DURHAM – The Duke men's track and field team opened NCAA East Regional action with a strong day of competition as
Erick Duffy,
Luke Jackson and
Scott Campbell each punched their tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
"I'm really proud of our men's team today," said Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
Shawn Wilbourn. "That has to be one of the best first days for us ever at an NCAA Regional meet. I'm so excited to see them continue this progress on Friday."
Campbell and Jackson kicked off the opening day's events in the men's javelin, with both individuals competing in the third heat. Jackson delivered a clutch, personal-best performance on his third attempt as he launched the javelin 70.54m (231-5 feet), good for eighth overall among the field. Campbell finished 11th to secure his spot at nationals, getting it done with a 69.55m (228-2 feet) toss.
Just two weeks after winning event gold at the ACC Outdoor Championships, Duffy booked his ticket to Eugene following another steady performance in the pole vault. The North Andover, Mass., native cleared the first two bars on his first attempt before finishing with a final clearance of 5.29m (17-4.25 feet).
On the track, four other Blue Devils continued their push for the NCAA Outdoor Championships as each advanced to Friday's quarterfinal round in their respective events, beginning with graduate student
Nick Dahl's run of 3:43.57 in the first round of the men's 1500m – the third fastest overall time in the field.
Graduate student
Miles Mingo and freshman
Beck Wittstadt moved on to the next round of the 400m dash and 800m run, respectively, after each notched personal-best performances. Mingo improved his No. 2 all-time Duke time dashing 46.40 seconds, while Wittstadt clocked 1:48.53 to finish ninth overall in the first round.
A weather delay pushed back the start time of the 200m dash, but graduate student
Donovan Spearman didn't let that hinder his performance. Spearman advanced to the quarterfinal behind a finish of 20.78 seconds, which was just .01 seconds off his personal best and school record time.
To see the full results from day one, click
HERE.
Up Next:
Duke continues regional action, with the women taking part in their first day of competition. The day's events get going at 2 p.m., with
Dana Baker competing in the women's javelin while
Erin Marsh and
Chyler Turner hit the track for the 100m hurdles. Thirteen women are slated to compete in an exciting day of action.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils cross country and track & field, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeTFXC."
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