Fencing teams eager to get back into action

Women hope to be even better this season After a successful preseason, and coming off a recent 3-0 weekend in its first official meet, the Penn women's fencing team looks as if it will make a run at regional and Ivy championships this year. And today's match (Weightman Gym, 2 p.m.) against four tough squads, including 1991-92 National Champion Temple, will give the Quakers their first chance to prove they have what it takes. The Quakers have been in competition since early November, challenging area teams. This past Saturday was the season-opener for Penn, and the Quakers began in style, going undefeated against NYU, Duke and Fairleigh Dickinson. Senior Rachel Iannacone, a second-team all-American fencer last season, gave an especially strong performance. "The team is at least as strong as last year," Penn coach Dave Micahnik said. "Three of our starting four are back from last season." However, the three and four spots on the four-person squad still have to be filled. Juniors Inca Chui, Christina Kim and Velda McCune (No. 8 in her home country of Scotland), along with sophomores Megumi Sakae, a big winner as a freshman, and Sarah Johns are all looking to step up. Sakae is working back into competition after suffering a stress fracture earlier in the season. Her physical strength is improving and she is working on technique in preparation for her next meet. "The team this year looks pretty similar to last season," senior captain Anne Gaeta said. "We lost only one senior [Robin Kochie-Ramos], but of four that's quite a bit.." Despite the varied strengths of this season's Quakers and their deep bench, the expected power of the team will come from Iannacone and Gaeta, a first-team all-Ivy fencer as a freshman. "[Iannacone and Gaeta] will give us our power," Micahnik said. "In the early going, they've been our big guns." Today's meet will match Penn against Rutgers, Northwestern, Stanford and Temple. Northwestern has fought some hard battles lately with Notre Dame and Ohio State, earning the Wildcats respect from competitors. "I faced one of their fencers earlier this year in the Penn State Open," Gaeta said. "She was strong, but I think we can beat her." Stanford has some talent in its sophomore class, including Morgan Hoch, a Junior National team member. Penn's victory over Stanford in last year's NCAA Tournament gives the Quakers some confidence going into this dual. But the night's featured contest, and culminating match, is against Temple, national champion with experienced fencers in Lisa Honig and Jennie Dhodt. "We think we can beat them," Micahnik said. "We're as strong as we've been in several years and they're not." "Temple is the big one," Gaeta said. "Four of their fencers are very good. There aren't any standouts, but they are all solid competitors. We've been friends with them for four years now, but we want to go out and beat them. We'll see them again at regionals, so doing well against them now will say a lot for our team." Along with the foil competitions that score points in the meet will be a newly-formed, unofficial epee division. Freshmen Joanna Mack, Elisabeth Cornfield and Inna Zdrovyak will compete in this category in preparation for official competition next year. "The freshmen have been a big part of our team," Gaeta said. "They are willing, have good attitudes and have lifted the spirits of the team." The Quakers hope to cap their season with an Ivy League title and a top-four ranking in the country, one better than last year. "They're working hard, giving a good effort and have a positive attitude," Micahnik said. "They aren't in bad shape to make a good run."