Jan. 27, 2011

PHILADELPHIA, PA - The Johns Hopkins women's fencing team returned to action after a seven-week break at the Philadelphia Invitational Sunday. Hopkins earned wins over NJIT (20-7) and Drew (26-1) but dropped decisions to Cornell (18-9), #7 Northwestern (24-3), Duke (25-2) and #9 Temple (20-7).

Hopkins (4-5) opened the day against Cornell (7-4) and fought closely contested battles in the Sabre and the Epee. The Big Red won a tight 5-4 decision in the Sabre as Beverly Yang won 5-3 over freshman Katherine Simeon in the eighth bout to clinch the match. Simeone led the Blue Jays with two wins in the round, while freshman Kathleen Rand and senior Mary Vitale each won one bout. In the Foil, Cornell won all nine bouts to sweep the weapon. Hopkins would wrap up the match with a 5-4 win the Epee, as junior Lauren Chinn beat Jennifer Lee, 5-4 in the final bout to clinch the win for Hopkins. Chinn went 3-0 in the round, while freshman Liz Caris and sophomore Kumal Kumar each won one bout.

The Blue Jays followed up with a dominating 20-7 win over NJIT. In the Sabre, Simeon, Rand and Vitale each went 2-1 to lead Hopkins to the 6-3 win over NJIT. Juniors Jen Hession and Marion Trumbull and freshman Jackie Heath combined to go 8-0 as the Blue Jays beat the Highlanders 8-1 in the Foil. And in the Epee, Kumar went an unbeaten 3-0 in the round, while Caris went 2-1 to lead Hopkins to another 6-3 win.

Hopkins then faced seventh-ranked Northwestern (15-2). Simeon picked up the lone win for the Blue Jays in the Sabre (1-8), before the Wildcats swept the Foil (0-9). Chinn and Kumar each won a bout in the Epee in a 7-2 loss. Hopkins rebounded with a 26-1 win over Drew. Vitale and Rand combined to go 6-0 to lead the Blue Jays in an 8-1 win in the Sabre. Sophomore Diane Duros and Heath each went 3-0 in the Foil as Hopkins swept the weapon (9-0). The Blue Jays turned the same trick in the Epee as Chinn and Kumar each went 3-0 to lead JHU to the 9-0 win.

Next up for the Blue Jays were the Duke Blue Devils (4-1). Rand won the lone point for Hopkins in the Sabre in n 8-1 loss, while the Blue Devils swept all nine bouts in the Foil. In the Epee, it was Chinn coming up with a win in an 8-1 loss. Hopkins closed out the day against ninth-ranked Temple (4-1). The Owls opened with a tight 5-4 win in the Sabre as Andrea Hailey beat junior Jenny Lenz, 5-1, in the ninth bout to earn the win for Temple. The Foil was a different story as Hession won the lone bout for the Blue Jays in an 8-1 loss. Chinn then won two bouts in the Epee as the Owls won 7-2.

Hopkins returns to action on Sunday, February 6 as the team hosts the JHU Invitational.