Feb. 21, 2010

NEW YORK, NY - The Johns Hopkins women's fencing team has won the 2009-10 Eastern Women's Fencing Conference Dual Meet Championship by going 6-0 against the rest of the league in a long but very exciting day of competition. The round robin tournament was held at the Hunter College Sportsplex in New York, NY.

The Blue Jays recorded victories over Yeshiva University (17-10), Drew University (18-9), Stevens Institute of Technology (14-13), Hunter College (19-8), City College of New York (14-13) and Haverford College (14-13). The final meet, pit Johns Hopkins against defending champion Haverford, and reversed last year's title-determining result.

Stevens Institute of Technology placed second with a 5-1 record for the day, while Haverford College finished third at 4-2, and Drew University ended up fourth at 3-3. Rounding out the conference standings were City College of New York at 2-4, Hunter College at 1-5, and Yeshiva University at 0-6.

Johns Hopkins claims its first EWFC Dual Meet Championship in the program's third season in the league. Haverford College had earned its initial crown last winter after ending a six-year run at the top by Drew University. The Blue Jays were led by junior Sofia de Benedictis (London, England/Cheltenham Ladies' College), who went 18-0 in foil bouts.

The Eastern Women's Fencing Conference is celebrating its 10th anniversary this season. The league was established during the 2000-01 campaign, and implemented the single-day Dual Meet Championship format in 2002-03. Hunter College also hosted that inaugural event at the program's underground facility.

The league's seven members will meet on the strips again next week as Stevens Institute of Technology hosts the EWFC Individual Championships in Hoboken, NJ. All-conference honors will be bestowed upon 27 fencers, nine in each of the three weapons categories, at the conclusion of the day's action.