W. Fencing travels to NCAAs

There was little doubt the Penn women's fencing team would head to the NCAA Tournament this weekend. It has accumulated quite a resume over the season, boasting an Ivy League title, two first-team all-Ivy fencers and only one regular season loss, that to a nationally-ranked team. What was in question though was the Quakers' seed in the national pool. And to help decide this fate was their showing at the Eastern Regional tournament over the past weekend. Penn went into the eight-squad regional event with a third seed, behind perennial-powerhouses Penn State, which carries two previous NCAA individual champions on its squad of four fencers, and Temple, the team to which the Quakers suffered their only loss of the regular season. But as a tournament environment so often accounts for, the tides of victory were suddenly reversed as Penn upset Temple, 9-7, to move into a second-place finish behind the overpowering and untouchable Nittany Lions. And after Penn's combined season record and showing at regionals were reviewed by the NCAA board, it received notice of its third-place seed in the national tournament. "It's kind of scary. There's a lot of pressure with that seed," senior captain Anne Gaeta said. "There is always a chance to win and we need to concentrate on that. And if nothing else, hold seed." And if hanging on to third is possible for the Quakers, they will have not only accomplished their preseason goal of placing fourth or better, but it will mark their best finish in the tournament in recent history. "There aren't any walk-over teams," Penn coach Dave Micahnik said. "If we can make the top four, we've done very well and it will have been a successful season." These teams Micahnik refers to are the likes of Temple and Harvard, with fourth and fifth seeds, respectively. Penn has been back and forth with Temple throughout the year, and the Quakers' defeat of Harvard came only when a stalemate led to the counting of touches. But as this soft-spoken team spoke of its tournament aspirations, there was a confidence within. "I really don't think Penn State is unbeatable," Gaeta said. "We need to win against their two weaker fencers." Last year, the Quakers came home with a fifth-place ranking. But Gaeta and classmate Rachel Iannacone were juniors still gaining experience, and sophomore Megumi Sakae and junior Inca Chui were still learning the ropes. Although defeating Penn State and No. 2-seed Notre Dame isn't probable, tournament competition spells out possibility for a team who has seen it can up-end any competition.