Temple University Athletics
Women's Fencing: Let's End With a Bang
3.8.09 | Women's Fencing
March 8, 2009
MADISON, N.J. - All three seniors on the Temple women's fencing team capped off their collegiate careers in style by advancing to the finals of the Mid-Atlantic/South NCAA Regional Championships from Drew University.
"This was one of the best Regional Finishes our team has ever had and it's was wonderful to see our seniors end on such a high note," said legendary head coach Nikki Franke. "They have been so key to our success all year."
Team Captain and senior Kaitlyn Uckert posted a career best finish at Regionals, placing 11th among the top 32 fencers in the region, after advancing through a grueling series of four rounds of pool play.
She was joined in the finals (top 12) by teammates Kristin Howell (6th) and Grace Wu (10th). Jillian Bratton made the semi-final round, placing 17th, while Alyssa Lombardi was a quarter-finalist placing 19th.
Foil squad leader and senior Sabrina Shapiro likewise posted a career high finish, making her first Regionals Final, finishing in 9th place. Joining her in the finals was junior Melissa Parker (7th). Also competing for the Cherry and White was Cara Taggersell, who narrowly missed the finals, placing 13th.
Sabre squad leader and senior Kristine Jones was part of a strong group effort by the entire sabre squad, which resulted in all four Owls making the finals. Jones finished in 10th place, while teammates Kamali Thompson (6th), Christie Griffith (7th), and Audrey Barroso (9th) similarly posted strong finishes.
"It was great to see our seniors perform so well in their final competition." said assistant coach Bradley Baker. "They've all worked so hard and come so far in the time that they've been at Temple, and to see them put it all together and finish strong is just the perfect ending. Their leadership and drive to excel have really set the tone for the entire team all season."
All fifteen members of the #8 ranked Owls were eligible for Regionals, based on their individual season records. The NCAA puts a cap of twelve athletes per school that may compete at the Championships, which limited Temple's entry. Of the twelve fencers entered, nine advanced to the finals which tied with Penn State to lead all schools in the region. Performance at Regionals makes up 60% of the selection criteria for the NCAA National Championships.
The 24-person field in each weapon will be announced on Tuesday, March 10th. The NCAA Championships will be held at Penn State University from March 19th - 22nd.
