Seniors Megan Clark, Anima Banks, Shaun Thompson and sophomore Madison Heath captured All-American honors as the 24th-seeded Duke women finished tied for 37th overall at the NCAA outdoor championship at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., Wednesday through Saturday.
The Blue Devil women were not ranked all season, but heading into the NCAA championship the Duke women are seeded 24th and coming off some of their best performances of the year.
Less than two weeks after combining for 13 All-ACC performances at the ACC championship, the Blue Devils returned to the Sunshine State to secure nine bids to NCAAs.
After sending five competitors to last year's NCAA championship, the Blue Devils hope to send a larger contingent in 2016 with a good showing at this weekend's regional.
Led by senior Anima Banks, the Blue Devils combined for four silver medals and 13 All-ACC performances despite coming up short in the final team standings.
Duke will head to the Mike Long Track in Tallahassee, Fla., for the three-day ACC championship starting Friday with hopes of improving on last season’s performances of sixth for the men and eighth for the women.
Senior Megan Clark and sophomore Madison Heath finished in first and second place, respectively, in the pole vault competition at the famous Penn Relays.
While the inclement weather made for a rough weekend in the field events, the women’s sprint squad stepped up to give the Blue Devils a few highlights at the final meet of the regular season.
This time last year, a female pole vaulter clearing 15 feet was breaking news.
Senior Megan Clark claimed the Duke Invitational title, school and conference record and top mark in the NCAA so far this season with a clearance of 15 feet, 2 1/4 inches Saturday—one of two wins and two program records set by Blue Devil seniors in the two-day meet at Morris Williams Track and Field Stadium.
The Blue Devils will host the two-day Duke Invitational Friday and Saturday at Morris Williams Track and Field Stadium, welcoming representatives from more than 20 schools—nearly a threefold increase from the 2015 event by the same name.
Clark rewrote her own record set at the Battle of the Blues two weeks ago with a new outdoor best of 14 feet, 11 inches, and Thompson shattered Robbie Perkins’ 40-year-old record in the 10,000 meters by nearly 10 seconds with a new NCAA top time of 28:47.48.
Shaun Thompson has a plan for his Olympic Trials berth in the 10,000 meters.
With windy conditions wreaking havoc in the field events, the Blue Devils stepped up on the track to provide the weekend’s highlight performances.
Duke will compete at the Spec Towns Invitational in Athens, Ga., Friday and Saturday, taking on some of the top teams in the ACC, SEC and Big 12.
The Blue Devils finished second in the women’s competition and third in the men’s against North Carolina and Michigan Saturday afternoon in the second and final day of the Battle of the Blues at Morris Williams Track and Field Stadium.
Duke will not just be facing its rivals in powder blue uniforms this weekend when three teams square off for the Battle of the Blues title with a squad in navy mixing up the usual Tobacco Road matchup.
Duke will head to the Raleigh Relays meet starting Friday with most of the squad competing in its first meet since the indoor ACC championships. But for two Blue Devils, Friday and Saturday’s competition will mark their 2016 debut.
It was almost déjà vu.
Senior Megan Clark posted a new personal, program and conference best in the pole vault in early February, clearing 15 feet, 1 inch to win the Armory Collegiate Invitational—a mark that would have matched the winning vault from the past two national championships.
