Duke's track and field teams returned from Boston this weekend with another solid series of performances under their belts. In perhaps the most anticipated weekend of the indoor season, the small group of ECAC and IC4A qualifiers competed against the most select talent in the country.
For the women, Jillian Schwartz once again turned heads in the pole vault, claiming her first indoor title and once again breaking her own school record.
Schwartz vaulted 13 feet 5.25 inches, the height that placed her third in the outdoor championship last year. Clearing this height this early in the year lends great promise for the outdoor season. Before beginning the outdoor pole vault season, Schwartz will cap off her indoor streak at the NCAA championship next weekend. She is currently ranked fourth in the nation.
Sophomore Jodi Schlesinger took 14th in the triple jump with a leap of 39 feet six inches, her second-best jump of the season. Schlesinger, who has battled injuries this season, also has great prospects for the outdoor season.
Also competing for the Duke women this weekend were two relay teams, both of which faced fierce competition. The women's 4x400 relay clocked in at its second fastest time of the year, while the distance medley took fourth, crushing the school record by 10 seconds with a time of 11:22.65. Composed of powerhouses Katie Atlas and Sheela Agrawal, as well as Jenna McKie and a recovering Kristen Doody, the medley team ran a slow heat due to the fact they scratched at their previous attempt to register a time.
Lapping every team in their race, these four women set the standard for the top heat and earned an NCAA provisional qualifying time. Agrawal in particular delivered an impressive time of 4:41 in her mile anchor leg.
The distance medley team ranks 14th in the nation heading into the national championship. Since only the top 12 teams may compete, women's coach Jan Samuelson-Ogilvie has decided to temporarily dissolve the relay to allow Agrawal and Atlas to compete individually at the national tournament.
Samuelson-Ogilvie expressed her satisfaction with the indoor season and was pleased to announce that for the first time in Duke history, at least three Blue Devil women will be competing in the NCAA championship.
For the men, senior Terry Brennan led the way with a school record-breaking performance in the preliminaries of the 3,000-meter run. Brennan crossed the finish line with a time of 8:22.17. Teammate Sean Kelly finished two seconds behind. Brennan and Kelly took ninth and 11th places in the finals.
Also noteworthy for the men was the 4x800 relay, which clocked in at 7:39.49, the fifth fastest in Duke history.
Duke athletes who qualified will travel to Fayetteville Friday to cap off the indoor season at the 2001 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship. The Blue Devils will then take a well-earned week off for spring break before they return for the outdoor season.
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