2014 Fencing
Capsules from CF360:
See below for brief summary looks at the Notre Dame fencing teams, followed by a capsule overview of each squad (key returners, top fencers lost & top newcomers, etc.) … note that additional info., photos, etc. may be added to this page throughout the season (updates will be noted by re-links & re-tweets):
all content courtesy of CollegeFencing360.com (please link/credit accordingly)
• #3 NOTRE DAME women – return 6 of 10 participants from the 2013 NCAA Midwest Regional and three of six 2013 NCAA entrants, each of them All-Americans: 2012 Olympic quarterfinalist and 2013 NCAA foil champion Lee Kiefer, jr. foilist Madi Zeiss (8th in ’12, 3rd in ’13) and sabre so. Joanna Thill (11th in ’13) ... similar to the Princeton men’s epee, the Irish women’s epee squad has bid farewell to a pair of standouts in two-time NCAA champ Courtney Hurley (’11 & ’13; also semifinalist in ’09 & ’10; ’12 Olympian) and Ewa Nelip (3rd in ’08 & ’09, 9th in ’11, 8th in ’13) ... beyond Kiefer and Zeiss, the Irish have several other battle-tested foilists while juniors Ashley Severson (5th) and Nicole Ameli (11th) both earned 2012 All-America honors, while Hurley and Nelip were pursuing Olympic bids ... the Notre Dame women will be opening their 2013-14 season on Jan. 25 at the NYU Invitational.
• Fencing Coaches Poll History (spreadsheets; 2001-14): MEN | WOMEN
PDF lists of top returners from 2013 fencing season (indicated by highlighting):
from NCAA Championships | from Northeast Regional
from Mid-Atlantic/South Regional | from Midwest Regional | from West Regional
CLICK HERE for quick rundown of 2013-14 results
Notre Dame's Gerek Meinhardt (left) currently is the top-ranked men's foil fencer in the world.
– photo by Pete LaFleur
(College Fencing 360);
all rights reserved
• #4 NOTRE DAME men – return 7 of 11 participants from the 2013 NCAA Midwest Regional and all six 2013 NCAA entrants, led by three All-Americans: the world’s current No. 1-ranked men’s foilist Gerek Meinhardt (2-time U.S. Olympian; 2010 NCAA champion, 2nd in ’09, 3rd in ’13), senior foilist Ariel DeSmet (2011 NCAA champ, 10th in ’13) and sabre sr. Kevin Hassett (7th in ’12, 9th in ’13) ... so. epeeist Garrett McGrath narrowly missed 2013 All-America honors, after placing 13th at the NCAAs ... the Notre Dame men will be opening their 2013-14 season on Jan. 25 at the NYU Invitational.
NOTRE DAME MEN Roster | Stats | Schedule & Results | Head Coach | Media Guide
team history: NCAA tournament & coaches poll (info. to be added)
Ariel DeSmet (right)
– photo by Pete LaFleur
(College Fencing 360);
all rights reserved
FOIL
returning
• 6th-yr.-sr. Gerek Meinhardt (1st at 2013 Regional ... NCAAs: 2nd in '09, 1st in '10, 3rd in '13) ** '08 & '12 Olympian **
• sr. Ariel DeSmet (2nd at 2013 Regional ... NCAAs: 1st in 2011, 10th in '13)
• sr. Nick Kubik (9th at 2013 Regional)
departed
• Grant Hodges (7th at 2013 Regional)
top newcomers
• fr. Kristjan Archer (Cambridge, U.K.)
• fr. Hasem Khazbak (Lexington, KY); captain of Egypt's U-18 and U-22 national team
EPEE
returning
• sr. Michael Rossi (3rd at 2013 Regional ... NCAAs: 23rd in 2012, 20th in '13)
• so. Garrett McGrath (5th at 2013 Regional ... NCAAs: 13th in 2013)
• jr. Dale Purdy
departed
• James Kaull (6th at 2013 Regional ... NCAAs: 10th in 2010, 14th in '11, 7th in '12)
• Jack Piasio (8th at 2013 Regional)
top newcomers
• fr. Conrad Sutter (Annapolis, MD)
• fr. Mitchell Revich (Brooklyn, NY)
SABRE
returning
• so. John Hallsten (1st at 2013 Regional ... NCAAs: 18th in 2013)
• sr. Kevin Hassett (3rd at 2013 Regional ... NCAAs: 7th in 2012, 9th in '13)
departed
• Jason Choy (2nd at 2103 Regional ... NCAAs: 14th in 2012)
• William McDonough (7th at 2013 Regional)
top newcomer
• fr. Ian Dwyer (Montclair, NJ)
NOTRE DAME WOMEN Roster | Stats | Schedule & Results | Head Coach | Media Guide
team history: NCAA tournament & coaches poll (info. to be added)
Lee Kiefer (right)
– photo by Pete LaFleur
(College Fencing 360);
all rights reserved
FOIL
returning
• so. Lee Kiefer (1st at 2013 Regional ... NCAAs: 1st in 2013) ** 2012 Olympian **
• jr. Madison Zeiss (2nd at 2013 Regional ... NCAAs: 8th in 2012, 3rd in '13)
• so. Nicole McKee (9th at 2013 Regional), currently 8th in USFA jr. w-epee rankings
• sr. Adriana Camacho (6th at 2013 Regional)
• sr. Rachel Beck (NCAAs: 17th in 2011)
departed
none from 2013 Regional entrants
top newcomers
none
Madi Zeiss (left)
– photo by Pete LaFleur
(College Fencing 360);
all rights reserved
EPEE
returning
• jr. Ashley Severson (5th at 2013 Regional ... NCAAs: 5th in 2012)
• jr. Nicole Ameli (NCAAs: 11th in 2012)
• jr. Channing Foster (took year off in 2012-13)
• so. Catherine Lee
departed
• Courtney Hurley (1st at 2013 Regional ... NCAAs: 3rd in 2009, 3rd in '10, 1st in '11, 1st in '13) ** 2012 Olympian **
• Ewa Nelip (4th at 2013 Regional ... NCAAs: 3rd in 2008, 3rd in '09, 9th in '11, 8th in '13)
top newcomer
• fr. Eva Niklinska (Granger, IN)
Joanna Thill (right)
– photo by Pete LaFleur
(College Fencing 360);
all rights reserved
SABRE
returning
• so. Johanna Thill (5th at 2013 Regional ... NCAAs: 11th in 2013)
• jr. Mary Regan (fenced at Northwestern in 2011-12)
departed
• Lian Osier (2nd at 2103 Regional ... NCAAs: 9th in 2011, 8th in '12, 8th in '13)
• Abi Nichols (6th at 2013 Regional ... NCAAs: 15th in 2013)
• Kathryn Palazzoto (10th at Regional)
top newcomer
• fr. Allison Barry (Cranford, NJ)