Injuries Mar Fencing Finale

The Harvard fencing team closed out a successful season at the National Championships over spring break at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

The Crimson finished 19th overall in the team standings at NCAAs,, a showing that reflected injuries to two key Crimson fencers. Junior foilist Emily Katz was in 11th place before suffering a torn ACL and withdrawing from competition. Co-captain Eugene Cha won eight bouts in the men’s epee field before hurting his right wrist.

Katz ultimately finished 15th, while freshman Liz Blasé capped off her first campaign by taking 23nd in the field of 24. Senior Tamara Knutsen took 19th in the women’s epee, while Cha’s early effort was still good enough for 20th place.

The Crimson’s appearance at Nationals completed a season in which the women’s team won 11 of its first twelve matches en route to a stellar 14-1 start and a conference championship. The men’s team also improved markedly in the 2000-2001 season.

St. John’s University solidified its reputation as the nation’s elite fencing program by winning the team sweepstakes, including one-two finishes in the men’s sabre and women’s epee. Princeton emerged as the top Ivy League finisher with a fifth-place finish that was anchored by Soren Thompson’s national title in men’s epee.