MADISON, N.J. (February 19, 2023) – Junior
Alana Schmitt of the Stevens Institute of Technology women's fencing team earned Denise O'Connor Sabre Fencer of the Year honors from the Eastern Women's Fencing Conference (EWFC) at their annual conference championships, which were held Sunday and hosted by Drew University.
In dual play, Schmitt finished the day with a 12-6 mark on the day and then finished first in the direct elimination tournament to earn the individual accolade. In the process, the Brooklyn, New York native, became just the fourth sabre fencer in the program's history, and the first since the 2018-19 season, to receive the distinction.
Schmitt's individual accolade was one of four for the program at the championship event. Senior
Claire McNeill was named First Team All-EWFC at epee, while classmate
Keira Mizzi was named Second Team All-EWFC in the same weapon after earning her 100th career victory. First-year
Emily Zgombic was named Second Team All-EWFC at foil to round out the individual recognition.
As a team, the Ducks earned the Roi Green Memorial Team Spirit Award for the second time in program history and the first time in a decade. The award is named after the long-time head coach at City College of New York, who passed away in 2006 after a three-decade career in the sport.
Collectively, the Ducks went 3-3 on the day and finished fourth out of 10 teams. Johns Hopkins won its fourth straight dual championship and 10th overall by posting a perfect 6-0 record on the day. Denison's Velma Hall was named Denise O'Connor Foil Fencer of the Year, while Wellesley's Michelle Pan took home Denise O'Connor Epee Fencer of the Year honors. Drew's coaching staff took home Coaching Staff of the Year honors to round out the individual honors. Johns Hopkins was named Foil Squad of the Year, with Drew (Epee) and Denison (Sabre) also getting recognized for their performance on the strips. Sunday's event marked the eighth time that the conference has staged both its dual meet and individual tournaments on the same day. The individual Fencer of the Year awards are named in honor of Denise O'Connor, a two-time U.S. Olympian foilist.
Additionally, senior
Ashley McDermott was named to the EWFC's All-Academic Team.
Stevens began the day with a 24-3 victory over Hunter, marking what is believed to be the Ducks' 43rd straight victory over the Hawks. A 16-11 setback to Drew followed, before the Ducks rebounded with a 26-1 triumph over City College. Denison used a 7-2 win at sabre to edge the Ducks 15-12 to snap Stevens' five-match winning streak in the all-time series. A 16-11 win over Vassar returned the Ducks to their winning ways, but a 20-7 defeat against Wellesley in the third-place match closed out the dual portion of the day. The 3-3 day left Stevens with an 18-25 record on the year.
Schmitt was one of six Ducks to reach double figures in wins on the day. Sophomore
Elizabeth MacDonald matched Schmitt with 12 wins, albeit at foil. McNeil and Mizzi each won 11 bouts on the day, while Zgombic and McDermott each won 10. Sophomore
Renny Victoria had a season-high seven wins at epee as 13 different fencers had at least one victory. Sophomore
Alyssa Ip finished with a season-high eight wins at sabre, while classmate
Jia Chen had five. Junior
Victoria Beke had three epee wins, while sophomore
Nerissa Lundquist had three wins at sabre. Sophomore
Sofia Savchuk registered three wins at foil, while senior Brianna Elis had one to round out the Ducks' victories on the day.
Within the three weapons, the foilists posted a 36-18 mark, while epee finished at 32-22. The sabre group finished with a 28-26 record on the day as all three weapons finished with a winning record. Collectively, the Ducks posted an impressive 96-66 mark across the six matches.
Up Next: Women's Fencing returns to the strips on Mar. 4 for the National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association Championships, which will be also hosted by Drew University.
Facebook: "Like" Stevens Athletics
Twitter: @stevensducks
Instagram: @stevensducks
#AllRise
