Fencing Wins 20th Straight NIWFA Team Championship

Saturday, February 27

West Point, N.Y.

All Day

Temple University

NIWFA Championships

Epee finalists Fiona Fong (third from right), Alexandra Keft (fourth from right) and Quinn Duwelius (third from left)

Fencing Wins 20th Straight NIWFA Team Championship

2.27.16 | Women's Fencing

WEST POINT, N.Y. - For a 20th year in a row, head coach Nikki Franke and the Temple fencing team won the Olympians Trophy at the National Intercollege Women's Fencing Association (NIWFA) Championships. The Owls took the team title as well as two weapon titles, finishing ahead of second-place Stevens in all three.

Temple took titles in both foil and sabre, and finished second to Stevens in epee. Despite the runner-up finish in epee, the event was a highlight for the Owls who had the maximum three fencers quality for finals. Freshman Fiona Fong was the top finisher for Temple at the meet, taking third in epee. Junior Alexandra Keft was fourth, while freshman Quinn Duwelius was also a finalist and placed sixth.

"The most you can qualify for finals in any weapon is three, so it was great for epee to get all three today," said Franke. "It was a great meet for us overall, but we definitely welcome the break we have before NCAA Regionals in two weeks. It's time for us to rest up and heal some injuries before we make our final push in the postseason."

Senior Fatima Largaespada earned a fourth-place finish in leading the foil squad to a win, while junior Kristen Kemnitzer placed seventh.

For the sabre squad, senior Olivia Wynn made the finals and placed eighth for a third straight year. She took eighth in foil as a sophomore before making the transition to sabre and placing eighth for the past two years.

The Owls will be back in action on March 12 at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional Championships, hosted by Lafayette in Easton, Pa.