With the conclusion of the regular season at the end of April, Duke rowing is gearing up to compete in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments throughout the month. The Blue Zone is here with a preview of the postseason:
The Blue Devils finished the season strong as they earned four first-place finishes at the Lake Wheeler Invitational to conclude the season. These top finishes allowed then No. 16-seed Duke to finish second in the team standings, just behind No. 5 Tennessee.
Duke will be returning to Lake Wheeler for its next meet as it co-hosts the ACC Tournament with North Carolina. The Blue Devils dominated the ACC Tournament seeding with the squad’s Third Varsity Eight and Varsity Four receiving No. 1-seeds, Varsity Eight and Second Varsity Four at No. 2 and Second Varsity Eight at the No. 3-seed. Unlike other sports, positioning is determined by a vote of the conference's head coaches.
Duke claimed bronze in last year's ACC Tournament, just three points behind the Syracuse team that claimed second place. This year, the group from Durham will be looking to ride its strong seeding to make a jump into the gold spot.
Only a little is known about the NCAA Championships that begin May 31, but Duke can expect to do fairly well. After ending 14th last season with 56 points — the best finish in program history — the Blue Devils are looking only to move up as they complete this season ranked 15th overall.
Duke has been close to Virginia and Indiana in the rankings all season, both of whom represent formidable opponents the Blue Devils will have to overcome in order to push past their record-breaking finish from last season potentially.
This postseason not only marks the end of the 2024 season for Duke Rowing but also the end of head coach Megan Cooke Carcagno’s career with the Blue Devils after nine seasons leading the program. Cooke Carcagno announced her retirement May 3, citing a desire to spend more time with her family.
This postseason marks the potential for strong endings for the Blue Devils, both in terms of the season and the decade.
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