Despite the name of the Rocky Top Invitational, this weekend’s regatta was smooth sailing for Duke.
The 14th-ranked Blue Devils traveled to Oak Ridge, Tenn., to compete in the inaugural Rocky Top Invitational. Over two days, Duke went stoke-for-stroke against ranked opponents No. 5 Tennessee, No. 17 UCF and No. 20 North Carolina, alongside unranked Clemson and Minnesota. Led by head coach Adrian Spracklen, the Blue Devils took home second overall with 165 points and a first-place finish in the second final of the Second Varsity Four.
While Duke took home only one first-place finish in finals, Friday’s preliminaries featured several other impressive races. In the second heat of Third Varsity Eight, the stage was set for a miniature Tobacco Road showdown. Duke’s boat, consisting of coxswain Kina Desai, Morven Thomson, Luisa Mantilla, Allister Wolff, Sophie Gower, Ellie Choate, Mary Claire Morrison, Ari Solomon and Matilda Macartney, faced off against only the Tar Heels in its heat. At the end of the 2000 meters, the Blue Devils were crowned the winners. They clocked in at a time of 7:21.92, just under six seconds ahead of North Carolina, to secure first place in the heat.
In the first final heat of 3V8, Duke fell second to the Lady Volunteers, who held a nine-and-a-half-second margin of victory over the Blue Devils. Duke saw a significant improvement from its Friday performance, however, crossing the finish line at 7:04.57.
For a repeat victory in the second heat of the Varsity Four race, the Blue Devils faced a pair of opponents from down south. Directed by coxswain Lucy Herrick, the boat composed of Grace Matos, Vivienne Foley, Sophia Greco and Chelsea Proutt never let up on the gas. The Duke boat finished seven seconds ahead of UCF and nearly 21 seconds in front of Clemson for a dominant 7:30.33 performance.
The Blue Devils’ preliminary time seeded them first in the finals, set next to the formidable Tennessee lineup. As the two teams raced across Melton Hill Lake, Duke stayed in line with the Lady Vols. At the end of the course, however, Tennessee’s bow passed the finish first, just three seconds ahead of the Blue Devils. A 7:28.99 performance by Duke is nothing to scoff at, with a second-and-a-half improvement from Friday’s appearance in the water.
Continuing their Saturday success, the Blue Devils took home first place in the second final of the Second Varsity Four to earn fourth place. Set against Minnesota and Clemson, Duke dominated the water. At 7:40.77, the Blue Devils finished over five seconds ahead of Minnesota in second. They also finished only .125 seconds behind North Carolina, who raced in the final heat. The Blue Devils also had an almost 17-second improvement on their preliminary performance of 7:57.58.
The Blue Devils will be back in the water April 18, where they will compete in Sarasota, Fla., at the Big Ten Invitational.
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