Temple University Athletics
Temple University
NCAA Regional Championships
Papapetropoulou Places Fourth as Three Owls Place at Mid-Atlantic/South Regional
3.8.26 | Women's Fencing
HAVERFORD, PA – Sophomore Alexandra Papapetropoulou earned a fourth-place finish in saber as members of the No. 14 Temple fencing team participated in the Mid-Atlantic/South Regional at Haverford College on Saturday. Two other Owls finished in the top 10 in their respective weapons.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Round
In the first epee pool of the day, senior Anne-Mai Melles finished third and advanced to the second round of pool play. Epeeists Eliana Geva, who placed fifth, Victoria Doroshkevich, who placed seventh, and Grace Smith, who placed twelfth, all joined Melles in their advancement to the next round.
All four Temple foilists, Natalie Adams-Kim, Renee Oymann, Anais Wandji, and Jara Del Cura, earned a bye into the second pool to begin the day due to their original seeding.
Sabreists Alexandra Papapetropoulou and Keely Carter finished ninth and 16th, respectively, in the first pool and advanced.
Second Round
In the second round of pool play, Adams-Kim led the Owls with a second-place finish. She was followed by Oymann, who tied for fourth, Wandji, who placed eighth, and Del Cura, who placed 11th, with all four advancing to the third round of pool play.
Two epeeists also moved on to the semifinals, with Doroshkevich finishing fourth and Geva in a three-way tie for 12th.
Two saberists advanced as well, with Papapetropoulou placing fifth and Carter placing 14th.
Third Round
Two foilists advanced to the finals with strong performances in the semifinals. Anais Wandji went 5-0 and finished second, while Oymann placed sixth.
Papapetropoulou was the lone Owl to reach the saber finals, finishing eighth in the pool.
No epeeists advanced to the finals, as all three finished outside the top 12.
Finals
Oymann finished 6-5 in the final pool, earning a sixth-place finish—her highest regional placement. The Moers, Germany native improved upon last year's tenth-place finish. Joining Oymann in the top 10 was Anais Wandji in tenth.
Sophomore Papapetropoulou impressed by reaching the finals and securing a fourth-place finish in a tough pool. She leads the Owls at Regional Qualifiers.
Words from Coach
"After a very successful regular season, we were very proud to send the maximum of 12 fencers to represent Temple Fencing at NCAA Regionals. The entire team trained with determination and a collective purpose to come in confident and ready to compete for every touch. I'm very proud of all the performances. Each fencer gave their all and impressive wins happened throughout the day in all weapons. Alex, Renee and Anais's finalists finishes of 4th, 6th and 10th respectively exemplified the grit and Temple Tuff determination that is Temple Fencing."
UP NEXT
The Owls will await NCAA selections to be made by the NCAA Men's and Women's Fencing Committee on Tuesday, March 10. The NCAA Championships will be held March 19-22 at in South Bend, Indiana. NCAA qualification is based on a formula that weighs regional performance at 60% and regular-season results at 40%. Regional champions in each weapon earn automatic bids, while the remaining spots are allocated based on performance and regional standings.
Players Mentioned
