Six Blue Devils, past and present, compete in U.S. Women's Open
The U.S. Women's Open was overwhelmed by a youth movement, particularly that of 13-year old amateur Michelle Wie and eventual champion, 24-year old Hilary Lunke.
Wie's competition among the amateur ranks included two Blue Devils: rising sophomore Liz Janangelo and rising senior Leigh Anne Hardin. Janangelo logged a 12-over-par 296 (75-73-73-75), which placed her in a tie with 16-year-old Jane Park for the second-best amateur score of the Open. The top amateur, 11 strokes ahead of Janangelo, was high-schooler Aree Song. Janangelo, a Connecticut denizen, recorded the best score of any current or former Blue Devil at this year's Open.
Janangelo was closely followed by Duke alumna Candy Hannemann, who finished at 13-over-par despite a blistering 2-under 69 on Friday. Hannemann is just beginning her second year on the tour after graduating in 2002.
Also representing Duke on the leaderboard were Beth Bauer of the class of 2001, 2002 LPGA Rookie of the Year, and Hardin. Hardin's 3-under-par 68 on Friday was negated by her abysmal 86 the next day, but consistent play on the tournament's opening and closing days netted her a solid 19-over par for the tournament. Bauer's 16-over-par for the Open earned her a share of 43rd place.
Former Blue Devil star Jean Bartholomew and current senior Virada Nirapathpongporn failed to make the cut at the Open.
Youthful players made the biggest mark at the Open this year, from the adolescent Wie's turn in the spotlight to the relatively green tour pro whose play on the greens netted her the LPGA's highest honor. There are many clubs that won't admit youngsters, but the group of elite players at this year's U.S. Women's Open is one club with no such restriction.
Beard, Tillis shine for American women's basketball teams
Seniors Alana Beard and Iciss Tillis earned spots on U.S. junior basketball teams in May, and have just recently begun competition.
Beard, a two-time All-America selection, was named a co-captain of the USA Young Women National Team. She led five of her teammates in double-digit scoring with 17 as the Americans downed Brazil in an opening exhibition contest Tuesday held in Boston.
"I've said it before, but I sort of forgot the feeling of what it's like [to be in a USA uniform]," Beard said. "I took off last summer, but now that I'm back it feels good to play with the other players. It's all a learning experience because you learn from different players, just like you learn from different coaches."
The games in Boston are in preparation for the FIBA World Championship for Young Women, which will take place in Sibenik, Croatia at the end of July.
Tillis is a member of the Pan-American Games Team, which began practices July 17 in Boston. They will then travel to Cuba for scrimmaging, along with several other nations before attending the Pan-American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Redick battles sore left hamstring, but plays on as member of U.S. Junior team
Sophomore J.J. Redick was selected as a member of the U.S. Junior World Championship basketball team at the beginning of July. The group of 12 college players assembled in Dallas, Tex., where they participated in several days of competition at the Global Games under the watch of head coach Ernie Kent. From there, the Americans travelled to Thessaloniki, Greece for the FIBA World Championships. Redick, who saw very limited action for much of the play in Greece because of a hamstring injury, did participate in action for eight minutes in the Americans' loss to Australia in the Group E quarterfinals. Australia won the game by a convincing 106-85 ledger.
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