The NCAA selections announced Tuesday marked the continuation of what head coach Norm Ogilive has called a "banner year" for the women's track and field program.
The Blue Devils will send seven competitors to the NCAA Finals next week in Austin, Tx., easily surpassing the previous program total of one athlete.
Of those seven, only Shannon Rowbury won her spot in the event at this past weekend's NCAA Regionals at the University of Florida. The other six were awarded places by virtue of their performance throughout the season.
Rowbury--who achieved All-American status during the indoor season--earned a fourth-place finish in the 1,500-meter run Saturday in Gainesville, crossing the tape in a time of 4:21.10. The time was slower than her previous best mainly due to the torrid weather.
"Shannon ran two great races," Ogilvie said. "The first was a textbook qualifying race where she just hung back and kicked when she had to in the last 200 meters. She looks superb in the finals. The temperature was very warm, in the mid 90s, and the humidity, but it was still an outstanding performance and she will defanetly be a factor at the NCAA meet."
Along with Rowbury, Clara Horowitz in the 5,000-meters and high jumper Debra Vento have the best chances for the Blue Devils to score points at the national meet according to Ogilvie.
Vento competed at the regional meet but finished in a tie for 17th, clearing a mark of 5-6.5. Vento, who holds the Duke record in the women's high jump, received a bid to nationals based on a superb freshman season.
"There is no question Deb had an off-day at regionals. She has had an incredible string of on-days, and at her best, she can compete with anyone in the country," Ogilvie said. "Indoors, when she got to the big show, she rose to the occasion."
In the 5,000-meter race at regionals the Blue Devils' depth in the distance events was apparent. Five team finished in the top 25, led by Horowitz's ninth-place showing and Sally Meyerhoff's 13th place performance. Both Horowitz and Meyerhoff earned bids to next week's national meet despite failing to earn automatic births.
In an event that was not contested at regionals, three Blue Devils earned a chance to race for the national crown in the 10,000-meter event. Heidi Hullinger, Laura Stanley and Natasha Roetter will all compete Thursday in Austin.
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"The 10-k is a wide open event," Ogilvie said. "Because it is so long, it becomes a survival of the fittest and a war of attrition. The three are not the most talented in the country in terms of the personal bests, but everybody lines up and they fire the gun. I like our odds of someone doing something special."
Although the women's team received word of the seven qualifying bids Tuesday, the men's team was not as fortunate. The team will not send a representative to Austin after hopeful Brent Warner failed to qualify in the pole vault.
Warner, who surprised the field by qualifying for last year's national meet, could only muster a ninth-place jump this time around. Regardless, Warner finishes his career as one of the most decorated track and field athletes in recent years. Working at Duke next year, he will serve as a volunteer assistant coach for the pole vaulters and continued to stay involved in the Duke program.
"Brent was obviously extremely disappointed, and we all felt bad for him," Ogilvie said. "He just had a rough day. It happens in the pole vault. He has been very clutch, but it just didn't happen this time."