Contact: Pete LaFleur (editor@collegefencing360.com) Feb. 4, 2011
The two-day Northwestern Duals are set to begin on Saturday, Feb. 5, featuring top teams from Notre Dame, Princeton, Ohio State and Stanford, plus the top-10 women's teams from Northwestern and Temple (along with select fencers-to-watch from North Carolina, Wayne State and UC San Diego, plus other teams rounding out the field).
CollegeFencing360 provides an exclusive look at "top fencers to watch" below, along with a list of key matchups and then Saturday's full schedule (CF360 hopes to provide similar previews for other tournaments this weekend – stay tuned).
Saturday's bouting at Northwestern will feature 11 head-to-head matchups between top-10 teams (six women matchups; five men) – highlighted by both of Notre Dame's top-ranked teams facing off against Princeton (#6 men; #4 women) in the noontime round-5:
• round 2 (9:00 a.m.) – #7 Northwestern women vs. #9 Temple
• round 3 (10:00) – #7 Northwestern women vs. #10 Ohio State
• round 5 (noon) – Notre Dame men (#1) and women (#1) vs. Princeton (#6 men/#4 women) ... #9 Temple women vs. #10 Ohio State
• round 6 (1:30) – #1 ND women vs. #9 Temple ... #4 Princeton women vs. #10 Ohio St.
... #1 Notre Dame men vs. #10 Stanford
• round 8 (3:30) – #5 Ohio State men vs. #10 Stanford
• round 9 (4:30) – #6 Princeton men vs. #10 Stanford
• round 10 (5:30) – #5 Ohio State men vs. #6 Princeton
The various teams at the Northwestern Duals include a total of 10 active fencers who have reached the semifinals (or further) in previous NCAA Championships (if attending, be sure to see these fencers in action):
• women's foil: Hayley Reese (ND), Oksana Dmytruk (OSU), Dayana Sarkisova (NW)
• women's epee: Notre Dame teammates Ewa Nelip and Courtney Hurley
• women's sabre: Sarah Borrmann (ND) and Margarita Tschomakova (OSU)
• men's foil: Enzo Castellani (ND)
• men's epee: Mike Elfassy (PRIN)
• men's sabre: Avery Zuck (ND)
note: Dmytruk and Sarkisova should meet in round-3 on Saturday
WOMEN'S FENCERS TO WATCH
senior epeeist Ewa Nelip
#1 NOTRE DAME ... The team's five All-Americans (top-12 at NCAAs) are led by the stellar epee duo of two-time NCAA semifinalists, senior Ewa Nelip ('08, '09; trained with Polish National Team in '10) and junior Courtney Hurley ('09, '10), along with senior sabreists Sarah Borrmann ('08 NCAA champ; 13th in '09, 5th in '10) and Eileen Hassett (5th-6th-7th at '08-'10 NCAAs), and the 2009 NCAA foil runner-up, senior Hayley Reese (11th in '08; 5th in '10) ... junior foilist Darsie Malynn also fenced at the 2010 NCAAs (23rd) ... top newcomers: freshman foilist Rachel Beck and sophomore sabreist Lian Osier (nation's top-ranked U-19 women's sabreist; did not compete in 2010 college dual meets).
sophomore epeeist Brianna Martin ('10 foil All-American)
#4 PRINCETON ... Soph. Eliza Stone (8th at '10 NCAAs) returns to lead the sabre squad, while 2010 foil All-American Brianna Martin (6th in '10) has switched to epee for her second season, helping overcome the absence of jr. Susannah Scanlan (5th in '09, 7th in '10) who is taking time off from college fencing in bid to make 2010 Olympic team ... three other juniors – foilists Rocky Rothenberg (15 at '10 NCAAs), Lucile Jarry (19th in '09) and Andrea Oliva (23rd in '09) – have NCAA Tournament experience, as do soph. epeeist Phoebe Caldwell (15th in '10), soph. sabreist Joanna Cichomski (13th in '10) and sr. sabreist Lyuba Docheva (20th in '08) ... fr. foilist Ambika Singh has joined Scanlan in bypassing the college season to chase her Olympic dream, but the Tigers have several other top newcomers, led by foilist Eve Levin (runner-up at the Penn State Open, in the fall of '10) and sabreist Diamond Wheeler (member of U.S. Junior National Team).
sophomore foilist Dayana Sarkisova
#7 NORTHWESTERN ... Soph. Dayana Sarkisova (2010 NCAA semifinals) has emerged as one of college fencing's top foilists ... jr. Devynn Patterson nearly claimed All-America foil honors in 2010 (13th; also 21st in '09) ... the Wildcats have no other fencers with NCAA Tournament experience, as soph. sabreist Alicia Gurrieri (22nd at '10 NCAAs) is out for the season due to injury while the epee team has a big void – following the graduation of twins Christa (4-time All-American) and Kayley French (3-time NCAA entrant) ... sophomores Kate Cavanaugh (epee) and Chloe Grainger (sabre) could emerge as contenders for NCAA spots this season.
senior epeeist Grace Wu
#9 TEMPLE ... The Owls feature several fencers with NCAA Tournament experience, including: jr. sabreist Kamali Thompson (14th in '10; 16th in '09), sr. epeeist Grace Wu (15th in '09; 19th in '08), sr. sabreist Audrey Barrosa (18th in '09) and soph. foilist Mikayla Varadi (18th in '10) ... top newcomer: foilist Epiphany Georges (U.S. Junior National Team).
senior foilist Oksana Dmytruk
#10 OHIO STATE ... Team boasts rare combination of three fencers from same weapon (sabre) who have fenced in the NCAAs: junior All-American Margarita Tschomakova ('10 semifinalist; 9th in '09), soph. Alison Miller (16th in '10) and sr. Falencia Miller (21st in '09) ... sr. Oksana Dmytruk is one of college fencing's top foilists ('08 NCAA runner-up; '09 semifinalist; 7th in '10), with jr. Allison Henvick also earning 2010 All-America honors (10th) ... top newcomers include epeeist Katarzyna Dabrowa.
sophomore foilist Olivia Dobbs
OTHERS OF NOTE ... Wayne State All-American Olivia Dobbs proved herself as one of the nation's top foilists by placing 7th at the 2010 NCAAs ... Stanford has a solid epee duo, with soph. All-American Francesca Bassa (8th at '10 NCAAs) and sr. Kersten Schnurle (22nd in '09).
MEN'S FENCERS TO WATCH
junior foilist Enzo Castellani
#1 NOTRE DAME ... The Irish feature seven All-Americans (top-12 at NCAAs): junior foilist Enzo Castellani (NCAA semifinalist in '09, '10), senior sabreists Avery Zuck ('10 semifinalist; 5th in '09) and Barron Nydam (6th in '08; 10th in '09 & '10), sophomore epeeist James Kaull (10th in '10), senior foilists Steve Kubik (8th in '08) and Zach Schirtz (11th in '08), and senior epeeist Greg Schoolcraft (12th in '10; 18th in '09) ... note that Kaull will not be fencing at Northwestern, due to a World Cup event this weekend in Sweden ... elite foilist Gerek Meinhardt (2008 U.S. Olympian; '10 NCAA champ/'09 runner-up) is out for the season due to injury ... top newcomer: foilist Ariel DeSmet.
junior epeeist Igor Tolkachev
#5 OHIO STATE ... The Buckeyes have only two fencers with NCAA Tournament experience (both epeeists): jr. Igor Tolkachev (6th in '10; 11th in '09) and soph. Marco Canevari (19th in '09) ... the team's returning All-America sabreists – jr. Max Stearns (8th in '09; 13th in '10) and Bryan Cheney (5th in '10) – are not competing this season (Stearns due to injury; Cheney due to training for Olympic qualification) ... top newcomers include foilist Zain Shaito (U.S. Junior National Team) and sabreist Rhys Douglas, while soph. Ognjen Vesic adds greater depth to the epee squad.
junior foilist Alex Mills
#6 PRINCETON ... The Tigers have three All-Americans active on the current squad: sr. epeeist Mike Elfassy (3rd at '09 NCAAs), soph. epeeist Jon Yergler (9th in '10) and junior foilist Alex Mills (12th in '09; 11th in '10), but the squad suffered a big setback due to a season-ending injury for All-America epeeist Graham Wicas ('09 NCAA runner-up; 3rd in '08; 20th in '10) ... sr. sabreist John Stogin (20th in '08 and '10; 19th in '09) and jr. foilist David Mandle (13th in '10) also have fenced in the NCAAs, while soph. epeeist Ed Kelly could prove to be one of college fencing's top young epeeists (Kelly, like ND's Kaull, will not be fencing at Northwestern due to the World Cup event in Sweden) ... the Tigers will be looking for a boost in sabre from top newcomers Phillip Dershwitz and Robert Stone (brother of Princeton women's sabre All-American Eliza Stone).
senior sabreist Lucas Janson
#10 STANFORD ... The Cardinal have a strong returning core, possibly among the best in the nation, led by a pair of three-time NCAA sabre participants – Lucas Janson (9th in '09 & '10 NCAAs; 15th in '08) and Max Murphy (12th in '09, 17th in '10, 19th in '08) – along with multiple NCAA participants at the other weapons: the epee All-American duo of jr. Kevin Mo (7th in '10; 17th in '09) and soph. Kian Ameli (11th in '10), plus the senior foil tandem of Alex Khoshnevissan (16th in '09) and Phil Arredondo (15th in '08).
UNC senior sabreist Kevin Zeichmann
OTHERS OF NOTE ... Wayne State sr. sabreist Jakub Gibczynski earned 2008 All-America honors (10th at NCAAs; also 20th in '09, 19th in '10) ... North Carolina has a fencer with NCAA Tournament experience in all three weapons: sr. sabreist Kevin Zeichmann (24th-21st-23rd from '08-10), sr. epeeist Eric Hsieh (21st in '10) and jr. foilist Kevin Nadeau (22nd in '10) ... a pair of UC San Diego fencers have competed in the NCAAs during past seasons: jr. foilist Michael Fong (19th in '10; 24th in '09) and sr. sabreist Jonathan Ott (24th in '09).
TOP MATCHUPS (round-by-round)
ROUND-1 (8:00 a.m.)
• Princeton women's foilists (see above) vs. Wayne State's Olivia Dobbs
• Stanford epeeists Bassa & Schnurle vs. Temple's Grace Wu
ROUND-2 (9:00 a.m. ... times approximate as day advances)
• #7 Northwestern women vs. #9 Temple (top bouts: NW foilist Sarkisova vs. Georges & Varardi)
ROUND-3 (10:00 a.m.)
• Princeton women's epeeists Caldwell & Martin vs. Stanford's Bassa & Schnurle
• #7 Northwestern women vs. #10 Ohio State (top bouts: NU foilist Sarkisova vs. Dmytruk/Henvik)
ROUND-4 (11:00 a.m.)
• Temple women's foilists Georges & Varadi vs. Wayne State's Olivia Dobbs
• Princeton men's sabreists Stogin & Dershwitz vs. Wayne State's Jakub Gibczynski
ROUND-5 (noon)
• #1 ND women vs. #4 Princeton (numerous All-Americans, see above; top matchups in sabre)
• #9 Temple vs. #10 Ohio State (several top matchups, see above)
• #1 Notre Dame men vs. #6 Princeton (numerous All-Americans, see above)
ROUND-6 (1:30 p.m.)
• #1 ND women vs. #9 Temple (several All-Americans, see above; top matchups in sabre)
• #4 Princeton women vs. #10 Ohio State (several top matchups, see above)
• #1 Notre Dame men vs. #10 Stanford (several top matchups, see above)
• UNC men's sabreist Kevin Zeichmann vs. Wayne State's Jakub Gibczynski
ROUND-7 (2:30 p.m.)
• Notre Dame women's epeeists Nelip & Hurley vs. Stanford's Bassa & Schnurle
• Ohio State men's epeeists Tolkachev & Canevari vs. UNC's Eric Hsieh
• Stanford men's sabreists Janson & Murphy vs. Wayne State's Jakub Gibczynski
ROUND-8 (3:30 p.m.)
• Ohio State women's foilists Dmytruk & Henvick vs. Wayne State's Olivia Dobbs
• #5 OSU men vs. #10 Stanford (epeeists Tolkachev/Canevari vs. Khoshnevissan /Arredondo)
• Princeton men vs. UNC (foilists Mills & Mandle vs. Nadeau
... epeeists Yergler & Elfassy vs. Hsieh ... saberist Stogin vs. Zeichmann)
ROUND-9 (3:30 p.m.)
• Notre Dame men vs. UNC (foilists Castellani/Bentley/Schirtz/Kubik vs. Kevin Nadeau
... epeeist Schoolcraft vs. Eric Hsieh ... saberists Zuck & Nydam vs. Kevin Zeichmann)
• Ohio State epeeists Tolkachev & Canevari vs. UCSD's Michael Fong
• #6 Princeton vs. #10 Stanford (several All-Americans, see above)
ROUND-10 (4:30 p.m.)
• Ohio State epeeists Tolkachev & Canevari vs. Princeton's Mills & Mandle
NORTHWESTERN DUALS (day-1)
Saturday; Feb. 5, 2011
(Sports & Aquatics Center/SPAC; Evanston, IL)
ROUND 1 (8:00 a.m.) __________________________________________________
Women – #1 Notre Dame vs. Fairleigh Dickinson ... #4 Princeton vs. Wayne State
#7 Northwestern vs. UC San Diego ... #9 Temple vs. Stanford
#10 Ohio State vs. North Carolina ... bye – Cal Tech
ROUND 2 (9:00 a.m.) __________________________________________________
Women – #1 Notre Dame vs. North Carolina ... #4 Princeton vs. Cal Tech
#7 Northwestern vs. #9 Temple ... #10 Ohio State vs. UC San Diego
Stanford vs. Wayne State ... bye – Fairleigh Dickinson
ROUND 3 (10:00 a.m.) _________________________________________________
Women – #1 Notre Dame vs. UC San Diego... #4 Princeton vs. Stanford
#7 Northwestern vs. #10 Ohio State ... #9 Temple vs. Cal Tech
Wayne State vs. Fairleigh Dickinson ... bye – North Carolina
Women – #1 Notre Dame vs. Cal Tech ... #4 Princeton vs. North Carolina
#7 Northwestern vs. Fairleigh Dickinson ... #9 Temple vs. Wayne State
#10 Ohio State vs. Stanford ... bye – UC San Diego
Men – #6 Princeton vs. Wayne State
ROUND 5 (noon) _______________________________________________________
Women – #1 Notre Dame vs. #4 Princeton ... #7 Northwestern vs. Cal Tech
#9 Temple vs. #10 Ohio State ... UC San Diego vs. Wayne State
North Carolina vs. Fairleigh Dickinson ... bye – Stanford
Men – #1 Notre Dame vs. #6 Princeton ... #5 Ohio State vs. Wayne State
ROUND 6 (1:30 p.m.) __________________________________________________
Women – #1 Notre Dame vs. #9 Temple ... #4 Princeton vs. #10 Ohio State
Stanford vs. North Carolina ... UC San Diego vs. Fairleigh Dickinson
Wayne State vs. Cal Tech ... bye – #7 Northwestern
Men – #1 Notre Dame vs. #10 Stanford ... North Carolina vs. Wayne State
ROUND 7 (2:30 p.m.) __________________________________________________
Women – #1 Notre Dame vs. Stanford ... #9 Temple vs. Fairleigh Dickinson
North Carolina vs. Wayne State
Men – #1 Notre Dame vs. Cal Tech ... #5 Ohio State vs. North Carolina
#6 Princeton vs. Northwestern (club) ... #10 Stanford vs. Wayne State
ROUND 8 (3:30 p.m.) __________________________________________________
Women – #10 Ohio State vs. Wayne State
Men – #1 Notre Dame vs. UC San Diego ... #5 Ohio State vs. #10 Stanford
#6 Princeton vs. North Carolina ... Wayne State vs. Northwestern (club)
ROUND 9 (4:30 p.m.) __________________________________________________
Men – #1 Notre Dame vs. North Carolina ... #5 Ohio State vs. UC San Diego
#6 Princeton vs. #10 Stanford ... Wayne State vs. Cal Tech
ROUND 10 (5:30 p.m.) _________________________________________________
Men – #5 Ohio State vs. #6 Princeton ... #10 Stanford vs. Northwestern (club)
North Carolina vs. Cal Tech ... UC San Diego vs. Wayne State
ROUND 11 (6:30 p.m.) _________________________________________________
Men – North Carolina vs. UC San Diego ... Cal Tech vs. Northwestern (club)