PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Johns Hopkins women's fencing team won five of its six matches, including an upset of the top-ranked team in Division III, on Saturday at the Philadelphia Invitational. Hopkins earned wins over Lafayette, Wagner, Sacred Heart, NYU and Fairleigh Dickinson. The Blue Jays' lone loss came to the 10^th-ranked Duke Blue Devils.
 
Hopkins opened the day with a 25-2 win over Lafayette. Juniors Sanya Bawa and Jenny Song went a combined 6-0 to lead the Sabre squad to an 8-1 win. Senior Alex McDonald and freshmen Rosy Cepero and Bethany Lee went 9-0 for the Foil squad. And in the Epee, senior Rachel Zhang and sophomore Ameera Ebrahim each went 3-0 in an 8-1 win.
 
JHU then ran into a tough Duke squad and lost 23-4. Song and freshman Josephine Chang won one bout each in the Sabre (2-7). Sophomore Katelyn McShine and junior Diya Kulkarni did the same for the Epee squad (2-7).
 
The Blue Jays bounced back with a 19-8 win over the Wagner Seahawks. Chang won two bouts in a tough 5-4 loss for the Sabre squad. Lee, McDonald and junior Czarina Alfonso went a combined 9-0 for the Foil squad. Kulkarni won all three of her bouts as the Epee squad won 6-3.
 
Hopkins followed that with an 18-9 win over Sacred Heart. Song won two bouts to lead the Sabre squad in a close 5-4 loss. Cepero and junior Jasmine Shen each won three bouts to lead the Foil squad to an 8-1 win. And in the Epee, it was again Kulkarni leading the way with three wins.
 
The Blue Jays then upset the top-ranked NYU Violets, 16-11. Chang won all three of her bouts to lead the Sabre squad to a 7-2 win. Lee picked up two wins as the Foil squad lost a close one, 5-4. Ebrahim and Kulkarni then won two bouts each as the Epee squad came from behind to win 5-4.
 
Hopkins closed out the day with a 26-1 win over Fairleigh Dickinson. Bawa and freshman Adelaide Benoit  combined for six wins to lead the Sabre squad to a 9-0 win. McDonald, Cepero and Shen did the same for the Foil squad. McShine and junior Maya Zhang earned three wins each to lead the Epee squad to an 8-1 win.
 
The Blue Jays return to action on Sunday, February 12 with the JHU Invitational.
 
Notes: Alfonso now ranks 25^th in program history with 81 career Foil wins • Rachel Zhang now ranks 16^th with 97 career Epee wins • Maya Zhang ranks 17^th with 94 career Epee wins.