Nov. 23, 2003
Illinois Junior Olympics Final Standings
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Four Wildcat fencers earned bids to the 2004 USFA National Junior Olympics after placing in the top three in their respective divisions at the Illinois Junior Olympics Qualifier in Patten Gymnasium.
In Under-20 Women's Epee, Sara Pecherek (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) took first place and Courtney DuBois (Chatham, N.J./Oak Knoll) grabbed third in a field of 10. They will join epeeist Sharon Sullivan (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport), who had earned an automatic bid based on her point standings in the USFA.
Lauren Olson (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Bishop Montgomery) was NU's lone qualifier in Under-20 Women's Foil, where she took third place in a field of seven. She will be join foilests Christina Wang (Milpitas, Calif./Castilleja) and Jessica Florendo (Forest Hills, N.Y./The Dwight School), both of whom also earned bids.
The fourth NU qualifier was Sophie Eustis (Andover, Mass./Concord Academy), who took second in Under-20 Women's Sabre. She joins sabreists Emily Pasternak (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) and Mai Vu (New York, N.Y./Bronx Science), the other two Wildcats who had automatic bids.
In all, nine NU fencers will compete at the Junior Olympics Feb. 13-16 in Cleveland, Ohio.
"It was a great weekend for us, as we will have a good contingent going to the Junior Olympics," said head coach Laurie Schiller. "We are happy to have four more fencers qualify."
Sunday's competition was the last in 2003 for the Wildcats. They will return to action at the USFA North American Cup Jan. 10-12 in San Jose, Calif.