And they're off.
This weekend the Indoor Track and Field squad officially kicked off its 2004 season at the Big 12 Meet in Chapel Hill, N.C. and the Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev.
Saturday's Big 12 Meet pitted Duke against some of the top collegiate programs and independent runners in the Carolinas, and provided head coach Norm Oglive with his first opportunity to observe how his team reacted in a competitive situation.
"The objective of this meet, not just for Duke but for all teams, is to get athletes out there and competing again, because in many instances many of these students haven't competed since the last outdoor season," Ogilvie said.
The competition was highlighted by the impressive performances of several Blue Devil freshmen. First and foremost among these surprising debuts was that of high jumper Debra Vento, who took first place with a 5-foot-10 jump, a new Duke record that also qualified Vento for the ECAC and NCAA Provisional Championships.
Equally impressive were the performances of freshmen Kelly Reynolds and Daniel King. Reynolds finished sixth in the weight throw with a distance of 49-05.5, good for second on the all-time Duke record list. King headlined the men's competition by placing 14th in the 400-meter dash. King's time of 50.22 was the fourth-best mark ever posted by a Blue Devil.
Three time zones away, the Duke pole vaulters competed in Reno in the Pole Vault Summit, a two-day exhibition that brought together pole vaulters of all ages and skill levels. The Blue Devils' women's distance runners were also absent from the Big 12 Meet.
Despite the fact that many Duke runners competed in races that they normally would not run, Ogilvie still deduced that his team has started the season off on the right foot.
"Looking at our results we feel as if our team is right where we want to be," Ogilvie said. "No great disappointments, no great surprises. Most people ran right where we expected them. The kids went out and competed; some showed that they need to work a little bit on their fitness, but they all competed really well."
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