Notebook

Blue Devils compete in Diving World Cup

DURHAM, N.C. Current Blue Devil Jaimee Gundry and former Duke national champion Abby Johnston will look to qualify their respective countries for the 2016 Olympic Games this weekend in Rio de Janeiro. The two divers will compete at the FINA Diving World Cup Friday through next Wednesday in Rio.

There are only eight qualifying spots available in synchronized diving events, and one automatically goes to the host country. Three spots for 2016 were awarded to the countries that medaled at last year’s World Championships. The remaining four spots will be determined at the World Cup, where the top four countries not yet qualified will punch their tickets to the 2016 Olympic Games.

Johnston is slated to represent the United States in the individual and synchronized 3-meter springboard competitions. The women’s synchronized 3-meter preliminaries will take place Saturday while the individual 3-meter preliminaries are set for Monday in Rio.

A 2013 graduate of Duke, Johnston was a silver medalist in the women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard event at the 2012 London Olympics.

The U.S. will select its 2016 Olympic Team at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Diving in Indianapolis from June 18-26.

Gundry will represent her native country of South Africa in the women’s 10-meter platform event, with preliminaries scheduled for Saturday. The Duke senior has previously represented South Africa at the FINA World Championships and the FINA World Cup.

Duke: The team opens the 2016 campaign with a three-game series against California Friday through Sunday at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Blue Devils and the Golden Bears face each other in a season-opening series for the second time in as many seasons.

NCCU: The baseball team will open its season at home against Morehead State on Friday to open a three-game series at the Durham Athletic Park. The team’s looking to break through into the top three of the Southern Division this year.

Mt. Olive: The team earned its way into the GolfStat Men’s Golf Top 25, it was announced Wednesday. Mount Olive is currently ranked No. 25 and was ranked as high as No. 27 during the fall. Mount Olive is the only Conference Carolinas school in the rankings.

N.C. State: The team will serve as one of four hosts for the inaugural ACC/Big Ten Challenge held this weekend. The Wolfpack welcomes Louisville, Nebraska and Wisconsin to Dail Stadium.

Shaw: Head coach DiShondra Goree and sophomore pitcher Frances Hamilton were named the CIAA Coach and Pitcher of the Week on Thursday in the leagues’ second weekly honor of the 2016 season.

UNC: Ronnie Schneider has been named MVP of the ITA National Indoor Team Championship, as announced Thursday by the ITA. The junior business major from Bloomington, Ind., helped lead UNC to its first national championship on Monday in Charlottesville, Va.

Mt. Olive: The men and women’s teams maintained their status in the top 10 in the USTFCCCA Southeast Regional indoor track and field rankings. The men remain at No. 2 and the women fell to No. 8.

Wake Forest: The men’s and women’s teams conclude their indoor regular seasons this weekend by sending competitors to a pair of meets. The Demon Deacons will be represented at the Virginia Tech Challenge at the Rector Field House in Blacksburg, Va. and the UCS Invitational in at the JDL Fast Track Winston-Salem.

Duke: The team is set to send five players – Nicole Elattrache, Kelli Kalinoski, Leah Meyer and Emily Sklar – to the U.S. Women’s National Team open tryouts Feb. 19-21 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Duke: The team will close out its regular season slate with a pair of Big Ten opponents this weekend. The Blue Devils are set for duals against Big Ten foes Northwestern and No. 23 Purdue Feb. 19 and 21.

From news releases

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Notebook."