational and won by 25 points. This year, they look to repeat that success.
After placing eighth at the ACC championships, Duke will send its B squad to WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., to try to defend their title. The race begins at 10 a.m. Saturday.
In last year's meet, the Blue Devils swiped four of the top 10 spots. William Rooney finished third to lead the way, followed by Max Robinson in fifth, Henry Farley in sixth and Daniel Moore in seventh. Of that quartet, Rooney and Moore are still on Duke's roster, though Moore raced with the A team at the ACC championships, finishing 57th.
The Blue Devils will match up against fellow ACC teams in North Carolina and N.C. State and run against the Tar Heel and Wolfpack B squads in a five-kilometer race. An eight-harrier Duke squad comprised of three juniors and sophomores will toe the line for the Blue Devils Saturday morning.
“This race gives a chance for our guys to get another race in and continue to improve,” Duke head coach Norm Ogilvie said.
The B squad has a lot to live up to, as not only did they win the meet last year, but graduate student Shaun Thompson also competed as an individual, set the course record with a time of 14:20.02. Since he was redshirting in 2014, Thompson ran unattached instead of running as a member of Duke’s team.
With plenty of new faces prepared to toe the line, Ogilvie expressed confidence in Duke's ability to compete for a second straight title.
“Our team should do fine,” Ogilvie said. “Any of us could win this meet—it’s all about running our eighth, ninth and 10th best guys.”
The 5,000 meter course loops around the WakeMed Soccer Complex, finishing with a steep uphill—a feature that will test the weary harriers in the home stretch.
This meet marks another transition in the team’s season. Entering October, the length of meets extended from six to eight kilometers, and now, entering postseason play, meets are extending from eight kilometers to ten. Because of this, the top runners, such as Thompson and senior Blake Udland, will be resting to prepare for the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships in Charlottesville, Va.
“[Resting the top runners] is very important,” Ogilvie said. “[The NCAA Southeast Regional championships] is the meet you go up in distance for, and your entire season is on the line, so their rest is significant.”
The Duke women are only sending two competitors, junior Gina Daniel and senior Allison Sturges, as head coach Christine Engel and the Blue Devils are focusing on next week’s meet in Charlottesville. Both runners posted top-20 finishes at the event last year.
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