Temple Fencing Set for Tar Heel Invitational After Strong Schiller Duals Performance

CHAPEL HILL – The No. 14 Temple fencing team returns to competition this weekend, traveling to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for the Tar Heel Invitational hosted by the University of North Carolina. The Sunday-only event marks the Owls' second consecutive meet, following an undefeated performance on the final day of the Schiller Duals last weekend.

Temple opens competition Sunday at 8 a.m., facing Air Force, UNC, and Duke before closing the event with bouts against Boston College and Brandeis.

LAST TIME OUT

The Owls began the Schiller Duals with a hard-fought match against Northwestern, falling 19-8. They responded with a commanding 22-5 win over UIW, as all three weapons turned in strong performances. After a competitive 19-8 setback to Notre Dame, Temple closed day one in dominant fashion, winning its final three bouts over Lawrence (23-4), Air Force (14-13), and UC San Diego (17-10).

Temple opened day two with an 18-9 victory over WSU, powered by an 8-1 effort from the sabre squad. The Owls added wins over Denison (16-11) and Cleveland State (19-8), again receiving key contributions from all three weapons. Temple then battled quality OSU and Stanford teams, earning 16-11 results in both, led by the epee squad. The Owls capped the day with a decisive win over UDM, highlighted by strong performances from the foil and epee groups.

INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS

Senior foilist Natalie Adams-Kim posted a 7-4 record, including a pivotal 3-0 sweep against UC San Diego to secure Temple's final victory. Epeeist Eliana Geva led her weapon group with a 12-4 overall mark, recording key results against UIW (3-0), Notre Dame (2-1), Air Force (2-1), and UC San Diego (3-0). In sabre, Keely Carter paced the Owls with a 7-5 record, delivering crucial wins against Northwestern and UC San Diego.

On day two, freshman foilist Anais Wandji went 9-3, including perfect 3-0 performances against OSU and UDM. Epeeists Victoria Doroshkevich and Eliana Geva closed the day with strong records of 9-4 and 7-4, respectively. Lindsey Minor and Anne-Mai Melles added depth to the epee squad, each finishing 5-4. Leading the sabre unit was Samantha Nathanson, who went 8-3 and produced a critical 3-0 result against a strong Stanford team.

UP NEXT

Temple will return home to Philadelphia to compete in the Philadelphia Invitational Senior Meet on Sunday, February 22.