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Duke Women Set for Season Opener in Durham
8/31/2015 5:45:00 PM | Cross Country
DURAHM, N.C. -- The Duke women's cross country team is set to kick off the 2015 season Tuesday morning, hosting cross-town opponent NC Central as a part of the Duke Alumni Meet. The contest, which features current members of the team, as well as a number of former Duke student-athletes, is slated for a 9 a.m. start in Morris Williams Track & Field Stadium, with competitors covering the four-kilometer course along the Al Buehler Trail and Sally Meyerhoff Fitness Loop.
The Blue Devils welcome back a slew of alumni who will take the starting line, including Jessica Buttinger ('15), Jessica Davlin ('09), Abby Farley ('15), Gabby Levac ('14), Cydney Ross ('13) and Colette Whitney ('14).
Duke will field an eight-runner lineup of its own in its season opener, with four of the five rookie harriers making their collegiate debuts. Freshmen Olivia Gwynn, Kim Hallowes, Gabrielle Richichi and Sheridan Wilbur are all scheduled to compete. Gwynn, hailing from the United Kingdom, registered numerous first-place showings over her high school career, including at the Cinque Mullini International U20 competition and the West Wales U20 meet. Hallowes, of Sydney, Australia, garnered her own set of accolades prior to Duke, twice claiming the Sydney East Sport Blue Award, presented annually to an individual who displays sporting excellence within the region. Richichi and Wilbur boast impressive credentials, as well. Richichi earned All-America honors as a senior after placing 16th at the 2014 Foot Locker National Championship, while Wilbur raced to a 28th-place finish at the 2014 Nike Cross Nationals.
Seniors Olivia Anderson, Anima Banks and Allison Sturges look to infuse experience into the Blue Devil lineup, after the trio participated in nine combined cross country meets last season. Banks returns as one of Duke's top competitors from a year ago, consistently placing among the Blue Devils' first five during the 2014 campaign. Rounding out the Blue Devils' starters list is junior Gina Daniel. Last season, Daniel clocked a personal-best five-kilometer time of 18:46 at the Royals XC Challenge en route to a 23rd-place finish.
Follow @Duke_TF_XC on Twitter for updates throughout the meet.
Meet the Alumni
Jessica Buttinger ('15) -- Buttinger served as a four-year starter at forward for Duke's field hockey team, garnering National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-South Region second team honors in her final year. Following the conclusion of the 2014 field hockey season, Buttinger joined the track & field team for the 2015 campaign, competing as a middle distance runner throughout the year. The Warterloo, Ontario, native posted a season-best 800-meter time of 2:12.34 at the Georgia Tech Invite.
Jessica Davlin ('09) -- Davlin recorded impressive results during her time at Duke. The Western Ohio native earned All-East Cross Country honors in 2007 following a 22nd-place finish at the ECAC Cross Country Championships. Over her indoor collegiate track career, Davlin twice garnered All-East accolades, receiving recognition as a member of Duke's 4x800 in 2006 and at 1,000m in 2007. Davlin also earned All-East honors during the 2006 outdoor season as a member of the 4x800.
Abby Farley ('15) -- Farley saw a strong career while competing as a middle-distance runner at Duke, owning the fifth-fastest outdoor 800m time in Duke history (2:06.02). An indoor All-ACC team member in 2014, Farley helped guide Duke's distance medley relay to a first-place finish at the indoor conference championship. During her freshman season, Farley anchored Duke's 4x400 relay that garnered All-East honors in 2012. Farley also competed as a member of Duke's cross country team, with top-five finishes at both the 2013 Bull City Classic and the 2012 Three Stripe Invitational.
Gabby Levac ('14) -- An indoor second team All-America recipient, Levac played an integral role as a member of Duke's school record-setting DMR that went on to place ninth in 2013 at the national championship meet. Earlier in the season, Levac earned All-ACC recognition for a third-place finish in the mile at the conference indoor championship. In addition to her national and conference honors, Levac also received All-East accolades during the 2011 outdoor season as a member of the 4x800 team that placed first at the ECAC Championships.
Cydney Ross ('13) -- Ross concluded her college career as one of the most decorated middle-distance runners in program history, earning outdoor first team All-America honors for the 800 in 2011 and 2013, as well as indoor first team All-America honors in 2013 at the same distance. Ross also claimed both the indoor and outdoor ACC 800m title during the 2013 season. Ross is the proud owner of seven school records (Indoor: 800m-2:04.52, 4x800-8:42.54, DMR-11:01.50; Outdoor: 800-2:02.48, SMR-3:46.43, 4x800-8:52.95, DMR-11:02.01). Ross concluded her college cross country career with a first-place finish at the Three Stripe Invitational in 2012.
Colette Whitney ('14) -- In her final cross country season at Duke, Whitney served as Duke's second finisher in back-to-back races, guiding the Blue Devils to a second-place finish at the 2013 Royal Cross Country Challenge and a 10th-place showing at the Blue Ridge Open. While on the track, Whitney competed primarily at the 3,000m distance. She recorded a top-15 finish in all four of the 3,000m races she entered during the 2014 season.
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