HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 4, 2024) – Graduate student Claire McNeill went 5-1 at epee to set a new program record as the Stevens Institute of Technology women's fencing team defeated both the United States Military Academy and the New Jersey Institute of Technology Sunday at the annual Stevens Invitational, hosted inside Canavan Arena.

McNeill was a perfect 3-0 against Army to break the previous program record of 265, set by Briana Nieradka from 2009-14. McNeill then went 5-1 on the day to close the competition with 269 victories. After her 5-3 victory, McNeill received a gift from her teammates. 

Senior Alana Schmitt had a team-high six victories, while junior Arianna Daringa matched McNeill with five wins, as the Ducks improved to 14-15 on the year. 

The day began with a 20-7 victory over Army and closed with a 17-10 win over NJIT. Stevens has won the last 23 matchups with the Black Knights and topped the Division I Highlanders in all three matchups this season. The 2-0 mark in the program's lone home event of the season is the first since 2019-20. 

Prior to the meet, the program recognized its Class of 2024 in a prematch ceremony. McNeill and Schmitt were joined by seniors Victoria Beke, Megha Jain and Jasmine Chen for their career accomplishments and contributions to the program.

The Rundown

• The day began with a 20-7 win over Army. Ten different Ducks posted perfect records against the Black Knights, led by McNeill and Schmitt's 3-0 mark in their respective weapons. Junior Elizabeth MacDonald and sophomore Emily Zgombic joined Daringa in going 2-0 to close out the victory.
• Against NJIT, Chen, Daringa and Schmitt each went a perfect 3-0, while McNeill, first-year Grace Hicks and junior Renny Victoria each went 2-1. NJIT topped the Ducks in foil action, before the Ducks posted a 9-0 win at sabre and a 6-3 margin at epee to close out the victory.
• In terms of individual wins, MacDonald and first-year Akemi Rodriguez joined Chen and Hicks with three victories each. Victoria and Zgombic each had two, while junior Annabelle Crescenzo, first-year Paris Sepulveda and junior Alyssa Ip each had one to round out Stevens' victories on the day.

Top Performers

• The sabre group had the best collective performance for the day, posting a 15-3 record as all three weapons had winning records. Epee had the second-best winning percentage, finishing 12-6, while foil finished 10-8. 
• Within their respective weapon groups, epee and sable each went 2-0. Sabre topped Army 6-3 before an impressive 9-0 score against NJIT. Epee, meanwhile, went 6-3 against each opponent. Foil had a split day, going 8-1 against Army and 7-2 against NJIT.

Coach's Comments

• "It was a great day for Stevens women's fencing with two victories. It was great to get the wins at home in front of family and friends and we were happy to get all our seniors into the action." – assistant coach Linda Vollkommer-Lynch
• "The story of the day was Claire McNeill setting the all-time career wins record for women's epee. That's going to be a record that stands for a long time." – head coach James Carpenter
• "Claire breaking the all-time record for career epee wins was an incredible accomplishment and we are proud of her accomplishment." – assistant coach Linda Vollkommer-Lynch

Up Next

• Stevens returns to the strips in one week's time, heading to Teaneck, New Jersey for the annual FDU Invitational. Any event links will be posted to StevensDucks.com once available.

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