Two Coasts and Over a Decade of Fencing for Temple Trio

Athletes are frequently inseparable from their teammates, mainly because they share the same schedule for four years in college. But for some athletes, their bonds go back even further.

For seniors Malia Hee and Kerry Plunkett and junior Eva Hinds, their time together goes back to over a decade ago to being members of the PDX Fencing Club in Beaverton, Ore.

"Before I met Kerry and Eva, I had been fencing for a couple of years at another club in the Portland area. I transferred to PDX in 2009," said Hee.

All saberists from the West Coast, their odds of ending up in Philadelphia together were slim, and their club coach played a large role.

"My club coach is a big fan of this program and thought that coach Franke would take the best care of me as a person and as a fencer," said Plunkett. "He really pushed Temple and I agreed with him."

While the fencing program was a major factor for all three athletes, it was not the only reason to come to Philadelphia.

"Out of all of the schools, I found that Temple's Advertising: Art Direction program stood out to me the most," said Hee. "Also, being in the city was also a huge plus."

Once the former PDX Fencers were on Broad Street, there were a lot of things to come.

"We definitely continued bonding over the past three years and that bond has strengthened," said Hee.

In the world of fencing, you frequently cross paths with the same people.

"Reuniting with our club coach and club mates at tournaments and at home is always a good time," said Plunkett.

The Owls are currently ranked No. 5 in the nation and the goals are steep for the season. Being ranked in the top five has always been a goal of these athletes and as the season progresses, the Owls will look to maintain their pace.

"It has been a goal of ours for a long time, as well as beating No. 1 Notre Dame at Penn's Philadelphia Invitational last month," said Hee. "As a team, I hope to win our 24th NIWFA Championship title, which is our conference championship, as well as claim the sabre title at the tournament because we have not won it since 2016."

Plunkett said that she'd like to close out her final season in cherry and white with a fourth NCAA Championship appearance, as well as creating more amazing memories with her teammates.

Graduation may take the fencers their separate ways, but they will never lose touch or forget their time together over the past decade.

Hee hopes to move to a larger city such as New York or Seattle in order to pursue a career in art directing, as well as to continue running and qualify for the NYC Marathon, while Plunkett is looking forward to pursuing her master's degree in epidemiology.

Temple University Athletics

Two Coasts and Over a Decade of Fencing for Temple Trio

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Malia Hee

Eva Hinds

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