Saxena, Maurer, Kimura Lead Blue Fencing at NCAA Northeast Regional
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Three fencers advanced to the semifinal round as Wellesley College fencing competed on Sunday at the 2020 NCAA Northeast Regional Championships, hosted by Cornell University at Barton Hall.
First year Sejal Saxena (Chappaqua, N.Y.) and senior Brie Maurer (Fredericksburg, Va.) took 17th and 19th place, respectively, in foil to lead the Blue. First year Kimberley Kimura (Los Angeles, Calif.) added a 20th place finish in epee as all three fencers advanced to the semifinal round of competition. Quarterfinals rounds featured 35 fencers, with the top 21 advancing to the semifinals, and the top 12 to the finals.
Women's Foil:
Saxena posted a perfect 4-0 record with a +15 touch ratio in her opening round pool, advancing to the quarterfinals where she went 3-3 (+2) to move on to the semifinal round. In the semifinals, Saxena finished 2-4 (-13) to clinch 17th overall. Maurer joined Saxena in the semifinals after advancing from the quarterfinals with a 3-3 (+1) mark. Maurer's run also came to an end in the semis, as she earned one win in six bouts and posted a -16 ratio.
Making their first regional appearances, first years Isabella Stewart (Scarsdale, N.Y.) and Alexia Gilioli (New York, N.Y.) finished in 30th and 35 place, respectively. Stewart was 1-5 (-18) in the quarterfinal round, while Gilioli was winless with a -24 touch ratio.
Women's Epee:
Kimura paced the Blue in epee, finishing 20th overall with a -15 touch ratio in the semifinals. Kimura advanced to the round of 21 with a 2-2 (-1) mark in the qualifying round and a 3-3 (0) record in the quarterfinals before finishing winless in her semifinal pool. Junior Julia Calventus-Coveney (Barcelona, Spain) just missed earning a spot in the semifinals, finishing 22nd overall on the strength of a 3-3 (-5) record in the quarterfinals. Calventus-Coveney was a perfect 4-0 (+7) in her opening round pool.
Sophomore Sam Wolstenholme-Britt (Cary, N.C.) earned four victories to finish with a 32nd place finish. Wolstenholme-Britt was 3-1 (+4) in the opening round pools before her day came to an end with a 1-5 (-11) mark in the quarterfinals. Classmate Panya Tang (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) added a 40th place finish with a 1-3 (-3) record in the opening round.
Women's Sabre:
First year Brooke Dodrill (Boca Raton, Fla.) and sophomore Yasemin Ersen (Newton, Mass.) finished in 27th and 28th in the women's sabre standings. Dodrill was seeded to the quarterfinals where she posted 1-5 (-7) record to take 27th. Ersen opened the day with a 3-1 (+10) record to advance to the quarterfinals where she finished with a 1-5 (-9) mark to take 28th.
The 2020 NCAA Fencing Championships will take place March 19-22 at the TCF Center in downtown Detroit, Mich. Participants will be selected by the NCAA Men's and Women's Fencing Committee and announced on Tuesday, March 10, 2020.