Feb. 28, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - It has been a season of splits for the No. 6 Northwestern women's fencing team. The 'Cats have won and lost one dual each with No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 4 Ohio State. The teams figure to meet again this weekend as NU attempts to defend its Midwest Collegiate Fencing Conference title.
The team, with a season record of 26-3, will be competing for its fourth consecutive conference championship. Last season the Wildcats won the title in dramatic fashion, with a five-point win over the Fighting Irish that came down to the wire. Saberist Kate Frambach (Elm Grove, Wis./Catholic Memorial) won her final bout, 5-4, to clinch the victory.
In November, the 'Cats proved a rude guest at the Ohio State Duals, knocking off the host by a score of 15-12. At the rematch in Columbus two weekends ago, the Buckeyes returned the favor by the same score.
The rivalry with Notre Dame has also been a draw this year. The two teams met at the Air Force Invitational in February, where the 'Cats defeated the then-No. 2 ranked Irish, 15-12. Motivated by their loss, ND won the rematch at the Ohio State Duals, 23-4.
All-American Kate Rudkin (Boulder, Colo./Boulder) and Jen Greenebaum will lead an ep?e squad looking to avenge last year's early exit from the conference battle. Rudkin, a Midwest Regional ep?e champion two years running, has a record of 41-10 this season, while Greenebaum is 35-12. The best record among the team belongs to freshman foilist Julia F?ldi (Budapest, Hungary/Szent Istv?n Gimn?zium) at 50-4 (.925).
The conference championships are being hosted by Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. The team championships will be held on Saturday, while the individual championships will be held Sunday. Both days will start at 8 a.m.