Temple University Athletics
Photo by: Ken Inness
Fencing Set for Exciting 2019-20 Season
10.29.19 | Women's Fencing
PHILADELPHIA – The Temple fencing squad is set to open the 2019-20 season, with expectations high for a team that returns 10 veterans from last year's group. The Owls finished 11th among the women's teams at the NCAA Championships and claimed the NIWFA Championship for the 24th year in a row.
Temple will feature a mix of new and old faces, as four freshmen and one transfer joined the squad during the offseason.
"One-third of our team are first years, and we're already seeing them develop nicely in the preseason," head fencing coach Dr. Nikki Franke said. "The entire team is showing improvement and the key for us heading into the opener is having that solid mix of newcomers and returners working well together."
The Owls finished the 2018-19 season 25-8 overall, the fourth-most wins in program history. The team was represented by three Temple fencers at the NCAA Championships, with Kerry Plunkett and Kennedy Lovelace returning as seniors.
Goals
The biggest team goal for Temple is to move from being a consistently top-10 program to being a top-5 program. Having 10 fencers who have experience in collegiate competition is key for the team to build on their already impressive resume.
"We've added a lot of depth in the form of our newcomers, and we are starting to see a payoff from that," said assistant coach Josh Herring. "Our seniors are really motivated for the program to be better than ever because it's their last year in cherry and white. We've talked about team goals, and believe we can have a really great year with the team we have assembled."
Leadership
This year's team captain is redshirt-senior Quinn Duwelius. Though she missed a majority of the 2018-19 season due to injury, the Gales Ferry, Conn., native returned to the lineup for the NIWFA Championships to help the Owls defend their overall team title while also contributing to the epee squad title.
"Our leaders this year are really setting the tone for the team," said Franke. "Malia Hee (sabre) and Kennedy Lovelace (foil) round out our squad leaders and bring their experience as seniors to the table."
Epee
Duwelius is the team captain as well as epee squad leader and is joined by upperclassmen Marielle Luke and Camille Simmons, with three first years completing the squad.
"Our epee squad is evenly balanced between new and old, and the first years are really meshing well with the upperclassmen," Franke said. "Having a core of experienced fencers has really strengthened this squad."
Sabre
Leading the team in 2018-19, the sabre squad will return three upperclassmen in Hee, Eva Hinds, and Plunkett. Plunkett earned 13 overall wins at the NCAA Championships, finishing ninth and earning All-American Second Team honors.
"Our sabre squad is also a good mix of old and new faces, with our seniors sharing not only their knowledge but also their NCAA Championship experience with the squad. This is a big plus," Herring said.
Foil
The foil squad features four returners from last season, with Lovelace being the lone senior. The Frisco, Texas, native has competed at the NCAA Championships twice and will look to improve upon her seventh-place finish two years ago.
"The foil lineup is very solid as all are returners from last year, so we have picked up right where we left off," Franke said. "They know what it takes to succeed and are willing to put in the work to continue to improve."
Schedule
The 2019-20 schedule is highlighted by two home events, including the 40th Annual Temple Open. The Owls will compete in four meets in the City of Brotherly Love, with the other two meets being held at the University of Pennsylvania.
The team is set to compete against all of the best programs in the NCAA. Their schedule includes every top-10 team from last year, which is going to be very challenging.
The NIWFA Championships will once again be hosted by Drew and Temple will look to defend its title once again. The Owls are the only program to capture the Olympian's Trophy for winning the overall team title, with the award being introduced in 1996.
Temple Open
For the 40th year in a row, the Owls will host the Temple Open in the Liacouras Center. Nearly 500 fencers from nearly 30 schools will compete at the event, and is the largest collegiate fencing competition in the nation.
Last year's team had a solid performance, with four fencers placing in the top eight and eight fencers finishing in the top 12. The team was led by Hee, who was barely edged out of a first-place finish.
"The Temple Open is really exciting for us because it's the first chance our fencers get to compete against other teams," Franke said.
"It's a really great event because we have the home-court advantage," Herring added. "It's an electrifying atmosphere because everyone is excited to get the season started."
Temple will feature a mix of new and old faces, as four freshmen and one transfer joined the squad during the offseason.
"One-third of our team are first years, and we're already seeing them develop nicely in the preseason," head fencing coach Dr. Nikki Franke said. "The entire team is showing improvement and the key for us heading into the opener is having that solid mix of newcomers and returners working well together."
The Owls finished the 2018-19 season 25-8 overall, the fourth-most wins in program history. The team was represented by three Temple fencers at the NCAA Championships, with Kerry Plunkett and Kennedy Lovelace returning as seniors.
Goals
The biggest team goal for Temple is to move from being a consistently top-10 program to being a top-5 program. Having 10 fencers who have experience in collegiate competition is key for the team to build on their already impressive resume.
"We've added a lot of depth in the form of our newcomers, and we are starting to see a payoff from that," said assistant coach Josh Herring. "Our seniors are really motivated for the program to be better than ever because it's their last year in cherry and white. We've talked about team goals, and believe we can have a really great year with the team we have assembled."
Leadership
This year's team captain is redshirt-senior Quinn Duwelius. Though she missed a majority of the 2018-19 season due to injury, the Gales Ferry, Conn., native returned to the lineup for the NIWFA Championships to help the Owls defend their overall team title while also contributing to the epee squad title.
"Our leaders this year are really setting the tone for the team," said Franke. "Malia Hee (sabre) and Kennedy Lovelace (foil) round out our squad leaders and bring their experience as seniors to the table."
Epee
Duwelius is the team captain as well as epee squad leader and is joined by upperclassmen Marielle Luke and Camille Simmons, with three first years completing the squad.
"Our epee squad is evenly balanced between new and old, and the first years are really meshing well with the upperclassmen," Franke said. "Having a core of experienced fencers has really strengthened this squad."
Sabre
Leading the team in 2018-19, the sabre squad will return three upperclassmen in Hee, Eva Hinds, and Plunkett. Plunkett earned 13 overall wins at the NCAA Championships, finishing ninth and earning All-American Second Team honors.
"Our sabre squad is also a good mix of old and new faces, with our seniors sharing not only their knowledge but also their NCAA Championship experience with the squad. This is a big plus," Herring said.
Foil
The foil squad features four returners from last season, with Lovelace being the lone senior. The Frisco, Texas, native has competed at the NCAA Championships twice and will look to improve upon her seventh-place finish two years ago.
"The foil lineup is very solid as all are returners from last year, so we have picked up right where we left off," Franke said. "They know what it takes to succeed and are willing to put in the work to continue to improve."
Schedule
The 2019-20 schedule is highlighted by two home events, including the 40th Annual Temple Open. The Owls will compete in four meets in the City of Brotherly Love, with the other two meets being held at the University of Pennsylvania.
The team is set to compete against all of the best programs in the NCAA. Their schedule includes every top-10 team from last year, which is going to be very challenging.
The NIWFA Championships will once again be hosted by Drew and Temple will look to defend its title once again. The Owls are the only program to capture the Olympian's Trophy for winning the overall team title, with the award being introduced in 1996.
Temple Open
For the 40th year in a row, the Owls will host the Temple Open in the Liacouras Center. Nearly 500 fencers from nearly 30 schools will compete at the event, and is the largest collegiate fencing competition in the nation.
Last year's team had a solid performance, with four fencers placing in the top eight and eight fencers finishing in the top 12. The team was led by Hee, who was barely edged out of a first-place finish.
"The Temple Open is really exciting for us because it's the first chance our fencers get to compete against other teams," Franke said.
"It's a really great event because we have the home-court advantage," Herring added. "It's an electrifying atmosphere because everyone is excited to get the season started."
Players Mentioned
Epee
/ Women's Fencing
Sabre
/ Women's Fencing
Sabre
/ Women's Fencing
Foil
/ Women's Fencing
Epee
/ Women's Fencing
Sabre
/ Women's Fencing
Epee
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