Feb. 14, 2012
MADISON, NJ - The Johns Hopkins women's fencing team captured its third straight Eastern Women's Fencing Conference (EWFC) Championship after going 6-0 at the 2012 dual meet championship. The Blue Jays also grabbed Top Foil and Top Squad honors. Hopkins improves to 14-5 as the Jays complete the dual-meet portion of its schedule.
The Blue Jays tallied victories over Drew University 25-2, City College of New York 25-2, Haverford College 18-9, Stevens Institute of Technology 14-13, Yeshiva University 24-3, and Hunter College 23-4. The team's fourth round clash with the Ducks decided first-place laurels for the second year in a row. Stevens Institute of Technology was the runner-up again with a 5-1 overall ledger, while Haverford College placed third at 4-2, and City College of New York took fourth at 3-3. Completing the conference standings were Hunter College at 2-4, Drew University at 1-5, and Yeshiva University at 0-6.
Helping pace Johns Hopkins to its three-peat were senior Jen Hession (15-3 Foil), sophomore Katherine Simeon (14-3 Sabre) and junior Kumal Komar (12-4 Epee). Several Blue Jays reached career milestones on the day. Senior Lauren Chinn won her 250th career bout, while classmate Marion Trumbull won her 200th. In addition, Simeon and Kumar each earned their 150th career win.
Hopkins opened the day with a win over host Drew. Simeon went 3-0 in the Sabre (8-1) while freshmen Rachel Kalina and Sarah Hewes each won two bouts. In the Foil (9-0), Hession, sophomore Jackie Heath and senior Colleen Stone each went 3-0. And in the Epee, Kumar and freshman Gianna Puzzo combined to go 6-0 to lead the Blue Jays to an 8-1 win. The Blue Jays then beat City College of New York to move to 2-0 on the day. Simeon once again went 3-0 while sophomore Kathleen Rand and Hewes each won a pair of bouts in an 8-1 win in the Sabre. Hession and Heath each went 3-0 while Stone won a pair of bouts as Hopkins won the Foil, 8-1. And in the Epee, Kumar, Puzzo and sophomore Liz Caris each went unbeaten in a 9-0 win.
The Blue Jays battled the Fords of Haverford in the third round. In the Sabre, Rand and Simeon went a combined 6-0 in a 7-2 win. JHU then won a close 5-4 decision in the Foil, thanks in part to a pair of wins by Heath, including the deciding one. Trumbull also won a pair of bouts. And in the Epee, Chinn won all three of her bouts, while Puzzo won a pair in a 6-3 win. Hopkins and Stevens then squared off, with the Blue Jays pulling out the one-point win. Kalina won all three of her bouts and Rand won a pair as JHU won the Sabre, 6-3. In the Foil, Trumbull swept all three of her bouts and won her 200th career bout, while Hession had two wins in a 6-3 win. Stevens took the Epee, 7-2, but it wasn't enough to win the meet. Chinn won two of her three bouts for the Blue Jays.
Hopkins followed with a decisive win over Yeshiva, once again sweeping all three weapons. Simeon won three bouts, while Rand and Hewes each won two in an 8-1 Sabre win. Hopkins then swept the Foil, as Hession, Heath and Stone each went 3-0. And in the Epee, Kumar led the way with three wins in a 7-2 win for JHU. Hopkins closed out the day with a win over Hunter. Kalina won all three of her bouts and Hewes won two in a 7-2 Sabre win. The Blue Jays followed with a sweep of the Foil for the third time on the day. And in the Epee, Caris won all three of her bouts and Kumar and Puzzo each won two as JHU won 7-2.
Simeon led the Sabrists with a 14-3 record on the day, as she is now 68-23 on the season and 162-68 for her career. Rand won 11 of her 12 bouts to improve to 37-7 this season and 111-56 for her career. Kalina also won 11 bouts and is now 46-5 this season. Among the Foilists, Hession led the way with 15 wins to improve to 43-23 this season and 139-89 in her career. Heath won 14 bouts and is now 70-25 this season and 165-60 in her career. In the Epee, Kumar (12-4) and Puzzo (12-6) paced the Blue Jays. Kumar improved to 24-12 this season and 153-90 for her career. While Puzzo improved to 64-27 this season.
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.
