Spring Sports Preview 2018

the chronicle

february 23, 2018

SPRING SPORTS SEASON PREVIEW

Design by Jeremy Chen | Graphics Editor

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2 | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018

WOMEN’S GOLF

Boonchant building confidence as freshman

By Drew Johnson Associate Sports Editor

“Usually, I don’t have any confidence in myself.”

That was part of Duke freshman Jaravee Boonchant’s response when asked whether she had high expectations heading into the season.

Given those words, one might assume she has struggled so far for the Blue Devils.

That couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Boonchant set Duke’s all-time record for the lowest fall scoring average by a freshman, needing just 70.3 strokes per round—a big deal, especially considering that many of history’s best college golfers made their careers in Durham.

Head coach Dan Brooks said her lack of confidence—seemingly odd given her level of achievement as a junior golfer—may actually be a contributor to her collegiate success. Brooks compared Boonchant’s disposition to that of 2004 graduate Virada Nirapathpongporn, one of the most successful Blue Devils ever and the 2003 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship winner, who frequently voiced similar self-doubt.

“I don’t think that’s as unusual as a lot of people think,” Brooks said. “Some athletes are having to prove to themselves every day. You think that they’d get the idea after a while, but they have to prove to themselves every day that they are really good and that they spend their whole careers day-by-day proving to themselves that they’ve got it.”

Born and raised in Bangkok, Boonchant started playing golf at a young age to spend more time with her father, a recreational golfer whom she calls her biggest role model. Fast forward to her high school years, and she had earned an offer to join Duke. Accepting that offer was a no-brainer for the freshman, who said she had always dreamed of being a Blue Devil.

Along with excitement, her arrival in Durham has brought new opportunities and challenges. Time management between rigorous academics—Boonchant plans to study statistics and computer science— and high-pressure athletics has been hard to tackle, Boonchant said, while playing on a team for the first time ever brings heightened motivation to play for something bigger than herself.

“When I was playing for myself in junior golf, I usually gave up halfway [through] when I started playing bad,” Boonchant said.

“When I have a team, I know that I [can’t] give up, because I don’t know how other people are going to do and I don’t want to let the team down.”

That accountability Boonchant feels toward her teammates has certainly brought out quality golf, as she has quickly established herself as a fixture in the Duke lineup with four top-15 finishes in five events. During her inaugural round for the Blue Devils in September’s Jim West Challenge, the freshman made her presence known with a score of 66, tying the Duke

Sanjeev Dasgupta | Sports Photography Editor

Jaravee Boonchant has emerged as the top freshman in Duke’s highly-touted class and had the lowest-scoring average in the fall ever by a Blue Devil rookie. record for the lowest 18-hole score in an opening collegiate round.

Two more days of solid golf allowed Boonchant to tie for sixth place and card a 205—the third-lowest tournament score ever by a Blue Devil freshman. Boonchant’s worst finish this season? A tie for 34th in the first event of the spring that still left her in the top half of all competitors.

Brooks originally learned about Boonchant after she was recommended to him by Tracy Reiser—the assistant director of IMG Academy

in Bradenton, Fla., where Boonchant went to high school—who spoke highly of her student’s personality and character. After that, he said, he quickly realized she checked all the boxes of what he looks for when recruiting.

“When I hear that [from Reiser], I’m interested in those kinds of people, so that was the first thing, and then I watched her down in South Florida and was very impressed at just her demeanor on the golf See W. GOLF on Page 7

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018 | 3

MEN’S LACROSSE

Ned Crotty returns to Blue Devils as assistant

By Philip Coons Associate Sports Editor

Ned Crotty has returned to the place where it all began.

Crotty made a name for himself running Duke’s offense from 2006-10, leading the Blue Devils to the 2010 National Championship and winning one of the two Tewaaraton Awards in Duke program history. After eight years playing for Major League Lacrosse’s Rochester Rattlers and Team USA, Crotty decided to return to Duke and join his linemate Matt Danowski and former head coach John Danowski on the Blue Devil sideline.

“It has been awesome,” junior midfielder Brad Smith said. “Obviously he is super experienced and it also helps that he is a little bit more level-headed sometimes than Coach Matt [Danowski] is. Having [Ned and Matt] as our coaches, perhaps the two best attackmen to come through in Duke history, it’s pretty cool. You know you are learning from the best. They know so much and it gives us a big advantage.”

Crotty, a New Vernon, N.J., native, is fifth on the career Duke points list with with 239. A two-time first-team All-American at attack, Crotty had 63 assists in 2010 to help lead Duke to the national title. After the season, Crotty was selected first overall in the

MLL Draft by the Chicago Machine. He was also the only college student selected to play for the U.S. National Team at the 2010 FIL World Championships.

Now suiting up for the Dallas Rattlers, Crotty is at the peak of his playing career.

After eight seasons in the MLL, Crotty has picked up three All-Star nods, scored 123 goals and assisted on 144. In 2011, Lacrosse All-Stars published an article asking, “Is Ned Crotty the Best Lacrosse Player in the World Right Now?” More recently in 2016, Crotty scored 17 goals and led the Rattlers in assists with 31.

The MLL plays a summer schedule, so many players have started to return to their alma maters to coach in the off-season. Crotty’s presence on the sideline this spring is much appreciated, as the Blue Devils have a wealth of depth on the offensive side of the ball.

“John Danowski called me up in early July,” Crotty said. “I sat on it for about a week, even though I knew right away, right when he asked me. I [had been] living in New York for about eight years.... It just seemed like a good fit, Matt [Danowski] is married to my older sister, so she is down here. I’m actually the godfather, so on-field, off-field, everything seemed right.”

Freshman attackman Joe Robertson, who led the comeback against Denver last Saturday, and sophomore attackman Joey

Chronicle File Photo

Ned Crotty led Duke to the 2010 national championship as the Tewaaraton Award winner his senior year and is now back on the sidelines in Durham.

Manown can learn a lot under the tutelage of the former Tewaaraton winner. Through the first four games of the season, Duke is second in the nation in assists with 9.8 per game, second in points per game

with 27.3 and second in the nation in shot percentage at .467.

The offense came alive in the fourth See M. LACROSSE on Page 6

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Duke defense thriving early after staff change

By Ben Feder Associate Sports Editor

After a nightmarish season that resulted in the departure of defensive coach Lars Keil, little was to be expected of Duke’s backline this year.

Especially considering it lost all but one of its starters, both its team captains and has just two seniors within the current unit.

Needless to say, the defense had the odds stacked against them.

But behind the leadership of new assistant

coach Bria Irizarry, the new-look No. 10 Blue Devils have impressed to start the season, ranking 25th in goals allowed per game despite playing two quality opponents in Elon and then-No. 9 Northwestern, as well as Campbell.

“The whole team feels this feeling of redemption,” senior Anne Slusser, the lone returning defensive starter, said. “We talked before the game about our drive and hunger and how it was so evident that when we got on the field [in our season opener] against Elon, all of us were so ready.”

Last season, the defense was a major reason

Sanjeev Dasgupta | Sports Photography Editor

Although Anne Slusser is Duke’s only returning starter on defense, the Blue Devils still held then-No. 9 Northwestern to just eight goals last week.

why the team flopped, as Duke surrendered at least 10 goals in 12 contests on its way to missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since its inaugural season in 1996.

Despite having senior All-American Maura Schwitter and co-captain Isabelle Montagne, along with classmate Devon Russell, the Blue Devils were out of sorts defensively last year, as they tried to switch to a zone scheme to combat the introduction of the shot clock.

So after the season, head coach Kerstin Kimel decided to shake things up, especially with nearly an entirely new defensive group, starting with their coach. Irizarry had not planned to end up in Durham and was coaching under Duke alumna Kristen Waagbo at Army, where the duo was working to get the team off the ground after its inaugural 2015-16 season.

But when Irizarry’s husband, Danny, had to relocate to North Carolina for his job, Irizarry found the perfect opening. After creating a relationship with Kimel during her own recruitment—Irizarry was a two-time team captain at Richmond, graduating in 2011—and through Duke’s summer camps, which she attended both as a player and coach, Irizarry reached out to Kimel, hoping to coach the defense.

The agreement was soon finalized, and due to Irizarry’s familiarity with Kimel’s style, little adjustment had to be made. With such an inexperienced unit, the two felt that they could experiment with different schemes, which has paid dividends thus far.

“There’s a lot of newness. It’s an opportunity for us to do some different things we haven’t done,” Kimel said. “It’s a good

opportunity to change some things defensively so that we have more things and more looks in our repertoire than just a man-to-man and a face guard.”

The early returns have been accelerated by the efforts of two freshmen—Gigi Vasile and Natalie Kahn—as well as a strong start for goalkeeper Gabbe Cadoux in her second season between the pipes. Through the first two weeks, the Blue Devils have swept ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors, with Vasile and Cadoux grabbing the awards.

The Blue Devils’ defensive mojo started immediately—specifically on their first possession of the year. Despite getting it into the attacking zone early in the shot clock, Elon could not find a shooting lane, and the shot clock violation buzzer sounded, eliciting a brand of excitement missing from last season.

It seems as though Irizarry’s coaching style has rubbed off on the players.

“When I get onto the field, I think the girls know I’m a pretty open book,” Irizarry said.

“I wear my emotions on my sleeve, so if I’m not super impressed with something, they know about it, and when I’m really pumped if they’re doing well, they definitely see that emotion come out of me.”

Still, despite being just three games in, the defense seems to have turned the page under Irizarry’s guidance this season.

“I’m not somebody who usually shies away from a challenge, but I definitely think it’s a little bit more fun,” Irizarry said. “This team is looking to recreate themselves, and with a new defensive coach, I’m a firm believer that change can definitely be a good thing.”

4 | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018

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SOFTBALL

Waldrop brings national pedigree to new program

By Jason Atwood Staff Reporter

Lacey Waldrop has had success at every level.

Two ACC championships playing for Florida State, a national championship as a graduate manager for Oklahoma and consecutive National Pro Fastpitch championships playing for the Chicago Bandits represent some of her accomplishments.

Now, as an assistant coach for the Blue Devils, she thinks those winning habits can translate to her new environment.

“There aren’t many programs that have the kind of family atmosphere that I’ve seen here, which is one reason why I feel right at home,” Waldrop said. “Culture-wise, it’s very similar to places I’ve been.”

That culture drew Waldrop to take a leap of faith to join the coaching staff for Duke’s new program, and her brand of coaching has already left a lasting impression on her fellow coaches and the players.

“She’s fantastic, just a really quality person and someone you love to be around,” head coach Marissa Young said. “She’s very relatable to the kids, which is huge in getting them to understand how to handle what’s up and coming in the season from a physical and mental standpoint.”

In their inaugural season, the Blue Devils are fielding an extraordinarily young team. Of the 17 players, 12 are either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen. Waldrop is a freshman in her own right, as this is her first official coaching position—for her players, though, the lack of

Carolyn Chang | Staff Photographer

In addition to being Duke’s best hitter, Katherine Huey owns four wins on the mound in the Blue Devils’ first nine games under the tutelage of Lacey Waldrop.

coaching experience doesn’t matter.

Jill Ferraro, nicknamed “grandma” on the team, is by far the oldest player on the roster and a strong voice in the locker room. A graduate transfer from North Carolina, Ferraro is only two years younger than Waldrop.

“With Coach Lacey, [her age] doesn’t really play a factor,” Ferraro said. “You could have a coach 20 years older than her who hasn’t had half the experiences that she’s had. She got to where she is today not just because of her work ethic but because of her mentality.”

In fact, many players are glad that the Waldrop and the rest of the staff are young.

Star pitcher Katherine Huey noted that all the coaches, from former Big Ten Player of the Year Young to Waldrop to former Hofstra catcher Laura Valentino, are both accomplished and relatable.

“It’s so cool how a lot of our coaches are fairly young, so they were just in our shoes and it’s not like they were coaches 50 years ago,” Huey said. “They know what they’re doing, they’re experienced, they’ve played at the highest level and just because they’re young and haven’t been coaching for 20 years doesn’t really make a difference to me.”

In her first year coaching, Waldrop has focused on developing a young pitching staff.

She knows that her pitchers are strong athletes, but is helping them with the mental side of the game and teaching them how to mix pitches to stay ahead of college hitters.

As a two-time ACC Pitcher of the Year and three-time All-American with the Seminoles, she has the accolades to back up what she preaches.

“She isn’t a cookie-cutter type of coach where she wants everyone to do the same thing,” Huey said. “She works with our strengths. She always has a plan for us, but if we want to work

on something that day, she kind of bases it off of what we think we need. She’s really flexible and always willing to go the extra mile to make us better pitchers.”

Waldrop’s soft-spoken nature and positive approach resonates with the team. She doesn’t yell at players the first time they make a mistake, but rather reminds them of what went wrong and is sure to tell them that it can’t happen again.

“Lacey really balances us out,” Young said.

“Coach Laura and I are more fireballs and more vocal, and she’s the one that reins us back in and gets us to see the positives.”

As much as her players and fellow coaches appreciate having Waldrop on staff, the quiet mentor is still adjusting to her new job.

“It’s much more of an authoritative position, which is different for me,” Waldrop said. “I’m still able to relate to the girls because I’m not so far from their age. But they respect me and I feel in control of what I’m able to teach them and help them.”

Waldrop is a calming force for her pitching staff, teaching them how to best execute under pressure. A veteran of ACC play, she is eager to share her experiences to help prepare her players for the most intense situations.

Being successful under pressure will be vital this season, especially in a cutthroat ACC where wins may be hard to come by for the fledgling Duke team. The Blue Devils were predicted to finish last in the conference, but are already exceeding expectations with a 6-3 record through two weeks of nonconference play and are ready to keep proving people wrong.

“A lot of people are underestimating us because it is our first year,” Waldrop said. “But I think we’ll still turn some heads and everyone will know that we are going to be a force to be reckoned with, even if we’re young.”

BASEBALL

How Moneyball has made its way to Durham

By Derek Saul Staff Reporter

“Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game,” the 2003 book by Michael Lewis that was adapted into a 2011 Oscar-nominated film, brought the use of advanced statistics in professional baseball into national prominence.

Since then, sabermetrics have trickled down to the college game as well.

In “Moneyball,” Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane compiled a successful roster in spite of the Athletics’ limited financial resources by using advanced statistics. Beane went on a crusade to convince every member of the organization to buy into assessing players by their statistical performance and not the proverbial eye test.

Although sabermetrics were met with trepidation initially in big-league front offices, Beane’s ways are now ubiquitous in player evaluation throughout professional baseball. Every MLB team employs some sort of analytics department, and there is a great deal of data accessible to such experts, including nearly limitless access to a player’s performance in every count and Statcast, a highly advanced tool that

measures players’ every move.

But it has taken a while for the movement to gain a foothold at lower levels due to the insufficiency of data-driven resources, causing a lack of depth and breadth in statistical evaluation. The college baseball season is only about a third of the length of the major-league season, resulting in too small of a sample size to show true correlation, and most college teams lack the finances to employ full-time statisticians to give their squads a competitive edge.

Despite the lesser volume of data that Duke has access to in comparison to that of many of the MLB teams who use sabermetrics religiously, head coach Chris Pollard still sees more in-depth statistics as having a key role for his squad.

“I believe in analytics. I believe in making decisions based on science and what it can tell you. We try to embrace technology in our program, not only in our player development, but also in terms of using it as a metric to evaluate guys,” Pollard said.

“It’s been proven very poignantly and vividly over the past five years in the game of baseball at all levels that offense and in particular run production is not predicted by just batting average.”

Although Pollard’s embrace of sabermetrics seems to be a positive step in terms of using a data-driven approach to player evaluation, there is a distinction between theory and execution. A number of amateur coaches recognize that analytics

more accurately assess a player’s value, but those tools are rarely used due to a lack of accessible statistics.

Perhaps the most comprehensive offensive See BASEBALL on Page 6

Jack Dolgin | Contributing Photographer

Entering his sixth year as Duke’s head coach, Chris Pollard is evaluating players based on both traditional metrics and more advanced stats the team can get access to.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018 | 5

MEN’S TENNIS

Alvarez returns to courts with high expectations

By Andrew Donohue Assistant Blue Zone Editor

His junior year was supposed to be the season when Nicolas Alvarez made the leap and solidified himself as one of the top college tennis players in the country. The Lima, Peru native had an excellent sophomore campaign, leading the line for Duke at No. 1 singles and ending the year ranked as the No. 22 singles player in the country.

Alvarez started the season strong as well, capturing the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate consolation championship in the fall of 2016, knocking off multiple ranked foes along the way and setting himself up for a strong spring campaign.

But Alvarez suffered a wrist injury and was forced to miss the entire spring season as he recovered, watching the Blue Devils fight through adversity to earn an NCAA tournament berth and finish in the top half of the ACC. “I think the hardest thing for any athlete to do is to sit on the sidelines and watch,” Duke head coach Ramsey Smith said. “And obviously with him being our No. 1 player, that made it even harder.”

Alvarez partially tore his TFCC, an injury often caused by falling on an outstretched hand and especially common in racquet sports. He elected not to have surgery, instead opting to rehab and sit out the season, giving the injury time to heal. Since he missed the season, Alvarez was given a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA and has granted an

extra year of eligibility.

“I’m really glad we handled it the way we did,” Smith said. “He was able to redshirt and get that entire year back and I think the best thing was that we gave it time and didn’t opt for surgery, because surgery, especially on the right wrist, can be a scary thing. You never know how it is going to recover.”

The redshirt junior made a full recovery and resumed playing in tournaments over the summer, slowly working off the rust and regaining his previous form. He returned to the court for the Blue Devils this fall and showed flashes of his old self, advancing to the quarterfinals of the ITA Carolina Regional behind four straight-set wins.

The summer and fall seasons were instrumental to Alvarez getting back in playing shape and preparing for the main spring season. He has started the spring in phenomenal form, playing at No. 1 singles for Duke. Alvarez is undefeated thus far in the spring, including a victory against Michael Geerts, the No. 51 player in the country. He was also leading No. 18 Timo Stodder of Tennessee when the match was called since the team match was already decided.

“I think he’s absolutely back,” Smith said.

“His wrist is back, it’s strong, it’s not affecting his play. He’s been working hard on developing other aspects of his game. His transition and net play is as good as I’ve ever seen it. And most importantly, I think he’s worked himself into a really good mindset. When you deal with a major injury, the mental side of it can be as hard as the physical side of it, and I think

Neal Vaidya | Staff Photographer

Nicolas Alvarez missed the entire spring last season with a wrist injury, but has not missed a beat since returning. he’s in an awesome place mentally.”

Alvarez will be relied upon as a linchpin of the Blue Devils’ lineup this season, as the team is expected to take a step forward and possibly contend near the top of the ACC after last year’s strong performance.

Combining Alvarez’s talents with on-therise sophomores Spencer Furman, Robert Levine and Nick Stachowiak and junior Catalin Mateas means that Duke has plenty of quality depth in both singles and doubles

and can mix and match lineups depending on the opponent.

“It gives everybody confidence, not just knowing that he’s up there playing No. 1 [singles], but has a shot to win at No. 1,” Smith said. “All the points count the same, but there’s something about the lineup and having confidence in someone that can consistently compete and beat some of the top players in the country, and I think that Nico is one of the best players in the country when he’s healthy.”

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Late addition of Zhao bolsters Blue Devil lineup

By Spencer Levy Staff Reporter

The star-studded freshman class rounded out in January as the Blue Devils welcomed their eighth and final member to the already talented 2018 team.

Ranked No. 12 in TennisRecruiting. net’s Class of 2018, freshman Hannah Zhao

graduated high school early in order to enroll in classes at Duke, joining the team at the start of the spring semester. Zhao will have an uncommon freshman experience, but one that has already gotten off on the right foot, in part due to her acceptance into an already close-knit unit.

“We were fortunate enough to have that Hawaii trip and that’s a great bonding time.

Xinchen Li | Contributing Photographer

Hannah Zhao graduated early from Torrey Pines High School to enroll at Duke and join the team for the spring semester.

Whether we’re doing team stuff in Hawaii or on the court, just a time they could really be together, away from the day-to-day grind of school,” Blue Devil head coach Jamie Ashworth said. “She’s come in and she’s been a great addition to our program and a great addition to the Duke community, and will continue to be so.”

With two successful doubles teams heading the lineup, Ashworth never found a reliable third pairing. Due to a lack of dual matches before the calendar turned, Duke had some time to mix and match sophomore Meible Chi with senior Rebecca Smaller and freshman Ema Lazic. But when Jan. 1 came along, it was Zhao who claimed the spot alongside the sophomore.

“I kind of knew about it from Kelly [Chen],” Zhao said. “She was talking to me about that. It was in the air, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to play with [Chi] yet.”

With some practice time sandwiching the trip to Honolulu, the freshman has made the most of her time with her teammates and has gotten to know Chi quickly. Although there was some indication that Zhao would join Chi, nothing was guaranteed until the two stepped onto the court together.

“That was one of the biggest questions that we had. Obviously, we had two good doubles teams this fall. We had to make sure that Hannah and Meible were going to be a good team,” Ashworth said. “We’ve spent a lot of time with them together and put them in

situations where they’ve had to do things off the court–little things like rooming in a hotel.

Just to gel that bond between the two of them and she’s been great.”

The San Diego native joined Torrey Pines High School’s varsity team her freshman year and displayed her prowess from the opening serve. Undefeated for the entire season, Zhao cruised through her competition in the team’s matches. Then, it was time for the individual singles tournament, and Zhao did not disappoint. She bested her senior teammate and current Amherst standout Kelsey Chen in the CIF-San Diego Section Singles Championship, 7-6, 6-2.

“After that, I decided to focus more on individual tournaments just because it took up a lot of time in practice and during the day, especially with a full day of school, to get my own practice in,” Zhao said. “For most of the high school years, I played individual tournaments.”

Zhao not only left her school team after her unparalleled success, but she effectively left a team setting altogether. Like many aspiring college hopefuls, the competition is greater when broadening the mileage and traveling to more national tournaments. As a result, Zhao left her sectional at the pinnacle of the sport.

“It’s definitely a new change. The atmosphere, knowing everyone accounts for each other and we all bond so well and See W. TENNIS on Page 7

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6 | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018

MEN’S GOLF

Duke correcting mistakes after fading late in fall

By Ben Leonard Blue Zone Editor

Twice this fall, Duke entered the final round in the top three.

But just as quickly as it jumped up the leaderboards, a familiar sinking feeling set in.

The Blue Devils repeatedly stumbled, finishing lower than they started after the first round in every tournament this fall.

It was never more pronounced than in October, when Duke entered the final rounds of the Nike Collegiate Invitational and the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate in the top three, but finished 10th or worse in both. A talented group top-to-bottom started the year ranked No. 24, but has tumbled all the way to No. 51 after a poor showing at the Sea Best Invitational Feb. 6—a performance that head coach Jamie Green said was not in “the right hemisphere” of where he wanted to be.

Star sophomore Chandler Eaton and the Blue Devils have been left searching for answers as to why they have faded late. Those answers will have to come quickly, with just two months until the ACC championship.

“Obviously, there was some confusion about why that was happening. I can’t really speak for everybody, but for me it was just a focus on the wrong things,” Eaton said. “Instead of just trying to finish a tournament, it was more of hearing that some people are struggling. Then you start worrying about dropping on the leaderboard instead of worrying about hitting your next shot.”

An All-ACC golfer in his first season at Duke, Eaton imploded to shoot 75 and 76 in the two final rounds at the Nike Golf

Collegiate Invitational and the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate—which is played at his home course. The former No. 13 recruit in the nation has bettered his scoring average this season, but has not come through when it has counted most.

The lack of clutch play has been a topdown problem—both All-ACC junior and scoring leader Alex Smalley and No. 7 scorer Adam Wood have each shot 8-over-par in their last three final rounds.

Green said after Duke’s 12th-place finish in the Sea Best Invitational that he would institute more competition in practice to help get his team off the mat. So far, Eaton thinks it is working.

“There’s been a lot more focus in practice and a lot more focus on the little things like taking care of our bodies, making sure that we are really focused when we are playing,” Eaton said. “We’re playing a lot more and we’re trying our best to get people competitive and have them fear losing. That’s what competition does—it gets you locked in on what you need to do to play well.”

Duke will have nearly a full month off before traveling to Mexico for the Querencia Cabo Collegiate March 4-6 to get itself back on track. Eaton is confident that the Blue Devils are close to reaching their potential.

“We have some amazing players on the team, and it only takes one event for us to get our confidence back,” Eaton said. “Maybe it’s this tournament, maybe it’s the next, to build some momentum from there.”

Duke has struggled to find an effective lineup behind Eaton and Smalley. Freshmen Evan Katz and Adrien Pendaries have shown

flashes of potential—they both carded top10 finishes at the final tournament of the fall.

But Pendaries slipped to a tie for 41st in the first spring tournament, and Katz imploded to shoot a brutal 21-over-par.

The more experienced Blue Devils have also been all over the course—senior Wood has shot 46-over-par in his last three tournaments, and fellow senior Jake Shuman has also taken a big dip after earning a top10 finish in the first tournament of the fall, the Rod Myers Invitational.

The team’s most talented player, Eaton, thinks he can help the team by putting his

FROM PAGE 3

Ju Hyun Jeon | Associate Photography Editor

Sanjeev Dasgupta | Sports Photography Editor

Chandler Eaton was not immune to Duke’s struggles that caused it to slip out of the top 10 on the last day on multiple occasions in the fall.

M. LACROSSE

Veteran attackman Justin Guterding has helped lead Duke to a perfect start to the season.

head down and working.

“I can’t make the team play better,” Eaton said. “Only I can do my job and play better.

It’s just focus and not a whole lot of chatting while at practice, not a whole lot of talk with the other guys. Just trying to do my job.”

Especially heading into the Querencia Cabo Collegiate, where he finished tied for seventh last year, Eaton is confident about his game.

“My game is in a spot where I can really do something special, so my expectation is to do some special things,” Eaton said.

“We’ll see where it takes me.”

quarter against the Pioneers, with Duke creating shot opportunities that did not seem to be there. Crotty attributed it to the grit that Danowski-coached teams often exhibit.

“They showed fight,” Crotty said. “To be down 12-8 going into the fourth quarter—[Denver] went on a run in the third, winning face-offs, and Coach [Danowski] challenged them between the third and fourth quarters and they fought back.”

Crotty’s position as both a current pro lacrosse player and a coach gives him a unique perspective on the Blue Devils. The players can respect him but can also connect with him as a former Duke student and player. As a coach, Crotty can see things that the other coaches can’t.

“I like to think, you know obviously because of what I did here and what I am still doing as a player, it gives me something big,” Crotty said. “They respect me and what I say…especially the offensive guys. When I am watching them do something, I can pull them aside and go, ‘Hey, in this situation, try this,’ or, ‘Technique-wise, try this, drop your shoulder here.’ So in small situations, I think I have definitely been able to help.”

Crotty hopes to be around to help most of the season, as the MLL preseason does not even start until late March.

His team, the Rattlers, just moved to Texas after playing in Rochester, N.Y., since 2011.

“There are a lot of guys that coach that play in the MLL as well,” Crotty said. “So with the way our schedules match up, I may be able to play in two games before Memorial Day weekend. I won’t be able to really play in the MLL until after that. For right now, obviously a huge benefit is having the facilities that we have here. Matt and I are able to train and shoot to make sure we stay in shape. But in terms of my mindset, you know, [Duke] is it.”

BASEBALL FROM PAGE 4 tool used in professional baseball is wRC+. This statistic, created by FanGraphs, is calculated by using a complex formula that attempts to measure a player’s run production, adjusting to numerous factors such as stadiums’ run-producing environments and the current offensive state of the game, and scales in comparison to the league average.

Because of the obvious infeasibility of a measure of this kind being implemented at a college level, teams like Duke need to get creative in their statistical assessments.

“In lieu of batting average, we talk a lot about what we call a team at-bat average or a quality at-bat average. We call them TABS—that is the ability to go up to the plate and do something to keep the train moving,” Pollard said. “Maybe it’s a sacrifice, hit and run, moving a runner into scoring position, or an extended at bat that forced the pitcher to throw a lot of pitches. These can be things that may not necessarily show up in OPS, on base percentage or slugging percentage, but are still important keys to pushing runs across the plate.”

TABS provides a unique intersection between a sabermetric approach—it is a data-driven approach to assessing a player’s performance—and a more traditional take. TABS still values tactics neglected by a majority of sabermetric measures, such as sacrifices and hit and runs.

Pollard’s willingness to heed to both traditional and innovative approaches is a good omen for the Duke program—the team has a leader who has neither dug his heels into his prior ways nor jumped at declaring any new sabermetric idea the new evaluative gold standard for his team.

“Ultimately, a good offense isn’t one that hits .330 or gets a certain amount of stolen bases, but one that scores a lot of runs,” Pollard said. “That’s why you do those things: to score runs.”

The Chronicle

dukechronicle.com

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018 | 7

TRACK AND FIELD

Sprinters and jumpers lead Blue Devils into spring

By Hank Tucker Sports Editor

A quick glance at Duke’s record book reveals a recent wave of change in the sprints and jumps on the women’s side.

The school record in every running event up to 400 meters has changed hands in the last four years, as well as the program highs in the long jump and pole vault. For a program that prided itself on distance running in the mid2000s and produced a world-class 1,500-meter runner in Shannon Rowbury, the Blue Devils’ brand has seen a distinct shift.

“Sometimes it’s just a function of who you’re recruiting and who you get to commit.

You don’t order them at the department store.

You don’t say, ‘I’ll take a miler and a 200-meter girl and a pole vaulter.’ You have to fight for every position you get,” director of track and field Norm Ogilvie said. “Sometimes, the Duke basketball team has more guards and is a strong perimeter team, and this year they’re an inside team. It’s a function of recruiting.”

Duke is likely to get a sizable chunk of its points in women’s meets this spring from the pole vault and the 200 meters, where it has a mix of veteran leaders and strong newcomers.

Ogilvie said five women’s pole vaulters will compete this weekend at the ACC indoor championships in Clemson, S.C., including All-ACC returners Madison Heath, Laura Marty, Nati Sheppard and Chesney Ward.

“Kudos to Coach [Shawn] Wilbourn for developing a really strong brand as a multievent program and a pole vault program. We’ve been good consistently over the years, and that makes it very attractive for recruits,” Ogilvie said. “We had established a brand as a distance team in the early 2000s, when we were extremely good in the distances, and sometimes you have

W. TENNIS FROM PAGE 5 motivate each other very well,” Zhao said. “As a team, everyone pushes each other harder, and I think that has helped me improve.”

As the end of her junior career drew near, Zhao had one last memorable tournament in her hometown last Auguat, competing in the USTA Girls’ 18 National Championships in San Diego. Kelly Chen was the runner-up in the singles draw and teamed up with Zhao to form a Blue Devil duo in the final tournament they could play together before starting college.

With assistant coach Matt Manasse on hand to watch the pair, the tandem cruised to a firstround victory, only relinquishing one game.

But they then fell to the 17th-seeded pairing in the Round of 64.

On the singles side for the hometown player, Zhao knocked out two opponents before falling in the Round of 32 in a match that would have set up a meeting with Chen. Zhao was seeded 17th in singles, while her current teammate and present No. 22 college player in the nation, Chen held the 33rd seed.

When Zhao and Chen faced off last June at the Southern California Junior Sectional Championships, Zhao won 6-4, 6-2.

“Hannah and Kelly knew each other before those matches and even before they decided to come to Duke. As they both committed early, I am sure it was a natural partnership that happened at the National Event,” Manasse said.

a little downswing. Right now, we’re on the way back up in the women’s distances.”

In the 200 meters, senior Maddy Price and freshman Kethlin Campbell have both taken turns breaking the school indoor record this winter, and junior Sydnei Murphy also claims multiple program records in the short sprints and the long jump. Junior Domonique Panton also provides depth in the sprints and beat the program best in the triple jump this winter.

Campbell and Price are both expected to compete for points this weekend at the ACC indoor championships and throughout the spring, though the conference is deep in the sprints.

“We’ve got a great one-two punch, no doubt about it, the strongest one-two we’ve ever had in the 200 meters,” Ogilvie said. “But it’s not going to be easy. It’s a humbling, elite conference and lots of quality.... Everybody’s clumped very close together. It’s who does it on the day is what matters.”

On the men’s side, Duke will also likely be most competitive in similar events, with high jumper Rivers Ridout, pole vaulter Esteban Suarez and 400-meter former Olympian Steven Solomon leading the way.

Solomon arrived in Durham this season as a graduate transfer from Stanford, where he was a two-time All-American after he qualified for the finals in the 400 meters at the 2012 London Olympics. Ogilvie said Solomon will leave Duke temporarily to compete in the Commonwealth Games for Australia in April and has spent most of the winter trying to build up endurance in the middle distances in preparation for running the 400 meters there.

Solomon has been responsible for the 800-meter leg of the Blue Devils’ distance medley relay during indoor season and has also run the 600 meters, breaking the school

record with a time of 1:17.49 in that event three weeks ago at the Power Five Invite in Ann Arbor, Mich. This weekend’s ACC championships will be the first time he has run a 400-meter race all season.

“He’ll get a quick reminder of how to do it in the first round, but he should advance,” Ogilvie said. “Once he’s in the final, I think all the guys in the ACC better watch out, so if they’re not aware of how good he is, they’ll find out this weekend, but we have real high hopes for Steven.”

Duke’s men’s hopes as a team took a hit on the gridiron in the fall when Blue Devil football safety Jeremy McDuffie, who doubled as an All-

“In fact, Hannah drove to warm up Kelly each day as Kelly made the improbable run to the final at that event. Their relationship definitely grew stronger because of Duke.”

The transition into the college level is difficult, but with Chen only a message away in the fall, Zhao was prepared to make it. She scheduled her official visit for November— after she had committed to the Blue Devils— in order to participate in team activities before the spring.

With an increasing number of players turning to homeschooling or online schools to better accommodate intensive tennis training—including a few on Duke’s roster— some would argue that she did not maximize her ability by attending a public high school with a more rigorous and congested schedule.

But Zhao will join the Blue Devil program in a fashion that many others would not succeed in academically.

According to Ashworth, January enrollment is not something he utilizes often. But over the course of his time on the sidelines, he has had success. Although Duke does not use this to the degree other programs do, if the fit is right and the academics fold together neatly, he is willing to bring someone in early. Zhao fit the mold of the system that Ashworth takes on a “case-by-case” basis. By joining the team in January, Zhao forfeits a fall season, but with the most important matches coming in the spring, she will still have four springs moving forward.

“[Torrey Pines is] very involved with sports, so it’s kind of like Duke in a sense with the academics and athletics both challenging,” Zhao said. “As far as walking away, it was pretty difficult just because I have all my friends there and I don’t get to really experience the senior activities and stuff, but I made the right choice in coming early.”

With an ultimate goal to win the program’s first national championship since 2009, there is at least one similarity for the Blue Devils. That championship run included a freshman spring-semester enrollee in Mallory Cecil. The thenfreshman led the team to Ashworth’s first national title while also claiming the NCAA individual singles title, finishing the year on top of the rankings as the national player of the year.

Zhao has already seen success on the hard courts. Alongside Chi, the duo is 6-3 overall, including 1-0 in ACC play. On the singles end, the San Diego native is 4-4 with one straight-set victory against N.C. State Feb. 18. Moving ahead in the sixth position for Ashworth, Zhao will have ample opportunity to adjust to her new environment, helping her team from a position where she could do damage.

“I just thought it was just nicer to experience college earlier and get a head start with the education,” Zhao said. “Duke excels in academics and I had the ability to graduate early, so I took the chance.”

Jeremy Chen | Staff Photographer

Maddy Price and Sydnei Murphy have etched their names into Duke’s record books in the 200 meters and the long jump, respectively.

ACC hurdler last spring, tore his ACL, which will keep him out for all of track season.

But Ogilvie believe the women are one of about eight teams with a realistic chance to win the ACC championships this weekend and make some noise in the spring as well.

“We’re asking a lot of our athletes, but they’re ready to give a lot, too. Whenever you have at least a chance at the title, it’s exciting,” Ogilvie said. “I think Duke will be back in a place where we can get points in the distances again very soon, and when that happens, watch out. We’re not going to be one of eight teams trying to win. We’re going to be one of two or three with a chance to win.”

W. GOLF FROM PAGE 2 course,” Brooks said. “All those things that you look for were there. She kind of hit every point: a good person, very talented, hard worker, beautiful golf swing and a tenacious competitor.”

Although Boonchant stepped up in the fall to help her team win three out of four events, she emphasized that there is still plenty of room for her and her teammates to improve as they work toward the NCAA championship in May. In Duke’s spring opener two weeks ago, the team struggled against an elite field on a difficult course and ultimately finished in a disappointing eighth place, an outcome that Boonchant said provided an experience the team can draw upon in preparing for the postseason.

In looking to improve, Boonchant said her short game could use some work, but that her mental approach to the game—the need to focus on each shot individually rather than worrying about what’s ahead—is her biggest key to steady development.

“I used to think about the score too much and that kind of stressed me out [on] the golf course, so I need to focus more on doing what I’m doing right now,” Boonchant said. “I don’t want to let the team down. I just want to be someone who can help the team to win nationals.”

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8 | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018

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