PHILADELPHIA--The National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association selected its All-Conference teams for 2006. Four fencers were named from Temple. Sophomore Brianna Ferrara and freshman Melissa Forsythe were selected to the NIWFA All-Conference Epee First Team. Freshman Ashlee Phillips and sophomore Kristine Jones gained recognition with their selection to the NIWFA All-Conference Sabre Second Team.
Ferrara, a Marietta, Georgia native, compiled a 31-23 epee record this season, had a third place finish at the Temple Open and placed second at the NIWFA Championships. She received an automatic bid to compete in the NCAA Championships in Houston March 16-19 after placing sixth at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional Championships in Durham, NC last weekend.
Forsythe completed her rookie season with a 27-15 epee record. She was the highest placing Owl at USFA North American Cup (Div. I/Jr.) with a 19th place finish out of 82 competitor, placed 15th at the Penn State Open and sixth at the Temple Open. Forsythe also boasted an undefeated record of 10-0 at the Temple Invitational. She finished 18th at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional Championships. She is a native of Hackettstown, N.J.
Freshman Ashlee Phillips of Bayshore, N.Y. finished the 2005-06 season at 32-35. She placed third at the Temple Open, was crowned sabre champion at the 2005 NIWFA Christmas Invitational, finished fourth at the NIWFA Championship and sixth at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional Championships.
Kristine Jones, a Teaneck, N.J. native, finished her second season 43-24 with a 14-0 day at the Temple Invitational. She placed 18th at the Penn State Open, fifth at the NIWFA Christmas Invitational, finished seventh at the NIWFA Championships and 14th at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional Championships.
Also, the team fell one spot from #10 to #11 in the third and final USFCA Coaches' Poll. Notre Dame remained on top followed by Penn State and Harvard. The Owls were unranked in the first poll but after two consecutive weekends of undefeated play at the Temple and Duke Invitationals in February they were named tenth in the Nation in the second poll.
