March 21, 1999

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Notre Dame fencing team finished second at the 1999 NCAA championships at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. Penn State won the championships for the fifth consecutive year. The Nittany Lions totaled 171 points, while the Irish accumulated 139 points. Stanford came in third place with 136 points and St. John’s placed fourth with 135 points. The conclusion of competition in women’s epee and foil was fenced on the final day of the NCAA championships.

The Irish epeeists, Nicole Mustilli and Magda Krol finished fifth and eighth respectively. Mustilli, a senior captain, finished the competition with a 15-8 record. Krol, the 1997 NCAA women’s epee champion, posted a 14-9 record at the championships. Felicia Zimmerman of Stanford won the women’s epee championship.

In women’s foil Sara Walsh finished fifth and Myriah Brown placed 10th. Walsh had 19 victories against 4 defeats at the 1999 NCAA championships. Her 80 career NCAA championship wins is the highest in Notre Dame fencing history. Brown registered a 13-10 record to give her 61 career NCAA championship wins, second to Walsh in Notre Dame fencing history. Winning the women’s foil championship was, sister of former Irish All-American Claudette de Bruin, Stanford’s Monique de Bruin.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the Irish have finished second at the NCAA Fencing Championships. This year seven of the 10 Notre Dame participants gained All-American honors. Walsh and Brown, along with sabremen Luke LaValle became four-time All-Americans, Krol earned All-American accolades for the third consecutive year and Mustilli gained All-American status for the second straight year. Freshman sabremen Gabor Szelle and freshman epeeist Brian Casas earned All-American honors in their first NCAA appearances.