July 7, 2017
By Joanne Norell
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – One of Notre Dame’s most decorated fencers has been honored at one of the highest national levels with her induction into the U.S. Fencing Hall of Fame.
Molly Sullivan Sliney (’88) entered the hall with the class of 2017. She was selected as part of the six-person class last summer.
A two-time Olympian (’92, ’88) and two-time Pan Am Games Champion (’91, ’87), the then-Molly Sullivan won the NCAA Championships twice (’86, ’88) as a foil fencer for the Irish. In between, Sullivan Sliney helped lead the Irish women’s fencing team to the 1987 national championship, marking the first time a Notre Dame women’s sports team had won a national title.
Sullivan Sliney is currently a motivational speaker and fencing coach.
USA FENCING SUMMER NATIONALS
A large contingent of University of Notre Dame fencers made strong showings over the last week during the 2017 USA Fencing National Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah. The event opened on July 1 and will run through July 10 with the final youth rounds.
The Irish results were highlighted by incoming freshman Nick Itkin’s gold-medal showing in Division I Men’s Foil. Itkin is currently the top-ranked junior and fifth-ranked senior in the nation and has already captured two other gold medals in 2017.
Another incoming freshman, Stephen Ewart, took second place in Division I Men’s Epee. Ewart is the second-ranked junior and 14th-ranked senior in the U.S. in men’s epee. Rising senior Nick Hanahan tied for third in the event.
In junior women’s foil, rising sophomore Morgan Partridge snared silver, while incoming freshman Isabelle Elizondo tied for bronze.
USA Fencing National Championships
July 1-10, 2017
Salt Lake City, Utah
Junior Men’s Epee (244 competitors)
45. Stephen Ewart (freshman)
83. Josiah Broughton (freshman)
115. Zachary Cheng (sophomore)
Junior Women’s Foil (185 competitors)
2. Morgan Partridge (sophomore)
T-3. Isabelle Elizondo (freshman)
5. Stefani Deschner (freshman)
9. Samantha Viqueira (sophomore)
19. Finnula Mageras (sophomore)
25. Xiao-Qing Erica Tsai (freshman)
69. Mariah Summers (freshman)
80. Beatrice Verrecchia (freshman)
Div 1-A Junior Women’s Sabre (75 competitors)
T-51. Reghan Ward (freshman)
Div 1 Women’s Epee (83 competitors)
7. Amanda Sirico (junior)
20. Rebecca Chimahusky (’05)
36. Eleanor Leighton (’09)
63. Dasha Yefremenko (freshman)
66. Julia Barry (sophomore)
Div 1 Men’s Sabre (93 competitors)
8. Jonah Shainberg (senior)
59. Colin Campbell (freshman)
Div 1 Men’s Foil (122 competitors)
1. Nick Itkin (freshman)
14. Joseph Marino (freshman)
81. Michael Antipas (junior)
Div 1 Women’s Sabre (66 competitors)
11. Reghan Ward (freshman)
14. Tara Hassett (junior)
Div 1-A Men’s Sabre (126 competitors)
12. Ben Scholl (freshman)
T-84. Jack Rohan (freshman)
Div 1-A Women’s Epee (118 competitors)
38. Dasha Yefremenko (freshman)
96. Eleanor Leighton (’09)
Div 1-A Women’s Foil (96 competitors)
29. Beatrice Verrecchia (freshman)
62. Darsie Malynn (’12)
Div 1-A Men’s Epee (165 competitors)
41. Josiah Broughton (freshman)
Div 1 Women’s Foil (96 competitors)
6. Sabrina Massialas (junior)
7. Morgan Partridge (sophomore)
10. Xiao-Qing Erica Tsai (freshman)
17. Elyssa Kleiner (sophomore)
18. Isabelle Elizondo (freshman)
T-22. Samantha Viqueira (sophomore)
30. Adrienne Nott (’09)
44. Mariah Summers (freshman)
56. Finnula Mageras (sophomore)
71. Erin Dietsche (senior)
Div 1 Men’s Epee (121 competitors)
2. Stephen Ewart (freshman)
T-3. Nick Hanahan (senior)
T-9. Ariel Simmons (sophomore)
34. Aidan Antekeier (sophomore)
T-43. Zachary Cheng (sophomore)
65. Dylan French (junior)
Junior Men’s Sabre (216 competitors)
24. Colin Campbell (freshman)
103. Ben Scholl (freshman)
173. Jack Rohan (freshman)
Junior Women’s Epee (193 competitors)
26. Julia Barry (sophomore)
28. Dasha Yefremenko (freshman)
Junior Men’s Foil (268 competitors)
5. Joseph Marino (freshman)
T-21. Matthew Tichacek (freshman)
68. Robert Wong (freshman)
147. Alexander Ju (sophomore)
Junior Women’s Sabre (159 competitors)
27. Reghan Ward (freshman)
–ND–
Joanne Norell, athletics communications assistant at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2014 and coordinates communications efforts for the Notre Dame women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and fencing programs. Norell is a 2011 graduate of Purdue University and earned her master’s degree from Georgetown University in 2013.