March 4, 2007
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Northwestern's women's fencing team placed second at the 2007 Midwest Fencing Conference Championships this weekend in South Bend, Ind. Ohio State won the team event, while host Notre Dame took home two of the individual weapon awards. The Buckeyes won the third. Northwestern's top finisher was sophomore foilist Sam Nemecek who placed second in foil.
While Nemecek fell to No. 1 seed Adrienne Nott (Notre Dame) in foil, freshman epeeist Christa French advanced to the semifinals before falling to No. 2 seed Alexandra Obrazcova (Ohio State). Sister Kayley French advanced to the quarterfinals.
In sabre, senior Sophie Eustis advanced to the quarterfinals before succumbing to No. 3 seed Syvenna Siebert (Ohio State).
In the team competition, NU's foil team did not give up a point until the finals, beating Chicago (5-0) and Michigan State (5-0). After beating the Buckeyes 14-13 in a dual meet last weekend, the Wildcats upended the Buckeyes 5-4 in the championship round to win the foil crown for the second straight year.
The epee squad advanced to the semifinals before losing to Ohio State 5-1. They beat Detroit (5-0) and Chicago (5-0).
The sabre team lost to eventual team champions Ohio State in the finals 5-1. On their way to the finals, NU's sabre team defeated Detroit (5-1) and Wayne State (5-1).
The overall women's team championship went to the Buckeyes with a total of 645 points. NU finished second at 625.
Both individual and team results are below.
WOMEN"S OVERALL FINAL RESULTS
1 Ohio State 645 2t Northwestern 625 2t Notre Dame 625 4 Wayne State 545 5 Michigan 495 6 Michigan State 490 7 Chicago 450 8 Cleveland State 415 9 Lawrence 375 10 Indiana 370 11 Wisconsin 325 12 Xavier 285 13 Detroit 240 14 Oberlin 185 15t Minnesota 130 15t Purdue 130 17 Illinois 110 18 ---------------- ---
WOMEN'S EPEE - The quarterfinals produced a rematch of the 2005 NCAA epee championship, as Wayne State's Anna Garina posted a 15-4 victory over Irish senior Amy Orlando ... Notre Dame's Eleanor Leighton entered the day as the 14th seed but jumped to second following a 4-1 mark in pool bouts ... Leighton then was upset by Michigan State's Erin MacCourtney (12-15) in the quarterfinals.
Top 12 - 1. Kelley Hurley (Notre Dame); 2. Alexandra Obrazcova (Ohio State); 3. Anna Garina (Wayne State) and Christa French (Northwestern); 5. Kayley French (Northwestern); 6. Justyna Konczalska (Wayne State); 7. Amy Orlando (Notre Dame); 8. Erin MacCourtney (Michigan State); 9. Joanna Niklinska (Northwestern); 10. Sara Pecherek (Northwestern); 11. Elyse Gurnowski (Ohio State); 12. Aisling Holt (Chicago).
Quarterfinals - Hurley def. Kayley French (15-11) ... Garina def. Orlando (15-4) ... Christa French def. Konczalska (15-11) ... Obrazcova def. MacCourtney (15-6).
Semifinals - Hurley def. Garina (15-11) ... Obrazcova def. Christa French (15-12).
Final - Hurley def. Obrazcova (15-11).
WOMEN'S FOIL - Sophomore foilist Emilie Prot was the lone defending MFC champion for Notre Dame but she faced a difficult draw in the round-of-16 against Northwestern senior Jessica Florendo ... Prot had defeated the two-time All-American in a wild 15-14 semifinal during the 2006 MFCs, but Florendo avenged the loss on Saturday, scoring a big comeback by nailing the final seven touches to win 15-14 after Prot had opened a 14-8 lead.
Top 12 - 1. Adrienne Nott (Notre Dame); 2. Samantha Nemecek (Northwestern); 3. Natalie Wang (Northwestern) and Jessica Florendo (Northwestern); 5. Lindsey Howard (Wayne State) and Julia Tikhonova (Ohio State); 7. Holly McKibben (Ohio State); 8. Meredith Baskies (Northwestern); 9. Melanie Bautista (Notre Dame); 10. Leigh Pendergrass (Cleveland State); 11. Colleen Walsh (Notre Dame); 12. Emilie Prot (Notre Dame).
Quarterfinals - Nott def. McKibben (15-2) ... Florendo def. Howard (15-6) ... Nemecek def. Tikhonova (15-4) ... Wang def. Baskies (15-10).
Semifinals - Nott def. Florendo (15-10) ... Nemecek def. Wang (15-9).
Final - Nott def. Nemecek (15-6)
WOMEN'S SABRE - Providenza rallied from an 11-13 deficit to defeat Grench 15-13 in a closely-contested semifinal matchup ... the Providenza-Byrne meeting was a reprise of the 2005 NCAA third-place match, which Byrne won 15-11 .. the two earlier split their meetings during the 2006-07 regular season, with Providenza winning 5-2 at the Notre Dame Duals and Byrne taking a 5-3 decision one week later at the NYU Duals.
Top 12 - 1. Siobhan Byrne (Ohio State); 2. Valerie Providenza (Notre Dame); 3. Syvenna Siebert (Ohio State) and Eileen Grench (Ohio State); 5. Katarzyna Kuzniak (Wayne State); 6. Sophie Eustis (Northwestern); 7. Ashley Serrette (Notre Dame); 8. Mary Koser (Indiana); 9. Sarah Hanchar (Michigan); 10. Mai Van Vu (Northwestern); 11. Ann Bartoszewicz (Wayne State); 12. Whitney White (Northwestern).
Quarterfinals - Byrne def. Koser (15-0) ... Siebert def. Eustis (15-10) ... Providenza def. Kuzniak (15-6) ... Grench def. Serrette (15-8).
Semifinals - Byrne def. Siebert (15-8) ... Providenza def. Grench (15-13).
Final - Byrne def. Providenza (15-13).