Courtesy: Duke Photography Senior Elizabeth Wort

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- The Duke women’s outdoor track and field team had two more performers qualify for the NCAA Championships on Saturday at the NCAA East Regional in Gainesville, Fla. The team as a whole placed 10th at the meet with 26 points.

Women’s: Senior Elizabeth Wort ran the 3,000 meter steeplechase in a Duke and NCAA East Regional record 9:52.34 on Saturday night in Gainesville. That mark was also a University of Florida track record and earned her Duke’s first-ever regional outdoor title. It was only the second steeplechase of the season for Wort, as she battled injury throughout much of the spring.

In the pole vault, junior Lara Jones earned her first trip to the NCAA Championships when she placed fifth with a vault of 12’-6.0.” The top five finishers in each of the four regionals automatically earn a berth in the NCAA’s.

Late Friday night, sophomore Maddie McKeever ran to her second NCAA Championship berth this year in the 5,000 meters. McKeever finished third with her time of 16:10.87, which was the third-fastest time in school history. She already automatically qualified for the NCAA’s in the 10,000 meters this season.

Men’s: The Blue Devil men’s outdoor track and field season concluded on Saturday night when sophomore Kevin McDermott ran the 3,000 meter steeplechase in 9:17.86. He placed 29th in Gainesville with that run.

A Look Ahead: The NCAA Track and Field selection show will be held on Tues., May 29, at 3 p.m. on www.ncaasports.com. The NCAA Championships are June 6-9, in Sacramento, Calif. Senior Sally Meyerhoff (10,000m) and senior Debra Vento (high jump) are also bound for the NCAA’s, and junior Daina Pucurs (javelin) is an at-large consideration which will be officially announced on Tuesday.

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