Blue Devils Tally Six More Top-Five Program Marks to Close Raleigh Relays

 
RALEIGH, N.C. – Duke track and field concluded competition at the Raleigh Relays on a high note with the team registering six more top-five program marks – including one school record – to push its weekend total to 13.
 
The Blue Devils featured an even split on Saturday with three field athletes and three track athletes, respectively, revising the program record books in the men’s and women’s hammer throw, women’s 200m, women’s 400m hurdles and women’s 800m.
 
Additionally, Duke produced a quartet of event wins via the women’s pole vault invitational, men’s long jump, women’s 4x100m relay and women’s 4x400m relay.
 
TOP PERFORMANCES

• Opening the morning slate for Duke was the men’s hammer throw competition where the trio of Christian Johnson, Aimar Palma Simo and Christian Toro put on another strong display of power en route to claiming two of the top-three placements and three of the top 10.
• Duke’s program record in the events came crashing down for the second time in as many weeks – this time via the efforts of Johnson. The graduate student came through with his furthest throw of the competition on his sixth attempt. Johnson slotted himself atop the field as his toss measured 70.26m (230-6 feet), surpassing his previous best by nearly 10 feet.
• Toro delivered a strong showing of his own to place seventh among the field while improving his No. 3 all-time Duke mark in the process behind a throw of 63.98m (209-11 feet).
• Palma Simo launched his second attempt 69.23m (227-1 feet) to earn the runner-up finish in the event.
• Over in the women’s hammer throw, graduate student Zoe Waddell turned in the best performance of her career with a nearly-four-foot personal best.
• Waddell made her third attempt the charm and sent the hammer flying 58.95m (193-5 feet) to place fourth overall and improve her No. 4 all-time mark at Duke.
• Competing alongside Waddell, senior Moorea Mitchell delivered her best performance of the season thus far and earned a third-place finish with a throw of 59.11m (193-11 feet).
• Sophomore Lauren Tolbert brought the record-breaking action to the track, getting things going in the women’s 800m. Tolbert finished her race in 2:03.17, good for fifth among the field, jumping one spot up the Duke leaderboard into No. 4 all-time.
• Graduate students Tina Martin and Skyla…