Answering All the Questions

Fencer Sarah Johns has all theFencer Sarah Johns has all theanswers, on and off the strip Freshman year, Sarah Johns decided to go through sorority rush. One of the sisters heard her accent and asked where she was from. "Australia," Johns replied. "Oh, do they speak English there?" the sister questioned. On several occasions, Sarah has been asked, "Do they really have anthropology at Penn?" and "As a fencer, can you beat up a guy in a dark alley?". But nobody can question Sarah Johns's dedication to fencing. Johns began her senior season with the Red and Blue with a career record of 28-12. Last season, her outstanding foil record earned her a second-team all-Ivy selection. Johns helped the Quakers to their second consecutive Ivy League championship last year. She also played a key role in Penn's NCAA finals birth two seasons ago. The most impressive win of Johns's collegiate career came two years ago. In a meet against Harvard, Penn trailed by a single bout with only two remaining. Johns fell behind four points to two, but came back to make the next three clean hits. Penn captain Megumi Sakae followed Johns by beating her opponent, giving the Quakers a victory that would help them eventually earn the conference title. Unlike many other collegiate fencers, Johns's parents did not put a foil in her hands at birth. As a child, her first love was judo. But Johns's martial arts career came to an abrupt end when the boys from her class decided to test her skills. "I was the only girl in the judo class," Johns said. "And the boys kind of liked to gang up on me." In fifth grade, she gave up judo, seeking a co-ed sport. Johns found a fencing class at her prep school. Or, should we say, the fencing world found Sarah Johns. At age 13, Johns and her family moved from Melbourne to San Francisco, where her fencing potential began to blossom. Although her high school did not have a team, Johns entered many regional competitions and gained a Junior Olympics bid in 1989. As a high school senior, Johns placed first in the California State Games and was recruited by Brandeis and Cornell. But Johns decided to attend Penn because of its Anthropology Department and fencing program. "As a freshman, [Penn fencing coach Dave] Micahnik really cleaned up my fencing style," Johns said. "And [teammate] Anne Gaita really made me feel comfortable on the team." However, "the California blond," as Micahnik affectionately refers to Johns, could not have had a more inauspicious start to her collegiate career. As freshmen, Johns and Sakae decided to fence at the Junior Olympics in Colorado. Unable to get a flight from the Philadelphia airport, the two decided to spend a night at Megumi's friend's house and then fly out from Newark, N.J., the next day. But a snowstorm hit that night. Megumi's friend's mother, who was driving the fencers to the airport, lost control of her car, and did a 360 into the road divide. "None of us were hurt," Johns said. "But we had to push the car all the way to a gas station in some little town. When we finally reached the gas station, there was a scary man with a funny limp. We asked him to call a cab, but he did not understand a word we said." Johns and Sakae managed to flag down a limousine and arrive at the airport on time. "Megumi and I really bonded during this experience," Johns said. "We have become close friends in four years. Other than my roommate, I see her more than anybody else." The precocious neophytes eventually made it to the Junior Olympics, beginning two outstanding careers. "Sarah has tremendous intensity," Micahnik said. "And when she controls it, she can beat nearly anybody. It is all a matter of her harnessing her energy." This is Sarah Johns's final season with the women's fencing team. Next year, she plans to study biological anthropology either in England or at Harvard. "If I go to Harvard, I definitely hope to go watch Penn compete next year," Johns said. "I would pull for Penn fencing all the way." And just for the record: Johns can not beat up a guy in a dark alley. Anthropology is a major at Penn. And they do speak English in Australia.

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