BOSTON, Mass. - Duke track and field kicked off the ACC Indoor Championships with a bang, highlighted by a gold-medal triumph in the women's distance medley relay (DMR) and a silver medal performance by sophomore TJ Rowan in the men's pole vault.
The Blue Devils showcased their depth with eight all-conference honors, two top-five program marks, and secured spots in Saturday's 200-meter finals.
After day one, the Duke women are in fourth place with 18 points, while the men hold seventh with 11 points.
Top Performances:
Duke's women's DMR team stole the show, clinching the gold medal and All-ACC First Team honors. The dynamic quartet of Abby Hassman, Braelyn Baker, Lauren Tolbert, and Stephanie Moss clocked in at 10:52.45, winning in a thrilling photo finish.
Baker and Tolbert delivered standout second and third legs, with times of 51.95 and 2:04.05 respectively, keeping Duke in contention. Moss then displayed strategic brilliance over the final 1600 meters, unleashing a powerful kick on the last turn to edge out NC State by a mere 0.14 seconds.
Rowan added to Duke's medal haul with a silver in the men's pole vault. After skipping the first bar, he cleared the next three on his first attempts, finishing tied for second with a mark of 5.25m (17-2.75 feet).
In the men's weight throw, junior Christian Toro earned All-ACC Second Team honors, finishing sixth with a top throw of 21.26m (69-9 feet) on his fourth attempt.
Jette Beermann made her mark in the women's 5000m, securing her first all-conference honor with a fifth-place finish and a time of 15:54.95, earning a spot on the second team.
Sophomore Valerie Jirak also shone, capturing All-ACC Second Team honors in the women's pentathlon. Her sixth-place finish was highlighted by a strong third-place effort in the 800m, totaling 3,743 points.
Graduate student John Fay impressed in the men's weight throw, achieving a personal best of 20.67m (67-9.75 feet), solidifying his No. 4 all-time Duke mark.
Duke's Maya Collins and Mia Edim advanced to Saturday's women's 200m final with stellar preliminary performances. Collins recorded a personal best of 23.34, the second-fastest in Duke history, while Edim posted a career-best 23.59, tying for fourth all-time in the program.
ACC Medalists:
- Braelyn Baker - Gold Medalist (DMR)
- Abby Hassman - Gold Medalist (DMR)
- Stephanie Moss - Gold Medalist (DMR)
- Lauren Tolbert - Gold Medalist (DMR)
- TJ Rowan - Silver Medalist (Pole Vault)
All-ACC Honors:
- Braelyn Baker - All-ACC First Team (DMR)
- Abby Hassman - All-ACC First Team (DMR)
- Stephanie Moss - All-ACC First Team (DMR)
- TJ Rowan - All-ACC First Team (Pole Vault)
- Lauren Tolbert - All-ACC First Team (DMR)
- Jette Beermann - All-ACC Second Team (5000m)
- Christian Toro - All-ACC Second Team (Weight Throw)
- Valerie Jirak - All-ACC Second Team (Pentathlon)
Up Next:
Day two of the ACC Indoor Championships continues with the men's heptathlon starting Friday morning at 11 a.m. Field events are set for 1 p.m., followed by running events at 3:15 p.m.