Ready For Competition: Fencing Excited to Get Back on the Strip

Photo by: Mike Sperando

Ready For Competition: Fencing Excited to Get Back on the Strip

2.4.21 | Women's Fencing

PHILADELPHIA - After a historic season that was cut short a week before the NCAA Championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Temple fencing is ready to return to the strip after nearly a year without competition. The team lost five seniors, including two who qualified for the NCAA Championships, and added six freshmen to the squad.

"This year is a year like no other and everyone has had to adapt to all of the ups and downs," head coach Dr. Nikki Franke said. "Our freshmen have embraced our team culture and high expectations, both on the strip and in the classroom. Their work ethic is outstanding, and we are very pleased with the effort they are showing to improve each day. Our seniors have become outstanding leaders and the support they receive from our other returners has made their jobs that much easier."

For the first time since 2009, the Owls qualified five fencers for the NCAA Championships in Kerry Plunkett, Malia Hee, Aryana Abtin, Margherita Calderaro, and Naomi Ross last season. Earning a program-high No. 5 ranking last February, the team reached their goal of cracking the Top-5 after being a consistently ranked Top-10 program.

"Last season I got to step in and see how strong the leadership was from the seniors who left us," assistant coach Tasia Ford said. "As a former member of the team, I am very confident in both our freshmen and returners. They're pushing each other and supporting each other, and the team dynamics are very strong. The girls have gotten to spend a lot of time together during the pandemic, so they've really formed a bond and become a strong unit."

Leadership
The three seniors make up the team's leadership, with Marielle Luke (epee) serving as the team captain and Eva Hinds (sabre) and Megan Ross (foil) serving as their respective squad leaders.

Luke led the epeeists last season, recording 57 wins to more than double her career record. She was one of 12 to represent the Owls at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional and finished 12th, one place higher than the previous season. Ross went 46-47 last season to put her career record at 105-76, also finishing 12th at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional. She was named to the Trustee Ten list for the second year in a row for having one of the 10 highest GPAs among all Temple student-athletes. Hinds went 20-15 in dual play for a career record of 104-48.

Returning Underclassmen
The Cherry and White will return two NCAA Championship qualifiers in Calderaro and Naomi Ross. Ross was named an Elite Athlete by the USOPC in October, a recognition that identifies potential U.S. Olympians for the Tokyo Olympics later this year. Calderaro earned the NIWFA individual title, and narrowly missed the podium at Regionals with a fourth-place finish.

Both Sarah Park and Zoe Turner also represented the squad at Regionals, with Turner (sabre) finishing 10th and Park (epee) finishing 22nd in their debut seasons. Turner took the sabre individual title at the NIWFA Championships, defeating Hee in the final bout to take the crown.

"Our sophomores understand that we have a young team and have taken the freshmen under their wing," Ford said. "I think they are really trying to make the transition to college fencing smoother for the freshmen. They're always trying to help during practice when we're learning new things, and they've really stepped up as sophomores."

Epee
The most experienced of the three squads is epee, with four returners and just one freshman. Of the four returners, all competed at Regionals and two advanced to the NCAA Championships.

"The epee squad is very solid," Franke said. "I'm excited for the potential they have to be a force in epee. Even though they are all pretty comparable, they all bring different skills to the table and challenge one another in practice."

Sabre
With three returning saberists and two freshmen, the squad has a good mix of newcomers and veterans. In losing Hee and Plunkett, the squad lost the program record-holders in career sabre wins (Hee and Plunkett tied with 235 wins each).

"Eva has done a very good job of bringing the squad together," Ford said. "They are all growing and learning from each other. They each have their own styles, so it's really important that they've been teaching each other."

Foil
The youngest of the three squads, three of the foilists are freshmen. The squad lost Kennedy Lovelace, who set the career-wins record with 243 foil wins, and will see junior Cassie Navalta opt-out of the spring 2021 season.

"This is a really fun group," Franke said. "We have three freshmen, so you don't really know what to expect. But what has impressed me most is their willingness to try new things and give each other feedback. They are really receptive and apply what we talk about to their individual games. We're going to hit some bumps in the road, but they are very resilient so the sky is the limit with them."

The Owls are slated for four regular-season meets, with three at home, and will open the 2021 campaign at the Ohio State Multi Meet this weekend. Temple will face Northwestern, Wayne State, and Air Force on Saturday before closing out the weekend against Notre Dame, Duke, and host Ohio State on Sunday.