The fencing team opened its home schedule on Nov. 17 with a
statement, sweeping a meet that included UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton and the
California Institute of Technology. The Tritons were coming off a resounding
win two weekends earlier in Pasadena where they also swept some of the top
schools on the West Coast. These early victories bode well for the Triton
fencing team, which will be relying on its younger players to take the lead
throughout the season.
The home meet saw the men’s team demolish its opponents,
beating Cal Tech University 24-3, Cal State Fullerton 22-5 and UC Irvine 23-4.
Sophomores Sean Blum and Bryan Kim led the Tritons with an 8-1 mark in epee and
a perfect 7-0 record in saber, respectively.
Blum said he was very happy with his team’s victory, but was
not surprised by its success so early in the season.
“We usually beat those teams because the program here at
UCSD is a few steps ahead of them, both in experience and in talent,” Blum
said. “This year the men’s epee squad received a considerable infusion of
new talent from freshmen and a transfer student, which was key to defeating
Fullerton 7-2.”
On the women’s side, the score was just as lopsided in favor
of the Tritons, who made quick work of the visiting teams, finishing off Cal
Tech 24-3, Cal State Fullerton 23-4 and UC Irvine 25-2. Junior Zitin Kachru
posted a 5-0 mark in foil to lead the Tritons.
Sophomore Anne Marie Schnecker attributed her team’s success
to the feeling of team unity and the overall ability of this year’s squad.
“We have a really good team, and we all pump each other up,”
Schnecker said. “Also there is a lot of talent on our team, so if we keep
working to our potential at practice I think we will have a successful season.”
Head coach Heidi Runyan is looking forward to the NCAA West
Invitational in Colorado Springs, Col., as the meet that will truly pose a
challenge to her team this season, but Runyan said she is confident that her
players will be able to thrive by combining veteran leadership and skilled
newcomers.
“The team won’t really be tested until mid-January,” Runyan
said. “If everybody fences to their potential we have a good chance to beat
Division I rivals Stanford and Air Force.”
Runyan said that some new faces will add to the already
powerful men’s squad, and the fresh talent has renewed hopes of UCSD capturing
a conference championship.
“We have quite a few new solid fencers that add real depth
to the team,” she said. “All three men’s squads are very strong this year. We
have a good chance of bringing home the men’s epee conference trophy, which has
eluded us the last few years.”
In addition, Runyan is confident that the women’s team will
again do well this year, and said that three veterans are in contention for an
individual conference title, including senior and All-American Chelsea Ambort,
who went 8-1 at the home-opener.
With a balanced combination of talented underclassmen and
seasoned veterans, the UCSD fencing team seems poised to continue their early
domination throughout their season as they steadily gain more momentum leading
up to the NCAA National Championships in Columbus, Ohio, from March 13 through
March 16.