FIVE OWLS GET BID TO NCAA FENCING CHAMPIONSHIPS; MOVE TO #7 IN NATIONAL RANKINGS

Philadelphia, PA--The Temple women's basketball team was not the only team to receive a bid to the "big dance" this week. Out of a possible six spots open for each competing school, five members of the Owls fencing team including sophomores Sakinah Shaahid, Aziza Hassan, Sara Forsythe, freshman Jeanne Browne and senior Stefanie Izzolino received bids to the NCAA Fencing Championships that will be held March 21-23 at Drew University.

With only one senior on the squad, this is one of the youngest teams the Cherry and White have ever sent to the tournament. Izzolino and Browne will compete in foil, Shaahid and Hassan will compete in sabre and Forsythe will compete in epee.

On Friday, the United Stated Fencing Coaches Association released the final national rankings of the season and the Owls moved up one spot to number seven. The following is a list of the top ten teams in the nation including their previous rankings in parentheses.

1. St. John's (NY) (1)

2. Penn State (2)

3. Notre Dame (3)

4. Ohio State (4)

t. Northwestern (6)

6. Yale (7)

7. Temple (8)

8. Princeton (5)

9. Columbia-Barnard (9)

10. Pennsylvania (10)