Catching Up With Former Hoops Player Vicki Krapohl

DURHAM, N.C. — GoDuke.com recently sat down with former Duke women's basketball student-Vicki Krapohl-Pugsley, who played for the Blue Devils from 2001-04, to see what she is doing these days, get her thoughts on Duke women's basketball and to reflect on her time in Durham.

Krapohl, who played on the 2002 and 2003 NCAA Final Four squads and guided the Blue Devils to four straight ACC Championships, is one of Duke's top all-time three-point shooters. She hit 171 career treys, which ranks fourth all-time at Duke and her 403 career attempts is sixth on the Blue Devil charts.

GoDuke.com: Give us a run down on what you are doing now.

Vicki Krapohl-Pugsley: I am working at GE Aviation in the new engine development and testing group. I have spent the last two years supporting the test of a couple new engine programs that GE plans to bring to market soon. The first is the GEnx engine that will be installed on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the new Boeing 747-8 Advanced. I am currently working on a joint venture program between GE and Honda to certify and test the HF120 engine, a business jet application that is planned to be installed on a Honda Jet with potential for more customers. In the area I work we complete all the certification testing to make sure the engine is safe for flight, some examples include bird ingestion, hail/ice/water ingestion, intentionally exploding a fan blade, and emissions testing just to name a few.

GD: What do you like best about your career path you have chosen?

VKP: I think we have a pretty cool product in jet engines and I continue to learn everyday I come to work. But really what keeps me at GE is similar to what attracted me to Duke in that I have met great people who are passionate about what they do.

GD: Do you have a spouse and children?

VKP: I married a fellow Dukie Paul Pugsley in May of 2006 at the Duke Chapel. We met on campus the end of our sophomore year waiting on the central campus bus, but I like to say we met in front of the chapel because it sounds more romantic and the bus stop is in front of the chapel.

GD: How often are you able to watch Duke basketball games?

VKP: I watch all the games that are nationally televised and the Fox South games when my region gets coverage. Living way up here in Ohio, I usually get the Big Ten, Atlantic 10, and Big East. I have come back to watch a game every year except last year and always enjoy coming back to Cameron to see all the familiar faces and committed fans!

GD: How much has women's basketball changed since you played?

VKP: I hope not that much since I only graduated five years ago! But I do think every year our sport is growing and it is great to see all the talent and more parody between teams.

GD: When is the last time you were able to come back to see a Duke game?

VKP: I came back for the reunion game in January of 2008. It was great to meet all of the women who paved a path for my generation and interesting to compare our experiences, especially the travel.

GD: Have you had a chance to come back and see the new practice facility? If so how nice would it have been to have that when you were playing at Duke?

VKP: I did see the new facilities when I was came back for the reunion, what a great facility. The video room looked almost a little too comfortable; I think I would have struggled to keep my eyes open in the cushy seats. I still think the best place to practice and play in the world is Cameron Indoor Stadium.

GD: How much has the Duke campus changed since you were in school?

VKP: When I came back for my wedding, I walked around the Pratt School of Engineering. The school was pretty much in constant construction my final two years at Duke and the facilities have been upgraded and renovated. I think I may have gotten lost had I not been on a guided tour by then Dean Johnson.

GD: Where did you live when you were at Duke?

VKP: When I was at Duke I lived in Randolph on East Campus my freshman year, followed by central campus apartments sophomore and junior year and moved off campus to Pinnacle Ridge apartments my senior year.

GD: What are some of your best memories of Duke?

VKP: So many good memories it is hard to boil down to a few sentences. My most memorable win was Jess Foley hitting a three at the buzzer to beat UCONN on their home court. The off the court stuff feels like the majority of what I remember now, central campus living, the "ice cream socials", and all the travel, especially the trip to Australia.

GD: Do you keep in touch with your former teammates?

VKP: I don't keep in touch as well as I would like with a lot of teammates playing all over the world. I was able to catch up with some at my wedding. Lauren Rice keeps me in the loop and a couple of us try to get together every year for at least a weekend, Meesh, KG, G-Schweitz, Ro, Missy, and Lauren.

GD: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give our current student-athletes?

VKP: Be grateful for those that have gone before you to pave your path. Enjoy the opportunities that are given to you to compete among the nations best athletes. Be proud to wear the Duke University jersey and always represent the University with character and ethics. Take advantage of the platform you are given as a student athlete and give back to the Durham community.

GD: What kind of an impact has a Duke degree had on your life?

VKP: I don't think I even fully understand the impact a Duke degree has had and will continue to have in my life. More than just the classroom learning, what I learned from my coaches and teammates can not be summed up into words. I draw on my experiences from Duke daily.

GD: Do you get a chance to ever play pick-up basketball these days?

VKP: I don't play much basketball these days. Last year I started helping out with a 4th grade girl's team and followed them again this year as 5th graders. I really enjoy bringing the game to young people and teaching them life lessons through basketball.

GD: Do you find many Duke fans in Ohio?

VKP: I have found there are Duke fans everywhere. In fact when I first moved to Cincinnati (only about 50 miles from Beaver Creak) I got asked all the time if I knew Ali Bales. So thanks Ali for making me seem cooler to Ohio people everywhere, :-). Even just at my company we hire ~1-2 Dukies every year.

Catching Up With Former Hoops Player Vicki Krapohl

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