Meg Harney (Frank Poulin)
Meg Harney (Frank Poulin)

Blue Fencing Wraps Up 2016-17 Season At NCAA Regional

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Wellesleys College fencing closed out the 2016-17 season by sending seven fencers to the 2017 NCAA Northeast Regional on Sunday at Yale University's Lanman Center.

In an interesting draw, junior Madeleine Barowsky (Framingham, Mass.) and sophomore Meg Harney (Wilmette, Ill.) opened the day in sabre in the same pool, where Barowsky went a perfect 4-0 with a +10 touch ratio to win the pool, including a 5-1 win over her teammate. Harney also advanced to the second round, going 3-1 with a +7 touch ratio as Wellesley advanced the top-two fencers in pool #2.

Barowsky was winless in the second round, ending the day with a 34th place finish. Meanwhile, Harney earned a pair of victories, but unfortunately was unable to advance out of her second round pool. Harney finished with the top spot among Wellesley's sabre crew, taking 24th place and seventh among Division III fencers. Also in sabre, senior Jasmine Davis (Long Valley, N.J.) went 1-3 in her opening round pool with a -6 touch ratio to finish the day in 39th place.

Junior Taylor Hood (Lexington, Ky.) and first year Brie Maurer (Fredericksburg, Va.) posted the top finishes in foil for the Blue at the all-day event. Hood was 21st and 6th among Division III fencers, while Maurer was one spot behind in 22nd and 7th among Division III fencers. Maurer received a bye in the first round and went 2-4 with a -6 touch ratio in the second round of competition, but failed to advance. Hood was also 2-4 in the second round, but her -4 touch ratio helped her to advance to the next round ahead of her teammate. Hood then went winless in the third round to end the day, but improved five spots from her 26th place finish in 2016.

In epee, junior Emma Brewer-Wallin (Salem, Ore.) was 3-1 in her opening round pool, sporting a +6 touch ratio to advance to the second round of competition. Brewer-Wallin's run ended in a tough second round pool, where she went winless. Sophomore Cassandra Cronin (Johns Creek, Ga.) led the way for the Blue in epee. Cronin was 2-2 in the opening round with a +4 touch ratio. Cronin scored the Blue a second round victory, winning her final bout to go 1-5 with -12 touch ratio. However, the day ended for both of the Blue's epee fencers in the second round, as Cronin finished in 31st place and Brewer-Wallin earned a 35th place finish.

The Blue end the 2016-17 season, the second under the guidance of Head Coach Ariana Klinkov, with a 16-14 record in team competitions, the most wins for the program since the 2010-11 edition of the Blue went 22-5.