Blue Devils Set for Home Finale at Duke Twilight

Monday, May 3

Durham, N.C.

Duke University

Duke Twilight

Photo by: Reagan Lunn

Blue Devils Set for Home Finale at Duke Twilight

5/2/2021 3:16:00 PM | Track & Field

Live Stats Schedule (PDF)Watch | ACCNX

DURHAM, N.C. – In the final tune up before the ACC Outdoor Championships, the Duke track & field program is set to honor the graduating senior class and host the Duke Twilight on Monday at Morris Williams Track & Field Stadium.

Women's track & field enters the meet in the rankings for the third straight week, checking in as the No. 19 team in the nation according to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Blue Devils will play host to ACC rivals North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest, as well as another local opponent in High Point.

FIELD EVENTS

Action begins at 11 a.m. with the women's hammer, followed by the men's hammer at 12:30 p.m.
Freshman Moorea Mitchell will be joined by sophomore Payton Little, who makes her return to action after taking sixth in the hammer at the Tobacco Road Challenge for a personal best. Mitchell took second and had a personal best that day as well and is aiming to improve on what was the fourth-furthest throw in program history.
Redshirt senior Ben Beatty will compete in the final home meet of his Blue Devils career to headline the men's field. Beatty is coming off a season best throw in the shot put and will now look to improve his best in the hammer.
Sophomore Keith Williams will be the lone representative in the triple jump. Williams saw success at the Tobacco Road Challenge in the same event, with a season best 13.20 meters.
In the first heavily represented field of the day, the women's long jump features some of the best in the nation. Graduate student Cha'Mia Rothwell owns a top-30 mark in the country with a season best of 6.38m (20-11.25 feet) and will be joined by several versatile Blue Devils, including senior Erin Marsh, graduate students Elena Brown-Soler and Zoe Hughes, as well junior Nikki Merritt.
Making his return to action is freshman Scott Campbell, who is looking to put a bow on his breakout regular season in the javelin at 3:30 p.m. Campbell owns the best throw in the ACC this season of 68.77m (225-7 feet) and has held that distinction for more than five weeks. The Blue Devils are the only ACC school with three javelin throwers in the top-10 in the conference, as Campbell is joined by graduate student Kiegan Lenihan and sophomore Luke Jackson.
Sophomore Elasia Campbell is aiming to strengthen her season-best in the high jump, with eyes on both the podium at the ACC Outdoor Championships and the NCAA East Regional. Campbell's mark of 1.74m (5-8.5 feet) ranks 41st in the NCAA East Region.
Sophomore Kinsie Huggins set a personal best in the shot put the last time she competed at Morris Williams Stadium and will aim to strengthen her position before the ACC Outdoor Championships.
Another sophomore will look to position himself for postseason success, as Ezra Mellinger will headline the Blue Devils in the men's long jump. Mellinger's season best is the 11th furthest in the ACC and ranks fourth in program history at 7.42m (24-4.25 feet).
Senior Ashleigh Rodriguez will represent the Blue Devils in the women's javelin. Rodriguez came just 0.39m away from breaking the 50m threshold for the first time in her collegiate career at the Tobacco Road Challenge and is now hoping to move up the national ranks, currently sitting at 43rd in the country.
Further events in the evening include the women's pole vault, men's shot put and men's high jump. Graduate student Julia Valenti has her eyes on the NCAA East Regional in the pole vault, entering with the 29th best vault in the country. Beatty will compete in his second event of the day in the shot put, while four Blue Devils, including sophomore Beau Allen (eighth highest clearance in the ACC) are set to attack the men's high jump.
The evening concludes in the field with the men's and women's discus. Beatty and Little are back in action and joined by decathletes and graduate students Evan Lee and Harry Lord.

TRACK EVENTS

Competition begins in quick succession at 5 p.m. as the men's and women's 4x100m relays open the day. The school record-setting quartet of sophomore Joseph Laster, senior Miles Mingo, graduate student Alex Schwedt and Mellinger are back and aiming to set a new top mark.
Senior Leigha Torino and freshman Will Atkins headline a Blue Devils field in the 800m. Torino is aiming to best her outdoor season opening run of 2:07.33, while Atkins looks to best his top-20 ACC time of 1:52.09.
The women's 100m hurdles are set to get underway next. Rothwell and Marsh remain two of the strongest short distance hurdlers in the region and will headline a well-represented Blue Devil field. Rothwell's season best and program record is the 10th fastest in the NCAA East Region and Marsh ranks 25th.
The Blue Devils will maintain a strong presence in the 400m this weekend, with several top competitors slated to run. On the women's side, graduate student Iman Sule and sophomore Jenna Crean are looking to improve on their season bests once again. Sule sits 19th in NCAA East Regional qualifying while Crean is 58th.
Mingo will lead the Blue Devils contingent on the men's side of the 400m. Mingo's personal best of 47.26 seconds this season ranks fourth in program history and he will now attempt to best that and improve his positioning for the NCAA East Regional.
Graduate student Brittany Aveni is set to return to the 100m, hoping to break her own school record of 11.41 seconds set this season. Aveni ranks 46th in the nation and 29th in NCAA East Regional qualifying in the event and has eyes on improving those ranks.
Fresh of a program record in the 400m hurdles, senior Lauren Hoffman is hoping to jump to even greater heights and will be joined by Merritt and graduate student Danielle Okonta. Hoffman holds the 12th fastest time in the nation, seventh fastest in the NCAA East Regional qualifying and second in the ACC at 57.54 seconds.
Graduate student Connor Atkinson is also hoping to break through with a new personal best after recording the fastest time in the 400m hurdles in 22 years at 52.22 seconds.
One of the fastest risers in the Blue Devils track & field program is sophomore Rory Cavan, who holds the 41st fastest 1500m time in regional qualifying and has been a tremendous fit in the event since debuting in it this season. He will lead a crowded field of Blue Devils in the 1500m.
The women's 200m field features a plethora of talented sprinters, including new program record holder Aveni, fourth-fastest time holder Rothwell, Marsh, Brown-Soler, sophomores Carly King and Crean and many more. Aveni holds the 11th fastest time in the nation, while Rothwell checks in at 71st.
Freshman Victoria Patterson has been a natural fit in the 3000m steeplechase and is aiming to improve her personal best of 10:28.20 that ranks 45th in NCAA East Regional qualifying. Patterson will be joined by freshman Emily Cole and sophomore Ryan Thompson in the men's event.
The final events of the day will be the distance runs, with the men's and women's 5000m concluding the action. Fresh off one of the top 10,000m times in the nation, senior Michaela Reinhart leads a field of six women and is joined by 2021 ACC Indoor Silver Medalist in the 5000m Sara Platek.
Seven of the eight competitors in the men's 5000m are Blue Devils as the team sends its most prolific distance runners for a final push before the ACC Outdoor Championships.