Fencing: Accomplished Eli swordsmen look to the top

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Eli fencing will face off against tough Ivy competition in Columbia and Princeton.

After a month-long hiatus from competition, the men's and women's fencing teams are back in action. Since the season-opening meet at Penn State, which, according to Sarah Weeks, TC '00, is "a good meet for working out the knots in our legs and getting back into competition," the women have breezed past their opponents, compiling a 3-0 record in victories over Cornell, NYU, and St. John's.

Strong starts are not out of the ordinary for the women's squad. The team has become accustomed to successful seasons, having posted a 31-1 record over the past three years. But they're not overlooking any of their opponents. The team is prepared to face stiff competition from Columbia and Princeton, which have strong freshmen. Still, the lady Bulldogs are confident in their ability to bring home the title for a fourth consecutive year.

Despite losing three of four starters in epée, the team has considerable depth. Instead of having just one or two stars in each category, the team boasts talent in all of its starting positions. This year's foil team is especially strong. "Right now our foil squad is probably one of the best in the country," Weeks said. Team captain Katie Zuckerman, JE '99, and Hannah Appel, SM '00, lead this group, while Whitney Anderson, TC '00, anchors the epée squad. The team should succeed at the NCAA meet as well, but they aren't looking that far ahead. Instead they're focusing on the more immediate goals of defeating each of their Ivy opponents and winning the HYPs.

In men's action, the team is 1-1 after a disappointing performance against St. John's. The season outlook is still promising. The team has several top fencers, including captain and 1996 Olympian Peter Devine, MC '99, and the 1998 NCAA foil champion Ayo Griffin, SM '00. Mitsuhiro Sudo, JE '01, and Wai-Tsing Chan, ES '00, look to lead the sabre team, while David Weber, CC '99, should figure strongly in the epée team's performance.

--Sara Sani

Back to Sports...