Feb. 6, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The top-ranked University of Notre Dame men’s and women’s fencing teams went a perfect 12-0 Saturday at the Northwestern Duals, as the men posted a 5-0 mark and the women went 7-0. Sophomore epeeist James Kaull also earned a silver medal at an FIE Junior World Cup event on Sunday in Goteborg, Sweden.
On the men’s side of the Northwestern Duals, the Irish secured victories over Princeton (20-7), Stanford (16-11), California Institute of Technology (27-0), UC San Diego (21-6) and North Carolina (20-7).
The women earned decisions over Fairleigh Dickinson (25-2), North Carolina (24-3), UC San Diego (25-2), California Institute of Technology (24-3), Princeton (14-13), Temple (18-9) and Stanford (22-5).
A pair of sabreists led the Irish men at the Duals, as Barron Nydam and Avery Zuck finished with bout records of 8-2 and 7-0, respectively. Epeeists Jacob Osborne (6-2) and Jack Piasio (6-2) along with foilist Reggie Bentley (6-0) and sabreist Jason Choy (6-4) finished just behind them, reaching the six-win plateau.
The men’s epee squad was rounded out by Brent Kelly (5-2), Michael Rossi (4-2), Greg Schoolcraft (4-3), Andrew Seroff (3-1) and Chris Pinkowski (1-4). The foil squad saw Enzo Castellani (5-1), Grant Hodges (4-1), Ted Hodges (4-1), Steve Kubik (4-0), Nicholas Crebs (3-2), Zach Schirtz (3-2) and Nicholas Kubik (2-1) take to the strip along with Bentley.
In sabre, Keith Feldman (4-0), Marcel Frenkel (4-0), Kevin Hassett (4-0), Carl Ianiro (3-0) and Alexander Coccia (2-1) rounded out the rotation.
On the women’s side, nine Irish fencers reached the ten-win mark, led by Ewa Nelip who finished the day 11-1. The remaining eight fencers who reached 10 wins were epeeists Courtney Hurley (10-0), Phenix Messersmith (10-3) and Diane Zielinski (10-3), foilists Adriana Camacho (10-1), Darsie Malynn (10-1) and Radmila Sarkisova (10-1) and sabreists Beatriz Almeida (10-2) and Abigail Nichols (10-1).
The epee squad also saw Caroline Dikibo (4-4) and Stephanie Myers (3-4) take to the strip on the day, while the foil also sent Grace Hartman (9-1), Hayley Reese (8-1) and Rachel Beck (7-4) to the strip. Marta Stepien (8-0), Sarah Borrmann (8-3), Kathryn Palazzoto (6-1), Eileen Hassett (5-2) and Lian Osier (3-4) rounded out the women’s sabre squad.
In the toughest match of the day for either the men’s and women’s team, Reese earned one of her most important wins of the season, defeating Hyun-Kyung Yuh of Princeton 5-0 to clinch the match for the Irish against the Tigers, 14-12 – a match that the Irish ended up winning 14-13. The women’s unbeaten streak now extends to 85 consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, as the Irish were competing at the Northwestern Duals, sophomore epeeist James Kaull went to compete at an FIE Junior World Cup event in Goteborg, Sweden.
Kaull ended the competition with a silver medal finish and stands to earn 26 points to his junior international ranking to go along with the 14 points he earned in Helsinki earlier in the season.
Kaull and the Irish now turn their attention to the regular season finale at the Duke Duals next Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 12-13).
–ND–