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ROWING
Duke hungry to return to NCAA championship Cole Winton The Chronicle A year after making their first-ever appearance at the NCAA championship, the Blue Devils are trying to show that their performance was not a fluke and was not dependent on last year’s senior stars Alex Stonehill and Katie Dukovich. And with a roster featuring 17 freshmen who will have the chance to learn from Duke’s returners, second-year head coach Megan Cooke Carcagno’s plan seems to be right on track heading into the spring. The ACC Coach of the Year last
Beat’sTake
The Scoop: Head coach Megan Cooke Carcagno looks to continue building on early success in her second season leading the Blue Devil program. After taking Duke to its first ever NCAA championship last spring and demanding more commitment from the Blue Devils, Cooke Carcagno is hoping this year’s team can close the gap between Duke and the nation’s top programs. Key Players: Seniors Phoebe Donovan and Elizabeth Horne—The two veterans are two of the most important pieces in the Blue Devils’ top V8 boat, which took fifth out of 59 competitors at the Princeton Chase last fall and
season, Cooke Carcagno demanded more commitment from the Blue Devils when she arrived, resulting in a sizable number of departures from the program. However, Duke’s remaining competitors responded to the shift in mentality, grabbing second at the ACC championship and immediately taking the program to new heights. The Blue Devils placed 17th at the NCAA championship last year, and enter this season trying to close the gap on the nation’s best programs. Duke appeared to do that when its top varsity-eight boat took fifth out of 59 competitors at the Princeton Chase in late October, but the Blue Devils will now get to see whether they can continue reeling in
top competition. “We’ve made up a lot of ground on Princeton, Yale, Brown and [Virginia], and I was really happy to see our [top eight] place in the top five with those teams,” Cooke Caracagno said in the fall. “That’s fast company. This is a good place to check in with what we are doing, and where our heads are at.” With her first recruiting class now on campus, Cooke Carcagno’s program is rapidly taking shape. After focusing much of her attention last year on getting to know her new team, the former Wisconsin associate head coach and her staff have been able to focus more on building the team’s foundation. Last year, Duke’s upperclassmen noted
the shift to more specialized training with Cooke Carcagno and assistant coach Chase Graham was making its mark—a trend that has continued into year two. “This year, we were able to hit the ground running and already be able to compare what we’re doing now and what we did a year ago,” Cooke Carcagno said. “The girls also know me better, know my expectations, there’s less of a getting-to-know-you, honeymoon phase.” Although the Blue Devil roster is filled with new faces, Duke’s competitive boats in the fall relied on returning talent that had been in the program. The team’s top V8 and varsity-four See ROWING on Page 9
also impressed at the Rivanna Romp. Donovan and Horne boast championship experience after helping to lead Duke’s 2V8 to success at ACCs and NCAAs a season ago, and the tandem hopes to emulate last year’s seniors and leave a legacy behind for a growing Blue Devil program. Events to Watch—April 15 against Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame in Columbus, Ohio; April 29— Dale England Cup Prediction: Second in ACC, 15th at NCAA championship
—Cole Winton
Photo Courtesy of Duke Athletics The Blue Devils were closer to some of the nation’s top teams at the Princeton Chase last fall, and hope to continue improving in Cooke Carcagno’s second year.
4 | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017
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MEN’S LACROSSE
CHIP ON THEIR SHOULDER
Long-stick midfielders look to spark Duke on both ends Villanova transfer Cerrone stars in midfield line
Phil Coons The Chronicle
Sid Bhaskara
People like to say that lacrosse is the fastest game played on two feet. As far as Duke senior Ethan Powley is concerned, that is perfectly fine. The Wake Forest, N.C., native has spent the majority of his career learning from one of the sport’s most decorated teachers, and after overseeing Powley’s offseason position change from defense to longstick midfielder, Duke head coach John Danowski is ready to turn his newly-minted agent of chaos loose on the rest of the ACC. Before making the switch to long-stick midfielder, Powley started the majority of the past two seasons at close defense, living in the face of opposing attackmen and making every offensive possession as unpleasant as possible. In 19 games last season, Powley caused 21 turnovers, the most on the team, and picked up 36 ground balls. With the graduation of long-time team leaders Deemer Class and Myles Jones, the Blue Devils are turning to Powley and fellow seniors Jack Bruckner, Danny Fowler and Kyle Rowe to set the tone for the rest of the squad. “When you are a senior, now for the first time you look around and say, ‘Where is Myles or Deemer?’” Danowski said. “All the seniors are transitioning to that experience. And for a guy like Ethan, not only is he trying to play a new position, but he is also realizing, ‘Wow, there is nobody else that I defer to.’ Everyone is looking at [Ethan] and it is hard. That is not an easy thing, and guys play their way into that.” Powley and goalkeeper Fowler are responsible for communicating and organizing the rest of the defense as possessions materialize on the other side of the field. Possession during a lacrosse game can change instantly. The top-down view of the opposing offense that Powley often has when trailing the fast break is invaluable for Fowler and the back line of the defense. Fowler is often screened to the offensive player’s true intentions by his teammates and the crowds around the crease. “It is just a different spot on the the field,” Powley said of his position switch. “I am up top now so I’m kind of looking down on the defense. It is more of a communicative role where I’m trying to instruct the recoveries, whereas down low I was defending the dodge from behind the cage.” Powley’s new position has become
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Beat’sTake
The Scoop: The 2017 Blue Devils are overwhelmingly young on both sides of the ball and still play in a conference that boasts three legitimate national championship contenders in Syracuse, Notre Dame and defending champions North Carolina. The offense returns just two starters and the defense only one. What Duke lacks in experience, however, it makes up for in potential with a deep 10-man recruiting class that took Inside Lacrosse’s top recruiting ranking. Key Players: Attack Justin Guterding—The Garden City, N.Y., native, recently became the fastest ever Blue Devil to 100 points, and
Jack White | The Chronicle Senior Ethan Powley is back at his natural midfield position for his final season in Durham and could be a major difference-maker in unsettled offensive situations this year.
increasingly important in today’s lacrosse climate. As incoming recruits come into college more athletic and prepared than ever before, coaches must mold their game plans around containing offensive midfielders that have the ability to score on the run in transition and attack from behind the goal in inverted sets. The ability for a long-pole to both blanket a midfielder and attack the goal in transition can add a new wrinkle to a game that coaches struggle to plan for. Some of the most successful teams in recent memory illustrate this matchup problem when a long-pole can stretch the defense in unsettled situations, as Brown senior long-stick midfielder Larken Kemp earned All-American honors after keying the team’s Final Four run last year with six goals and 12 assists in the transition game. Even at Duke, the position has been critical. When Powley was a freshman, he learned under the tutelage of Luke Duprey, who earned thirdteam All-American accolades after sparking Duke’s run to the Final Four with 22 caused turnovers, including three in a crucial overtime victory against ACC rival North Carolina. A few years earlier, CJ Costabile, a former Tewaaraton Award finalist, scored the gamewinning goal in overtime to beat Notre Dame in the 2010 national championship game. The image of Costabile streaking down the middle of the field gearing up to shoot overhand with his long-pole is seared into Duke sports lore forever—it clinched the Blue Devils’ first national title in men’s lacrosse.
It is no surprise that Powley looks poised to add his name to that list this year—Danowski has always stressed the importance of capitalizing on unsettled situations to gain the advantage, with long-stick midfielders playing an integral role. “They are the guys that can create some havoc, you know who can make a mistake but yet make up for it because they have a sixfoot pole.” Danowski said. “They play such an important role, communicating in the box, being a pest between the lines and creating transition offense. Hopefully, the great ones can do all three.” Powley and junior Peter Welch have already played a major role in the Blue Devil game plan this season. Powley, the defensive-minded veteran, and Welch, a nimble creator with the stick in his hand, combine to give Danowski worthy leaders on the wing and in transition. Welch, a Bernardsville, N.J., native, has an assist and nine ground balls in five games, and like Powley he will look to guide the duo’s younger teammates with the challenge of ACC play on the horizon for an inexperienced team that has already taken two losses on the chin. “Every week is a different challenge; each team runs a different offense.” Powley said. “We just try to focus on film and try to learn the different styles or whether a team is running a different set or recovery. It is all about helping some of the younger players understand the faster pace of the game.” Ben Leonard contributed reporting.
Following Duke’s second straight firstround NCAA tournament loss last spring, the reality that one of the most decorated senior classes in the program’s history had failed to live up to expectations in its final two years started to set in. Even with two-time national champion midfielders Deemer Class, Myles Jones and Chad Cohan putting up record-breaking offensive numbers, the Blue Devils could not deliver the timely plays needed to advance deep into the postseason. As a result, head coach John Danowski had to confront a new challenge much earlier than expected—replacing his best offensive playmakers in the midfield in addition to bolstering the team’s defense Luckily for the three-time national champion, an experienced college player decided to transfer to Durham and join a group of heralded recruits in the midfield before the Blue Devils opened summer workouts. Enter Sean Cerrone, one of the few transfers in the program’s recent history, by way of Villanova. “I wanted to go somewhere where I would have a chance to play for a national championship,” Cerrone said. “I just didn’t feel like I was at a school where I could get that done. I definitely wanted to achieve more as a team, more than just personal success.” Through two years with the Wildcats, Cerrone had accumulated 57 points, but his team went a combined 15-13 and failed to make the NCAA tournament in either year. It was at that point that the offensiveminded junior began exploring his options elsewhere. Despite a solid level of individual contribution, highlighted by leading the team in total points as a freshman, Cerrone did not appear to reach his potential following a stellar career at Chaminade (N.Y.) High School. The Huntington, N.Y., native was named an Under Armour All-American as well as a U.S. Lacrosse All-American coming out of high school. So naturally, when it came time to choose a new destination to spend the next See CERRONE on Page 9
with Myles Jones, Deemer Class and Case Matheis graduated, the junior will become the new focal point of the Duke offense. Midfielder Kyle Rowe—After an excellent honorable mention All-American campaign in his junior season, Rowe is an anchor for the Blue Devils at the faceoff X and makes life easier for Duke’s newer offensive players. Games to Watch: March 11 vs. No. 9 Loyola, March 25 at No. 6 Syracuse, April 8 vs. No. 4 Notre Dame. Prediction: Fourth in the ACC, NCAA tournament first round —Sid Bhaskara
Rachel Baber | The Chronicle Villanova transfer Sean Cerrone has looked comfortable on Duke’s first midfield line early in the season.
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017 | 5
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
EMBRACING THE NEW SHOT CLOCK
Schwitter applying experience with U.S. national team to Duke defense Meredith Cash
Lockwood has big shoes to fill in net
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Ben Feder
Most casual lacrosse fans notice the obvious stars—the flashy goal scorers darting in and out of the crease and firing shots into the back of the net. But if you look a little closer, you see versatile, often overshadowed players like Maura Schwitter, whose blue-collar mentality makes her one of the most valuable players in the country. The Oradell, N.J., native, who has anchored Duke’s defense as a starter throughout her four years as a Blue Devil, was one of 36 players named to the 2017 U.S. women’s national team. The squad will train to compete in Guildford, England, at the 2017 Federation of International Lacrosse Women’s World Cup, with 18 players ultimately making the trip. Schwitter made the 36-player roster alongside just eight other current collegiate players. “That was surreal, and something I hold so near and dear to my heart,” Schwitter said. “It was just something that I’ve always dreamed of doing but never thought would actually become a reality.” Schwitter, alongside Duke teammates Maddie Crutchfield, Kyra Harney and Olivia Jenner, was among 105 current and former NCAA lacrosse players asked to participate in the three-day tryout at the U.S. Lacrosse headquarters in Sparks, Md. Ten defenders were selected to the 36-woman training roster. The U.S. has won the World Cup in all but two competitions since its inception in 1982 and will vie for its third straight championship come July. Team USA and Georgetown head coach Ricky Fried and his staff have already selected the 18 players who will travel to England to actually compete in the World Cup, of which only two currently play at the collegiate level. Although Schwitter is not one of them, she is happy to be representing the U.S. on the 36-player roster. “Even when I got invited to try out, already I was like, ‘All right sweet, that’s awesome!’ because I made it that far,” Schwitter said. “To be named to that [36-player] roster was something that was so special to me. Wearing the USA jersey, words can’t really describe what that was like.” Even as she was waiting to hear if she
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Jeremy Chen | The Chronicle Senior Maura Schwitter has helped the Blue Devils to a 4-0 start to the season, including an impressive win against then-No. 12 Stanford last weekend.
would join Team USA in England, Schwitter’s focus was on her final season as a Blue Devil. She returns after a junior campaign in which she accumulated 23 ground balls, 39 draw controls and 16 caused turnovers to earn second-team All-South Region and first-team All-ACC honors. So far this season, Schwitter appears anything but distracted by her time and energy spent with the U.S. national team. In addition to earning preseason AllAmerican accolades, Schwitter has notched 15 draw controls, eight ground balls and five caused turnovers in her first four games, ranking in the top three on Duke’s team in each category. Despite playing defense, she has also tallied two goals to start her senior campaign. “Schwitter does a great job for us defensively, in transition and on the draw,” head coach Kerstin Kimel said. “She talks so well on the field. She’s aware, just really gritty, scrappy and comes up with a lot of loose balls.” Schwitter has also been instrumental in helping Duke’s six rookies get acclimated to the speed and intensity of the college game. Although the 2016 recruiting class is Kimel’s smallest since 2002, it checks in as the eighth-best in the country. The Blue Devils boast 10 seniors and seven returning starters who have taken initiative in showing the freshmen the ropes. Some of the rookies—including Catherine Cordrey and Callie Humphrey—have
already found their footing and made their presence known on the field early in the season, thanks in part to encouragement from Schwitter and her classmates. “Having such a strong senior class really made a big difference,” said Cordrey, who already has eight goals and two assists this year. “They really guide us, especially the freshmen, and it has been really helpful.” Although earning a spot on the 36-player national roster brought a new dimension to her lacrosse career, Schwitter had already cemented her legacy as a Blue Devil. The defensive stalwart ranks 21st alltime at Duke in total draw controls, with 70 in 62 career games. She also ranks 15th all-time in minutes played with 2,886 for her career. With just 13 regular-season contests remaining in her tenure at Duke, Schwitter does not have much left to prove. Her focus rests on helping the Blue Devils compete in the ACC and get back to the NCAA tournament quarterfinals after missing them for the first time in more than a decade last spring. “Learning the different lessons that I had at U.S. and being able to bring them and implement them here has been awesome,” Schwitter said. “But obviously the most important part right now is playing with my Duke team.”
See LOCKWOOD on Page 10
Ben Feder contributed reporting.
Beat’sTake The Scoop: The Blue Devils failed to advance to the NCAA tournament quarterfinals for the first time in more than a decade last spring and are now hungry to rebound. With a veteran defense to anchor a talented midfield group and loaded offense, Duke has makings of a team that can once again make a deep run in the postseason if it can avoid the turnovers that doomed the team last year. Key Players: Midfielder Maddie Crutchfield— Named a preseason first-team All-American, the Concord, N.H., native led Duke in assists and caused turnovers last season.
Jeremy Chen | The Chronicle Sophomore Jamie Lockwood has tied a career-high with nine saves in her two most recent starts.
For the first time in recent memory, Duke’s goalkeeper situation remains unsettled at the start of the season. All-ACC goalkeeper Mollie Mackler started the trend in 2011 during her junior season and continued into 2012, and then she was seamlessly succeeded by All-American Kelsey Duryea between the pipes for four straight years following Mackler’s graduation. But now, with Duryea’s eligibility up, there is a two-way battle for the position between sophomore Jamie Lockwood and highly touted freshman Gabbe Cadoux, who—like both Mackler and Duryea— wears No. 25 for the Blue Devils. So far, it seems like Lockwood has secured the starting job. Through the first four games—including a win against then-No. 12 Stanford—Lockwood has received the lion’s share of opportunities in net, spending all but 20:11 between the pipes. The Richmond, Va., native has not disappointed either, surrendering only 7.9 goals per game with a .500 save percentage, and her 29 saves on the season rank 13th in the nation. Lockwood has been at her best the last few games, notching a career-high nine saves against Navy then matching that total against the Cardinal. “Jamie has fire under her belly, and she brings a noise,” senior defender Maura Schwitter said. “She’s definitely stepping up like she should be. We’re really impressed with how she’s playing back there.” Despite Lockwood’s strong start, Duke head coach Kerstin Kimel has been hesitant to officially appoint her as the starting netminder, especially as the Blue Devils enter the gauntlet of their schedule—half of their regular-season opponents currently rank in the top 20, including No. 1 North Carolina and No. 5 Syracuse. Kimel acknowledged that if Lockwood slips up, she may be on a short leash, especially with Cadoux right on her heels. “We have to evaluate week to week where we are and who we are playing and how people are performing in practice,” Kimel said. “We’ll hold our goalkeepers to the same standard as we do for everyone else.” Cadoux’s situation as the current backup may be in part due to circumstances beyond her
Defender Isabelle Montagne—A three-year starter, the Lake Forest, Ill., native contributed to
last season’s stalwart backline that earned an 8.6 goals against average to rank fourth in the ACC. She will once again be tasked with shutting down opponents’ most potent scorers. Midfielder Olivia Jenner— The sophomore from Annapolis, Md., will look to best her 110 draw controls, from last year the most recorded by a Blue Devil in a season. Games to watch: March 25 at No. 13 Virginia; April 2 vs. No. 6 Syracuse; April 22 vs. No. 1 North Carolina Prediction:—Third in ACC, NCAA tournament quarterfinals
—Meredith Cash
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BASEBALL
DEALING WITH HEIGHTENED EXPECTATIONS Former bullpen mainstays adjusting to life as go-to starters Mitchell Gladstone The Chronicle
In football, there is an old cliché that goes, “If you have two starting quarterbacks, you don’t have one.” And although pitcher James Ziemba suggested the exact opposite would be the case for this year’s Duke pitching staff, early returns indicate otherwise. After making the NCAA tournament for the first time in 55 years last season, the Blue Devils will enter the 2017 campaign with seven of their starting position players back in the fold. But despite an abundance of familiar bullpen arms, last year’s four primary starting pitchers are gone from Durham—leaving Duke head coach Chris Pollard to figure out who will fill their shoes this season. “We don’t [have any projected starters],” Pollard said at the team’s first spring practice. “Right now, we really value our depth—this is a really deep staff and a very talented staff—but we don’t have many defined roles yet. And what that likely means for us is, as we start the season, a lot of guys are going to get a lot of opportunities and those roles are going to evolve and develop.” In 2016, Pollard brought in a pair of graduate students—Kellen Urbon and Brian McAfee—to round out his rotation with redshirt senior Trent Swart and junior Bailey Clark. The foursome combined to start 53 of the Blue Devils’ 57 games, tossing nearly 60 percent of the team’s total innings as the weekend trio of Swart, Urbon and McAfee posted a combined 3.47 ERA. After Clark was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs, though, it became clear that Duke would be looking for an entirely new batch of starters come 2017. And so began an offseason that saw the Blue Devils search for a core group—one that could hopefully provide some semblance of continuity following one of the best Duke rotations in recent memory. “What we decided to do in the preseason is through the first two weekends, continue to stretch everybody out as if they were going to be guys that extended, regardless of what we thought their role might be,” Pollard said.
Beat’sTake
The Scoop: The Blue Devils return an experienced lineup featuring seven position-player starters from 2016. The strength of Duke’s team lies in its offense with a pair of corner infielders that round out the heart of the order—but also with a defense that ranked near the top of the league in fielding percentage. With the loss of all four starting pitchers, however, head coach Chris Pollard’s group must adjust quickly. Key Players: 1B Justin Bellinger—As the Blue Devils’ leading hitter in 2016, the 6-foot-6 junior will likely be back in the cleanup spot providing power as he slugged .571 last year.
Power corners add thump to lineup Brian Pollack The Chronicle
Friday was just the fourth start of the 6-foot-10 lefty’s collegiate career, though, and like many of the Duke arms, adjusting to a new role has had its ups and downs. “You’re always trying to perform whatever Coach is asking you to do,” Ziemba said. “Coach Pollard has been really good with letting us know that if your role is to go out there and throw three good innings and hand it off to somebody else, that’s what you’re going to do. And once we finally get into a routine, everything will go from there.” Although the Blue Devil starters will be a question mark from game to game, Pollard does have plenty of combinations to tinker with. On top of Stallings and Ziemba, Duke’s nine other relievers are all back in the mix, giving the Blue Devils a veteran bullpen with just five first-year pitchers in addition to Laskey. The most familiar face in the group, however, might be the multi-talented Jack Labosky. A junior, Labosky typically batted third for the Blue Devils in 2016, giving his team some big-time pop with eight home runs and a .518 slugging percentage as well as manning the hot corner. But the 6-foot-3 third baseman also made 24 appearances on the mound and was one of Pollard’s most reliable weapons
Coming off the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance in 55 years, Duke has no shortage of obstacles to overcome as it aims for an encore performance. Head coach Chris Pollard will have to keep the clubhouse focused amid heightened expectations while the team tries to prove that last year’s success was not a one-hit wonder. He may have to get creative with his pitching staff, which lost a quartet of veterans who combined for 53 starts last season and has no obvious replacements. And, of course, the Blue Devils have to navigate the brutal schedule that comes with playing in college baseball’s best conference, which has seven teams ranked in the preseason top 25. But one thing Pollard will likely not have to worry about most days is his lineup card—especially the two names he can pen down in the middle of it. Led by juniors Jack Labosky and Justin Bellinger, Duke returns seven starters and three key reserves to its batting order. As the Blue Devils made their late-season charge toward the postseason, it was Labosky and Bellinger starting at the corner infield spots and anchoring the lineup in the No. 3 and No. 4 slots, which are traditionally reserved for a team’s best power hitters. The duo combined to blast more than half of the team’s 27 home runs, and were Duke’s only hitters to record slugging percentages better than .500— a threshold often used to identify true sluggers. Playing defensive positions in which power at the plate is expected, Labosky and Bellinger fit the classic mold of brawny mashers that can change a game with just one swing of the bat. “First off, they’re physically imposing—between the two of them, they average about 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds. They’re a physical presence, both offensively and defensively,” Pollard said. “But certainly from an offensive perspective, they are the two
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Henry Yu | Chronicle File Photo Southpaw Mitch Stallings was the Blue Devils’ closer a year ago but is transitioning into a starting role for his junior campaign.
In Arizona this past weekend, the Blue Devils started Ziemba, junior Mitch Stallings— last year’s closer, who racked up nine saves and three wins in a team-high 27 appearances— freshman Adam Laskey and junior Ryan Day. None of the four lasted longer than 5.1 innings, with each surrendering at least three runs and five hits. Stallings, the most experienced hurler remaining from last year, struggled mightily in his season debut vs. then-No. 7 Oregon State. The Beavers tagged the Atlanta native for five second-inning runs before tacking on a sixth the following frame to send Stallings to the showers after just 58 pitches. It was certainly not the start the 6-foot2 southpaw had expected. “In the past as a closer, I was a little bit more particular in terms of the strike zone,” Stallings said before the season opener. “Really, the biggest part of that difference is throwing—you can work out in the weight room all you want to, you can run all you want to, but if your arm’s not in shape, you’re not going to handle it. The biggest change is making sure you get the innings you need to get on the mound.” Ziemba’s third season began on an equally sour note. Gonzaga battered the Hillsborough, N.J., native in less than five innings of work, as he quickly surrendered three runs in the first inning.
3B/P Jack Labosky—The junior spent much of his 2016 season slotted right in front of Bellinger and should round out the top half of the Duke order again in addition to filling a crucial role as a relief pitcher. CF Jimmy Herron—The sophomore led Duke with 24 stolen bases last year and finished second on the team in on-base percentage. Series to Watch: April 8-10 at Miami; April 21-23 at No. 7 Louisville; May 18-20 at No. 17 North Carolina Prediction: 11th in the ACC —Mitchell Gladstone
Jack Dolgin | The Chronicle and Chronicle File Photo Jack Labosky and Justin Bellinger will have to produce in the heart of the Blue Devil lineup to get Duke back to the NCAA tournament.
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017 | 7
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Meible Chi: From homeschool to the hardcourt Winston Lindqwister The Chronicle Scanning the Blue Devil roster, one might have expected senior Chalena Scholl or sophomore Kaitlyn McCarthy to make a surprising run to the semifinals of the ITA indoor national singles championships last fall. Instead, it was another former top-10 recruit who stole the show for Duke— freshman Meible Chi. Despite never playing in a true team setting before joining the Blue Devils, Chi’s game has flourished in her first year at Duke. After being homeschooled and
getting a wealth of experience competing nationally, Chi has risen rapidly up the national rankings and now finds herself as the 21st-best college player in the country and highest-ranked player for the No. 15 Blue Devils. “I was homeschooled in high school because I felt that high school would take up too much time,” Chi said. “I was able to compete at more national and international tournaments. Although I didn’t play on high school tennis teams, I’ve just been on a different path.” Although Chi was new to the team, she wasted little time making her mark for Duke. The Weston, Fla., native captured her first individual title in her draw at the season-
opening James Bonk Invitational last fall, upending players from No. 1 Florida and No. 2 North Carolina. Chi was dominant, winning all three of her matches in straight sets and only losing more than two games in a set once during the weekend. After a few more solid tournaments, Chi made her biggest statement yet by qualifying for the ITA indoor national singles championships along with 31 of the nation’s top players. She took down No. 64 Alex Najarian in the opening round before upsetting No. 7 Luisa Stefani in two dramatic sets decided by tiebreakers, then punched her ticket to the semifinals by dominating 19th-ranked Josie Kuhlman 6-2, 6-2. Despite a lopsided loss to Ohio State’s
Francesca Di Lorenzo—the No. 1 player in the nation—Chi had flashed her potential with another mature fall performance. “She’s a great competitor—a great team person,” Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth said. “She’s not afraid to be a leader. She’s not going to be the most vocal leader, but her work ethic stands out. The other girls see her out there early in the mornings before we start practice working, and she has been great for our team in that sense…. It’s been a great semester and a half for her.” But freshmen stars tend to hit a wall in the spring semester with the intensity of team See CHI on Page 11
Beat’sTake The Scoop: After failing to advance past the second round of the NCAA tournament for the second straight year in 2016, the Blue Devils are hoping to avoid an early-round flame-out this year. But following an 0-3 performance at the ITA national indoor team championships, the Blue Devils will need more consistency across the board in singles if they want to get back into the top 10 as a team after dropping to No. 15 heading into the outdoor season. Key Players: Meible Chi—Duke’s newest addition turned heads with a surprising fall run to the semifinals of the ITA national indoor championships.
Kaitlyn McCarthy—McCarthy has shown she can hang with the nation’s best players at various points the last two years but is looking for more consistency to finish her sophomore campaign. Chalena Scholl—Scholl has been the Blue Devils’ most consistent player for most of her career, and Duke will need the 37thranked player in the country to close her career on a high note. Matchups to Watch—March 19 at No. 21 Miami; April 19 at No. 2 North Carolina; April 23 vs. No. 13 Georgia Tech Prediction: Third in ACC, NCAA tournament third round —Winston Lindqwister
Bre Bradham | The Chronicle Freshman Meible Chi and the Blue Devils knocked off No. 16 N.C. State on the road Wednesday afternoon.
MEN’S TENNIS
Freshman trio immediately thrust into the spotlight Andrew Donohue The Chronicle When Nick Stachowiak, Robert Levine and Spencer Furman committed to play tennis in Durham as top-10 recruits, they were not sure what their roles would be early in their careers. Head coach Ramsey Smith returned four key pieces from last year’s team, and the Blue Devils also had some depth waiting in the wings. But early-season adversity has forced the three players into prominent roles early on, meaning that fans can now get a good look at the program’s future earlier than expected. Stachowiak, Furman and Levine have become
fixtures for Duke in singles and doubles with 14th-ranked junior Nicolas Alvarez out with a wrist injury and sophomore Vincent Lin’s sudden departure from the program Feb. 14. And being thrown into the fire right away has strengthened the group’s bond. Stachowiak and Levine are roommates and Furman lives next door, so the three are almost always in close proximity. The freshmen also share several classes. “I didn’t realize how [much of a] family we would be,” Furman said. “We do everything together.” Alvarez’s absence has tested the Blue Devils, who started the year in the top 25 but have suffered early-season losses at then-No.
Rachel Baber, Chris Teufel and Neal Vaidya | The Chronicle Rookies Nick Stachowiak, Spencer Furman and Robert Levine could anchor the Blue Devil lineup for years to come.
15 Kentucky, then-No. 17 Illinois and thenNo. 9 Northwestern. But one positive is that Duke’s young pieces have been forced to improve right away and now have plenty of experience against top competition heading into the outdoor season next week. “Obviously, I’d rather have [Nico] in there,” Blue Devil head coach Ramsey Smith said. “But there are some positives because it gives guys some opportunities, everyone is playing at a higher spot and it’s only going to make us stronger going towards the tail end of the season.” Stachowiak and Furman especially have combined to form a potent doubles duo.
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The two were randomly paired together for a match during the team’s trip to Hawaii to start 2017 and instantly hit it off. The freshmen are undefeated this season at No. 2 doubles, including victories against teams from Kentucky and Northwestern. “I think we have great chemistry out there,” Furman said. “I know what he’s going to do, and he says he knows what I’m going to do. I think we definitely return well together. The first ball off the serve is very consistent and we put them in tough spots because of that.” Although all three freshmen have had bright moments so far, Stachowiak has been See M. TENNIS on Page 11
The Scoop: Duke features a promising combination of veteran experience and young talent after bringing in the third-ranked recruiting class in the country. But a wrist injury to top singles player Nicolas Alvarez and sophomore Vincent Lin’s unexpected departure from the program Feb. 14 will test the Blue Devils earlier than expected.
in singles and in doubles with fellow freshman Spencer Furman so far this spring.
Key Players: Nicolas Alvarez—The backto-back first team All-ACC performer has been hampered by a wrist injury so far this season, but when he returns, the junior will significantly bolster the Duke lineup.
Matchups to Watch—March 7 at No. 4 North Carolina; March 12 vs No. 3 Wake Forest; March 26 at No. 1 Virginia.
Nick Stachowiak—The freshman has been a revelation for the Duke this far, going undefeated
TJ Pura—Duke’s only senior has provided leadership so far at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, and the Blue Devils will likely need Pura to deliver in most dual matches against less experienced opponents to be competitive in a stacked ACC.
Prediction: Seventh in the ACC, NCAA tournament first round —Andrew Donohue
8 | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017
WOMEN’S GOLF
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From the archives
Maguire reflects on withdrawal from LPGA Q-School Ben Leonard The Chronicle After earning National Player of the Year honors as the world’s No. 1 amateur, junior Leona Maguire still feels she has more to accomplish in Durham. The native of Cavan, Ireland, announced her unexpected decision to withdraw from the final round of LPGA Qualifying School Nov. 23 and return to Duke. Maguire now plans to finish her degree and help her team reach its full potential before focusing full-time on golf. “I’ve had an unbelievable time here so far and I supposed I felt like I had a little bit of unfinished business here with this team,”
Maguire said. “We’ve got a great team here.... I want to be part of that and be a leader for this, and try and get those two national championships in those two years, and obviously to finish out my degree. Having a Duke degree is a very special thing, and to have two and a half years of that done and not finish it out would have been a bit of a shame.” Maguire had been playing in tournaments this fall in an attempt to qualify for permanent status on the highest women’s professional tour. The All-American had passed the tests with flying colors, tying for sixth overall in the second stage of Q-School to advance to the the final stage. Her efforts to earn her professional card were not that surprising, given her prowess
Sanjeev Dasgupta | Chronicle File Photo Junior Leona Maguire was contemplating a professional career before electing to finish out her Duke career.
on the course at Duke. Maguire has finished in the top five in 14 of her 23 collegiate tournaments, with four individual wins. She won ACC Player of the Year in 2015, and made the All-ACC team in both of her full seasons in Durham. However, Maguire still believed she had aspects of her game to improve before making the leap to the next level. “Obviously the life of a professional athlete in general, people see it as quite glamorous. But there’s a lot of things that go on behind the scenes, the day-to-day, a lot of travel and hard work that people probably don’t see,” Maguire said. “Spending another year and a half here, time management skills, being part of a team, the hard work, all of that will help me be best prepared for all of that when I do
make the jump.” Blue Devil head coach Dan Brooks didn’t push Maguire too hard in either direction, but certainly endorsed her decision to stay. “Leona has made an excellent life decision—the full, positive impact of which will grow and blossom over time, during and well beyond competitive golf,” Brooks said in a press release after Maguire announced her decision. Despite the many hours Maguire puts in on the course, she has still been able to maintain a stellar academic record, earning a 3.93 GPA at the close of her fifth semester at Duke.
The Scoop: After falling in the semifinal round of the NCAA championship for the second straight year last season, the No. 13 Blue Devils are turning to a roster with experience and exceptional talent to make another deep postseason run. Duke’s fall season saw individual improvement from some players but was disappointing overall, with the team failing to capture a strokeplay victory for the first time since 2011.
Virginia Elena Carta—The sophomore has not had a particularly noteworthy season so far, but Carta’s individual NCAA championship victory last season showed that she can go low when it matters most. Look for her to get hot late in the season and energize Duke on its road to this year’s championship in Sugar Grove, Ill.
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Key Players: Leona Maguire—The junior and 2015 National Player of the Year considered leaving the Blue Devils in the fall to pursue a professional career, but returns to the roster this spring coming off of a fall scoring average of 69.3.
See MAGUIRE on Page 11
Tournaments to Watch—LSU Tiger Golf Classic March 24-26; ACC championship April 13-15 Prediction: Second in ACC, NCAA championship Final Four —Drew Johnson
MEN’S GOLF
Eaton’s short game adds to balanced Duke lineup Ben Leonard The Chronicle After his first three college tournaments, Chandler Eaton had shot 75 or worse five times. But following a late fall surge, his goal is to become a freshman All-American—which might not be a stretch. The No. 13 player in his recruiting class, Eaton got off to an up-and-down start to his Duke career, tying for 32nd in his first tournament, the Rod Myers Invitational. Although he earned a top-five finish in September at the Inverness Intercollegiate, Eaton was left searching for answers after shooting
17-over-par at the Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational just a few weeks later. However, two more top-five finishes to close the fall have Eaton believing he can build on that momentum. One of those finishes came when the rookie tied for fourth at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate at his home course in Alpharetta, Ga. “I went to that tournament when I younger, I always thought those guys were really good and I never thought I’d actually be there,” Eaton said. “So then I played in it, and I realized that it’s nothing crazy…. It gave me a lot of confidence, in that I learned that I don’t have to play my best to have the potential to win.”
The Blue Devils hope Eaton can continue the consistent play he exhibited in his final two tournaments, never posting a round worse than even par. In his hometown, Eaton leaned on his smooth putting stroke to finish 6-under-par and pace Duke. Despite his rocky start, Eaton ranked second on the Blue Devil team in putts per round last fall, illustrating his comfort on and around the greens. “His demeanor and approach on golf and life, it is so, ‘Take it as it comes, he’s a mellow guy,’” Duke head coach Jamie Green said. “He’s very intense and cares about winning, there’s no doubt about it, but he’s almost got
like a surfer’s attitude. Because he doesn’t really get amped up and have a roller coaster of emotions, it’s easier for a ball not to go in for a few holes and then him still be in a good frame of mind and be ready for a run of putts to go in.” Even as a freshman, Eaton has helped lead a Duke team that excels around the green and ranks in the top 18 nationally in sand save percentage and putts per round. The team has seemed to follow Eaton’s late surge, capturing the Bridgestone Golf Collegiate for its first victory to close an inconsistent fall season and See EATON on Page 10
Beat’sTake The Scoop: Following an up-and-down start to the fall season, Duke will look to carry the momentum it gained with a victory at the Bridgestone Golf Collegiate to close 2016. With a balanced roster, the No. 19 Blue Devils are looking to challenge for their first ACC championship since 2012-13 and qualify for the NCAA championship after missing it a year ago.
has continued to develop, leading Duke in scoring average this season as a sophomore.
Key Players: Chandler Eaton—The No. 13 player in his recruiting class, the freshman got off to a rough start to his college career but finished the season strong with two topfive finishes. spring.
Tournaments to Watch—March 31-April 2 Mason Rudolph Championship; April 14-15 Wolfpack Spring Open
Sophomore Alex Smalley—One of the top freshmen in the nation last year, Smalley
Adam Wood—After earning All-ACC honors last season, the junior scuffled to begin his third season, losing his spot in the lineup. But the time out of the spotlight seemed to do wonders for Wood, who earned a top-20 finish in the final tournament of the fall.
Prediction: Third in ACC, NCAA regionals —Ben Leonard
Jeremy Chen | Chronicle File Photo Rookie Chandler Eaton has established himself as one of the Blue Devils’ best putters already and posted two top-five finishes last fall.
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TRACK AND FIELD
Young stars like Lowe and Wisner shine indoors Michael Cai The Chronicle With the Blue Devils enjoying one of their better indoor seasons in recent memory, a number of Duke competitors are hoping to punch tickets to the NCAA championship when the ACC championship continues Friday and Saturday. And what stands out most about this Blue Devil team is its youth—some of its biggest stars will all be building on some of the best finishes in team history for years to come. Two of Duke’s best performers have been sophomore India Lowe on the women’s side and rookie Matt Wisner.
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Lowe is part of a deep group of female sprinters that has the 4-x-400-meter relay gunning for a spot at the NCAA championships, and Wisner won the 800 meters in his first three indoor meets to add to a dangerous Blue Devil distance medley relay squad for the men. Both competitors have enjoyed immense individual success so far this spring, but you would never know it when talking to them—the two focus on team and relay potential instead. “I feel like our team has been doing so well because we’re really a team. We depend on one another,” Lowe said. “If one person’s having a rough time we help each other out. It’s really a team effort that’s gotten us to where we are.”
The Scoop: The Blue Devils are currently wrapping up the indoor season at the ACC championship in South Bend, Ind. Although Duke does not appear to have enough depth to be a contender in the conference, several individuals and a few relay teams have posted many of the best finishes in program history already this spring. The Blue Devils should be in contention to qualify a few individuals for the NCAA championship, and perhaps the biggest positive is that their brightest stars should all be back next year.
ACC competitor this season at 14 feet, and looks poised to capture an ACC title before moving on to the NCAA championship.
Key athletes: Madison Heath—One of the best pole vaulters in the nation, the junior has the highest mark of any
Prediction: Men—12th in the ACC, Women—eighth in the ACC —Michael Cai
To Lowe’s point, a number of individuals have stood out for the women’s team so far this spring. Classmate Sydnei Murphy has excelled in the 60 meters with a personal-best time of 7.50 seconds in addition to starring in the long jump and triple jump entering the indoor postseason. Like Lowe and Murphy, senior Madeline Kopp has also set a slew of career bests this season, shining in the 200-, 300-, 400-, 600- and 800-meter events. Junior Maddy Price and sophomore MacKenzie Kerr have also given pop to Duke’s best relay team, with Lowe’s stardom in the sprint events combining with her teammates’ skill sets to put the Blue Devils in contention for an NCAA championship berth. Lowe, a native of Mechanicsville,
Winston Lindqwister and Delaney King contributed reporting.
See TRACK STARS on Page 11
Matt Wisner—An up-and-coming middistance runner for Duke, Wisner has had a stellar freshman campaign. The three times he has run the 800 meters this spring, he has won the event. Events to Watch—March 10-11 NCAA indoor championship; April 21-22 Duke Invite; April 27-29 Penn Relays Photo Courtesy of Duke Athletics Freshman Matt Wisner won his first three 800-meter events of 2017 and already holds the third-fastest time in program history.
ROWING from page 3 boats took second at the Rivanna Romp in Charlottesville, Va., in mid-November, with no rookies cracking either of the two units. But the program’s young pieces have gotten chances to get repetitions in novice competition, and working with the older competitors during several months of winter training should help the Blue Devils’ depth moving forward. “I’m proud of our novices getting better and our team’s effort to support each other today,” Cooke Carcagno said after the Rivanna Romp. “I think we are in a great spot heading into winter training. Now each member of our team will have to decide, ‘Do I want to be okay?’ or, ‘Do I want to be great? Like top-10 team kind of great.’” Duke opens its spring slate March 18 with the Carolina Cup Scrimmage in Clemson, S.C.— which is also the site of the ACC championship later this spring—before taking on other teams that finished last year in the top 15 in Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame. The Blue Devils were neck and neck with the Fighting Irish and Syracuse entering the ACC championship a year ago and bested both teams for its historic second-place finish, and a similar effort could have Duke traveling to Mercer County, N.J., in late May for another NCAA championship appearance. Cooke Carcagno described her first year as Duke being “light years” away from where it was when she took over. The coming weeks will determine the Blue Devils’ status coming off the best year in team history.
Va., will look to improve on her individual 24.33-second time in the 200 meters in the coming weeks. That mark had her 13th in the ACC heading into the postseason. “The 200 is personally my favorite race, I’m trying to PR in it, maybe run a 23, break the 24-second [barrier],” Lowe said. “Also, our 4-by-4, it’s very big for us. We’re ranked 13th in the nation, and only the top twelve go to nationals.” The men’s distance relay team took eighth at the ACC championship Thursday, with Wisner teaming up with junior Brett Bofinger and seniors Dylan Murphy and Alec Kunzweiler to give the Blue Devils a
Jack White | The Chronicle Kevin Quigley and the Blue Devil underclassmen are hoping to bounce back from a pair of early-season losses. Quigley plays alongside Cerrone at first midfield.
CERRONE from page 4 two years, Cerrone chose his home away from home. Duke boasts four additional players from Chaminade, including senior goalkeeper Danny Fowler and defender Brian Dunne. “They actually were a big help in where I was deciding to look for when transferring schools,” Cerrone said. “[Thomas Zenker], Brian, Danny, I texted them all in a group chat and said ‘Hey, how’s the team down at Duke?’.... They gave me Coach Danowski’s number and that was pretty much that.” Through four games this season, Cerrone has already elevated himself to the first
midfield line and displayed his passing acumen with four assists in early action. Although the Blue Devils have struggled out of the gate to a 2-2 record, the schedule has not been kind, as Duke has faced then-No. 17 Air Force and No. 1 Denver in the first three weeks of the season. The junior has ingratiated himself to a new challenge—being the experienced veteran on a midfield filled with new faces despite never having worn the Blue Devil jersey before. Cerrone is playing alongside sophomore John Prendergast, who saw little action last season, and freshman Kevin Quigley, who is still developing a feel for the college game despite an excellent start to the season. It is the junior’s responsibility to
simultaneously learn his new surroundings as well as to lead on the field. “Sean’s a winner,” Danowski said. “Everybody told me when he decided to transfer from Villanova, everyone said to me, ‘You’re going to love this kid, he’s a winner,’ and they’re right. He’s willing to do anything for the team, he’ll play offense, he’ll play defense, he’ll play the wing on faceoffs.... He gets it.” For Cerrone, the aspirations and team culture are, by his admission, much greater at Duke than they were at Villanova. But the schedule is infinitely more challenging, as every team in the ACC is a contender to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament and capture the conference crown. “Out here [in ACC lacrosse] we just try to get better every day,” Cerrone said. “Every time we have a rough drill or something isn’t looking too good, we just have that mindset that we have to get better today, so we think we’re just going to keep getting better and better week by week, so by the time ACC play does come, we’re going to be a dominant force.” At no point following his arrival did Cerrone feel lost in his new team’s system. And through early action, it appears as though he has stepped up to provide Duke some of the certainty it lacked coming into this season. “Coming in, I’m a junior, but I’m also a new guy, so I had to find a balance,” Cerrone said. “Coach Danowski was awesome and just told me that they’re going to treat me as a third-year guy—not a freshman. They wanted me to step up and become a leader.” Ben Leonard contributed reporting.
LOCKWOOD from page 5 control. With the regular season approaching, she caught an illness, and as a result was not available both in practice prior to the season opener Jan. 29 against Drexel or for the contest itself. Considering the repetitions needed when transitioning from high school opponents to college talent, the rookie goalkeeper missed invaluable practice time that could have helped her step into Duryea’s shoes from the start of the season. Lockwood’s play has made it even harder for Cadoux to get meaningful playing time, and Lockwood herself has been pleased with her early-season efforts. “Last year, I was on the sidelines. I’ve stepped up, and I’m here and I think that I’m doing exactly what the team needs,” she said. Regardless of who is guarding the net, the goalkeeper’s role will differ greatly from Mackler’s and Duryea’s due to the introduction of a 90-second shot clock this season. The shot clock starts as soon as the attacking team secures possession, which is often 80 yards away from the desired net after a clean save. Without the shot clock, Duke’s former star netminders had the luxury of holding the ball for minutes at a time, patiently waiting for teammates to find an open patch of grass. But now with a battle against the clock, Lockwood and Cadoux have to quickly clear the ball to give the Blue Devils an offensive chance. Although Lockwood has been rocksolid facing opposing shot attempts, she has struggled at times to communicate with the rest of her defensive unit to clear the ball. Against the Midshipmen Feb. 12, Duke failed on its first two clears, allowing Navy to score twice early in
Carolyn Chang | Chronicle File Photo Jimmy Herron had a standout freshman year at the top of Duke’s lineup, with his speed giving opponents fits.
POWER CORNERS from page 6 guys that supply the biggest amount of pop to the middle of our lineup with regard to power and potential slugging percentage numbers.” After struggling as freshmen, Labosky and Bellinger took huge leaps forward in their sophomore campaigns and became two of the most complete hitters on the team. With another year to adjust to the quality of ACC pitching, both improved their plate discipline and increased their batting averages and onbase percentages significantly. Labosky bats from the right side and Bellinger swings from the left, providing Pollard with the lineup versatility managers love. Alternating righty and lefty hitters prevents opponents from continually gaining the platoon
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the contest. As the season progresses, both goalkeepers should improve at dealing with the shot clock. Regardless of the circumstances, though, Kimel still has high hopes for her defensive unit. “I think we’re capable of holding every team to under 10 goals,” she said. Nonetheless, if or when either Lockwood or Cadoux locks down the starting position, they should have confidence knowing that they have complete support from their teammate on the sidelines. “Our goalies push each other a lot in practice,” Schwitter said. “They compete with each other, but they also pump each other up and support each other more than anyone fighting for the same position that I’ve ever seen.” Ben Feder contributed reporting.
Jack White | Chronicle File Photo Veteran James Ziemba struggled early in his first start of the year last week as he also gets used to a completely new role.
PITCHERS from page 6
Jeremy Chen | The Chronicle The Blue Devils’ leading scorer, Kyra Harney has proven dangerous as a scorer and facilitator already this season.
advantage with relief specialists, and this balance—combined with Bellinger’s .300 average against southpaws last year— makes the meat of the Blue Devil lineup a nightmare for any visiting staff. “You make yourself really tough to pitch to when you have all four of those things—a right-handed presence, a lefthanded presence, the presence of speed and the presence of power,” Pollard said. “Obviously, they give us a good right-left balance in the middle, and they also provide some thump there in the middle of the lineup.” Speedy outfielder Jimmy Herron helps out with the speed component of Pollard’s criteria—he stole a team-high 24 bases and returns as a table-setter atop the Blue Devil lineup—and was the only other regular with a slugging percentage higher than .400, leaving Labosky and Bellinger responsible for much of the team’s power output. Labosky’s all-around contributions— he led the team in extra-base hits as a third baseman while doubling as a lockdown reliever—earned him second-team All-ACC accolades, but the going was not always so smooth for his teammate across the diamond. Unlike his classmate, Bellinger was drafted out of high school by the St. Louis Cardinals and came to Durham as a highly-touted prospect. Yet after hitting just .227 as a freshman, he started last season on the bench, with Labosky sliding over to first and the versatile Max Miller manning the hot corner. But with the team sputtering early on, Pollard turned to Bellinger for good in late March against Wake Forest— and the team never looked back from there, rattling off a 23-9 record as the
in relief—opponents batted just .238 against the righty as he tallied a team-high 32.2 innings out of the bullpen. “The reality is the two best ways to have [Labosky] involved on the mound that minimize the impact that pitching has on him offensively and what he can bring to the table at third is to have him pitch either at the beginning of the game or the end of the game,” Pollard said. With the season already underway and a tough ACC slate just on the horizon— one that features road series against top20 sides Louisville, North Carolina and Weston, Mass., native put up a monster .336/.417/.571 triple-slash line. “We’re the corner infielders, we’re the guys that are supposed to get it done,” Bellinger said. “So we just work together and try to come up with the best approaches and plans that we can to get this team rolling. We’re the backbone of this team, we’re the big guys in the lineup, so we’ve got to make sure every day we show up and give the team the best effort we’ve got.” Following Labosky and Bellinger’s breakout seasons, the Blue Devils are now hoping for similar outbursts from shortstop Zack Kone, catcher Chris Proctor and outfielder Griffin Conine— who all showed flashes but were overall inconsistent as freshmen. Herron, Miller and juniors Peter Zyla, Ryan Day and Michael Smickilas have all contributed as offensive cogs in past seasons, giving Pollard plenty of options to fill out the lineup card every night. Duke has experience in abundance at the plate, and Labosky knows firsthand how much that can help the Blue Devils put up crooked numbers in bunches. “Last year, we had good numbers— lots of games where we put up a lot of runs and I think that comes with experience,” Labosky said. “I remember my freshman year—the guys from my class, at least—we had a lot of trouble offensively making the jump from high school to college pitching. And now that our class is coming on three years of experience and the class below us is coming on their second year, I think offense will be our strong suit.” Mitchell Gladstone and Michael Model contributed reporting.
Miami—Duke’s pitching issues remain unsettled and its dearth of starters showed during the team’s first weekend. Ziemba, nonetheless, expressed optimism that time will heal the Blue Devils’ early-season woes. “You understand that, especially in the way college baseball is, you get a lot of ups and downs,” Ziemba said. “My freshman year, we were the fourth-best team in the ACC and didn’t make the regional—like who expects that to happen? It’s kind of the same thing where if you’re not there in March, there’s always a chance you’re going to be there in June.” Michael Model contributed reporting.
EATON from page 8 climb to No. 19 in the national polls to start the spring. The Blue Devils’ average finish last fall was roughly fifth—they cracked the top three twice but also finished fifth, seventh and 11th in their other events. And Eaton, one of four Duke golfers with a scoring average between 71.6 and 71.9 this year, thinks he can already take on a leadership role for the Blue Devils when Duke opens the spring slate Sunday in Mexico. “It’s hard to be a vocal leader as a freshman, and I’m not the most vocal person by any means. I lead by example,” Eaton said. “My thing is after my round, I don’t want to talk about my round and I don’t want to complain about anything. I just want to go about my business and try to get better at my game. I don’t want to get too locked in on results or anything. I think that rubs off on people.” Eaton continued to hone his craft in the winter, looking to add more distance to his irons and 290-yard drive in addition to precision off the tee—he was in the bottom third of the country’s players in fairways hit, finding the short grass on just 58.3 percent of his drives. Part of that work has included strength and conditioning, and Eaton and his teammates are hoping that steady improvement in the fall could have the Blue Devils back in the NCAA championship at year’s end after missing it a year ago. And as Eaton gets more experience, he too has his sights set on a prize that appears within reach. “My biggest goal is to not have external goals—like finishing in the top 10 of a tournament—but making sure I’m prepared every tournament is the biggest thing for me,” Eaton said.
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CHI from page 7 dual matches, and Chi is now facing adversity after a tough start to the spring. After rising as high as No. 14 in the rankings, Chi failed to win a single match in the Freeman Memorial championships to open the spring, suffering straight-sets losses to top-40 competitors Carol Zi Yang and Caroline Doyle. Although she has bounced back recently with dual-match wins against Elon, William & Mary and Northwestern, Chi suffered more setbacks against top opponents. The rookie fell 6-4 in the third set to No. 18 Eleni Christofi of Georgia at the ITA team national indoor championships and did not win a single game in the first set of a routine win for fourth-ranked Astra Sharma. “We talked to her and said, ‘Don’t rest on what you’ve done on the fall,’” Ashworth said. “It was her first time going home after a semester of college, and she realized she has to work as hard when she’s at home as when she’s here…. It’s easy to go home on those breaks and relax, but she has matured enough to know she has to go home and keep working harder.” Chi had experience in singles before coming to Durham, but doubles in a team setting has been a whole new world. In the fall, Chi and Ellyse Hamlin struggled at their first few tournaments before Chi and senior Alyssa Smith showed some potential before going 0-3 in doubles at the Freeman Memorial championships. But now Chi is playing alongside another former top-10 recruit and nationally-ranked singles player in McCarthy, and the tandem’s recent 6-0 upset win against Northwestern’s 15th-ranked duo of Maddie Lipp and Alex Chatt now has them ranked 25th nationally
MAGUIRE from page 8 In addition to continuing her education, Maguire’s decision means she will stay with on the team her twin sister, Lisa. An improved Lisa, going through major swing changes, is part of a short-handed Blue Devil squad that fielded only six players in an up-anddown fall, but finished the season strong. After finishing no better than fifth in three previous fall tournaments, No. 16 Duke downed defending national champions Washington and then-No. 5 UCLA in the prestigious East Lake Cup to close out the fall season. Lisa gave the Blue Devils one of the key match victories that put them over the top, and was one of many voices influencing her sister, along with the rest of the Maguire family and Kevin White, Duke’s vice president and director of athletics. “Obviously she was happy to have me here. She was trying to give me as much advice as she could, but not sway me too much,” Leona said of Lisa’s role in her decision. “The whole team in general was pretty delighted. It will obviously be great to spend the next year and a half with her and finish out here and graduate with my teammates and classmates. It’s a pretty special thing.” In their efforts to win national championships, the Blue Devils will be adding two valuable pieces next year alongside Leona Maguire and defending individual national champion Virginia Elena Carta in top-10 junior golfers Miranda Wang and Jaravee Boonchant. “Miranda and Jaravee are great people, as well as very talented golfers,” Brooks said in a press release. “Both are team-oriented with a
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heading into the outdoor season. “Down the road, she’s going to be a great leader,” Ashworth said. “She has improved on the doubles court exponentially. She has put in the time and the effort and she’s starting to see the results of that.” With the Blue Devils just starting ACC competition, perhaps Chi’s biggest area of growth will be on display—her ability to feed off her teammates. In intense dualmatch settings, competitors often have to lean on one another, and Duke’s latest freshman star is learning just how important that can be. “I got to understand what it means to have five other people right next to you as you’re competing,” Chi said. “It’s a very different kind of tennis…. Before, my energy and intensity level was kind of an issue—it would dip. But now that I have people next to me, I know that I will have to keep my positivity up. I fed off of them and they fed off of me, and that’s just helped me keep my energy up and finish it until the end of the match.”
Carolyn Chang | Chronicle File Photo Senior Chalena Scholl enters her final spring ranked in the top 40 nationally in singles.
lot of character. We very much look forward to welcoming them onto our team.” Maguire will certainly welcome the duo to Durham, and feels very satisfied about her decision to stay at Duke. After making what she called the biggest decision in her life, she decided not to “look back and dwell on what-ifs” or look at the scores from Q-School. “This was the one that had the most weight on my life and what the future holds for me, but obviously the decision to come here was a big decision as well,” Maguire said. “It’s something that I’ve said before that was the best decision I’ve ever made. Hopefully in years to come, I look back on this one and say the same.” Sameer Pandhare contributed reporting. This article was originally published Dec. 8.
Chris Teufel | The Chronicle Senior TJ Pura will need to have a big spring at No. 5 or No. 6 singles to get the Blue Devils back in the top 25.
M. TENNIS from page 7 the Blue Devils’ star so far this year. The rookie is undefeated in 2017, ripping off 11 straight wins and steadily moving up the lineup from No. 5 singles to Court 4, and even recently against Tennessee and N.C. Central, the top two singles courts. Perhaps even more impressive is that the Cary, N.C., native has only dropped one set during that streak, climbing into the national singles rankings at the No. 116 spot two weeks ago as the team prepares to move outdoors. “I’m just taking it one match at a time— focusing on the one ahead.” Stachowiak said. “I’m just going out there focused on myself and playing my game.” Levine came to Duke after attending online high school so he could travel the country for tennis tournaments. Before coming to Durham, he qualified for several professional tournaments and also defeated Gonzales
Austin, the 2015 SEC Player of the Year, in a qualifying tournament. The Bedford, N.Y., native has spent most of the season playing at the No. 3 singles position and has more than held his own, winning several matches and taking highly-ranked opponents to three sets multiple times. Furman also enjoyed a distinguished pre-collegiate career, including one shining moment when he toppled the then-No. 912 professional player in the world in straight sets. The Seattle native has anchored the No. 5 singles spot recently for the Blue Devils and provided a steady presence, only losing to opponents from Kentucky, Illinois and Mississippi and winning a key match against Northwestern. “I think my serve has really helped me,” Furman said. “Especially in the second sets of matches, I feel like I’ve been serving great.” The rapid development of the freshmen means that the future of Duke men’s tennis is coming faster than anyone could have predicted. The three Blue Devils were highly-regarded recruits, combining to form a class that ranked third in the country, but the college game often requires time to adjust due to the faster speed of play and different match format. With senior TJ Pura and sophomore Catalin Mateas also looking for more consistency heading into the spring, Duke still has a chance to turn heads even with its early-season obstacles—especially if Alvarez returns any time soon. “You never know how they’re going to adjust to college and dual matches,” Smith said of the freshmen. “They came in and all three of them worked so incredibly hard and they’re a lot more mature than their years. They’re really pushing the upperclassmen to be better…. I couldn’t be happier with all three of them.” Amrith Ramkumar contributed reporting.
Photo Courtesy of Duke Athletics Sophomore India Lowe has stood out in the 200 meters and as a member of the Blue Devils’ 4-x-400-meter relay squad.
TRACK STARS from page 9
Sanjeev Dasgupta | Chronicle File Photo Individual national champion Virginia Elena Carta will look to defend her title later this spring.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017 | 11
chance to get back to NCAAs, which they last qualified for two years ago. The quartet shaved nine seconds off their personal-best time, and Wisner was excited to see the group put the pieces together leading up to the race. On his own, Wisner has seemed to put the pieces together in the 800-meter event, already posting the third-best time in team history with a 1:51.38 at the Bob Pollack Invitational in Clemson, S.C.. His other few victories early in 2017 came with times that were a few seconds slower, but as the No. 15 seed in the ACC championship, Wisner hopes faster competition can take him to new heights with the outdoor season on the horizon.
Eight ACC runners have already broken the 1:50-mark this season. “I don’t think I’ve been in a race situation where I can run as fast as I possibly can. Hopefully this competition will allow me to run under 1:50 or very close,” Wisner said. “I am mostly hoping to be competitive and try to make the final. If I can’t make the finals, at the end of the day running fast, being close, in contention is what I settle for.” The Blue Devils have several other notable competitors, including junior Madison Heath, who is in position for an ACC championship in the pole vault to continue Duke’s tradition of dominance in that event. But continued development from young talent on the track could take the Blue Devil program to the next level in the coming years.
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