March 13, 2008
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Notre Dame women’s fencing team is two wins behind Ohio State and in second place after the first day of the NCAA Fencing Championships on the Ohio State University campus. Fighting Irish freshman Ewa Nelip leads the epee contingent as she posted an 11-3 record through the first four rounds of competition. The final three rounds of women’s action will take place on Friday.
Ohio State, the top-ranked team in the latest United States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA) poll, notched 62 wins on the day and leads the 23 competing teams at the championships. Second-ranked Notre Dame registered 60 victories, followed by No. 7 Columbia/Barnard (49), No. 4 St. John’s (45) and No. 7 Penn State (43) to round out the top-five teams.
In the epee, Penn State led the way with 20 victories. Notre Dame was next with 19, while St. John’s had 18. Ohio State and Temple both notched 14 wins.
Nelip and Penn State’s Keri Byerts posted 11-3 records in the epee. Nelip carries a +24 indicator compared to Byerts +20. St. John’s Reka Szele is third with a 9-4 mark (+24) and Anastasia Ferdman from Penn State is fourth also at 9-4 (+16). Kelley Hurley, a Notre Dame sophomore, is currently ninth after going 8-6 on the day.
Ohio State claimed 25 wins in the foil, followed by St. John’s and Penn State at 20 apiece. Notre Dame and Columbia Barnard both notched 18 victories.
The Buckeyes’ Oksana Dmytruk paced the foil field with a 13-1 record. Four fencers went 12-2, including Notre Dame junior Adrienne Nott. Monika Golebiewski from St. John’s leads with a +44 indicator followed by Lindsay Knauer from Ohio State (+33), Nott (+30) and Penn State’s Allison Glasser (+26). Irish freshman Hayley Reese is 14th with a 6-8 record.
Sabre action featured Notre Dame and Ohio State both capturing 23 victories. Columbia/Barnard was third with 20 wins followed by Harvard with 17.
Siobhan Byrne from Ohio State and Notre Dame freshman Sarah Borrmann each recorded a 13-1 mark. Byrne leads on indicator, 38-36. Wayne State’s Karolina Budna went 12-2, while Columbia/Barnard’s Emily Jacobson rounds out the top four at 11-3. Notre Dame’s Eileen Hassett, a freshman, resides in sixth place with a 10-4 record.
Friday’s second day of the NCAA Fencing Championships will feature rounds four through seven of the women’s competition. Fencing gets underway at 9:30 a.m. (ET).
NCAA Fencing ChampionshipsColumbus, Ohio • March 13, 2008Women's Competition • Rounds 1-4 (of 7)
Top-five teams (of 23)1. Ohio State, 62 (14e, 25f, 23s)2. Notre Dame, 60 (19e, 18f, 23s)3. Columbia/Barnard, 49 (11e, 18f, 20s)4. St. John's, 45 (18e, 20f, 7s)5. Penn State, 43 (20e, 20f, 3s)
Top-six fencers (plus Notre Dame competitors)
EPEE
1. Ewa Nelip, ND, 11-3, +24 indicator2. Keri Byerts, PSU, 11-3, + 20 indicator3. Reka Szele, SJU, 9-4, +24 indicator4. Anastasia Ferdman, PSU 9-4, +16 indicator, 59 touches scoredt. Tanya Novakovska, SJU 9-4, +16 indicator, 59 touches scored6. Kristin Howell, TEMP, 9-4, +10 indicator9. Kelley Hurley, ND 8-6
FOIL
1. Oksana Dmytruk, OSU, 13-12. Monika Golebiewski, SJU, 12-2, +44 indicator3. Lindsay Knauer, OSU, 12-2, +33 indicator4. Adrienne Nott, ND, 12-2, +30 indicator5. Allison Glasser, PSU, 12-2, +26 indicator6. Nicole Ross, COL, 11-314. Hayley Reese, ND, 6-8
SABRE
1. Siobhan Byrne, OSU, 13-1, +38 indicator2. Sarah Borrmann, ND, 13-1, +36 indicator3. Karolina Budna, WSU, 12-24. Emily Jacobson, COL, 11-35. Eileen Grench, OSU, 10-4, +21 indicator, 61 touches scored6. Eileen Hassett, ND, 10-4, +21 indicator, 60 touches scored