Feb. 4, 2006
Both Notre Dame fencing teams kept rolling in weekend action at the Ohio State Duals, with each squad posting 5-0 records in the bouts on Saturday at French Fieldhouse. Both Notre Dame teams now are 23-1 for the season, heading into the final regular-season event on Feb. 11 at the UC San Diego Duals.
In other action of note from the weekend, Notre Dame sophomore sabre standout Mariel Zagunis placed second at a World Cup event in Orleans, France, losing 15-13 to France’s Anne Lise Touya in the final bout.
The top-ranked Irish women posted 27-0 wins over Case and Purdue while also topping Michigan State (23-4), Indiana (22-5) and Michigan (21-6). The No. 2-ranked Notre Dame men defeated the same teams, besting Purdue 26-1, MSU and Case by 24-3 scores, Indiana (22-5) and Michigan (20-7).
Notre Dame opted not to use many of its top fencers while allowing the reserve fencers the chance to earn valuable bouting experience. Noteworthy regulars who competed in the men’s bouts included sophomore captain Greg Howard (5-0) and junior Patrick Gettings (13-1; 29-4 season record) in epee and two in sabre: senior Nicholas Diacou (6-2) and freshman Bill Thanhouser (6-0). Howard improved to 35-6 for the season and 71-14 in his career while Diacou now owns a 20-8 season record (75-49 career) and Thanhouser is 27-9 in bouts with the Irish, after missing last week’s ND Duals due to a Junior World Cup conflict in Spain (where he placed third).
On the women’s side, fifth-year senior Becca Chimahusky (14-1; 42-10 season; 137-53 career) and freshman Madeleine Stephan (14-1; 44-14 season) were the regulars in action during the women’s epee bouts. The Irish did bring their complete top-five in women’s foil, led by sophomores Melanie Bautista (8-1; 45-15 season; 92-22 career) and Rachel Cota (11-3; 20-4; 57-19), freshmen Adrienne Nott (4-0; 44-6) and Emilie Prot (5-0; 44-9) and senior Colleen Walsh (13-1; 26-4; 77-28).
In women’s sabre, freshman Ashley Serrette (14-1; 48-18 season) continued her impressive rookie year while junior Angela Vincent went 13-2 (26-7 season; 118-29 career).
Top fencers among the reserves who were in action at OSU included junior epeeist Jesse Laeuchli (12-1), freshman foilist Alexander Grigorenko (11-0), junior sabreist Ryan Bradley (8-0), senior epeeist Marielle Connor (12-3) and junior sabreist Erin Housing (12-3).