With the fate of the Penn men's fencing team resting on his shoulders, senior foil Andrew Radu suited up for the final bout of last Saturday's multi meet, knowing that all eyes were on him.
Despite being placed under immense pressure to perform, Radu kept his poise and remained focused, winning a nail-bitingly close bout against Rutgers junior Jesse Schibilia by a score of 5-4, giving the Quakers a 14-13 victory over the Scarlet Knights.
"I was surprised it came down to the very last bout against Rutgers," Radu said.
Radu's victory was especially significant since Schibilia captured the foil title at the Garret Penn State Open earlier this season.
"I think it's kind of fitting that I had to fence Jesse since he is one of my best friends in the sport and one of the strongest fencers in the region," Radu said. "I'm just glad I won for the team. It could have easily gone the other way."
Radu's courageous effort was a perfect finale to what was likely one of the Quakers' finest meets of the season.
Both the men's and women's teams emerged victorious from Saturday's all-day competition, improving their Ivy League records to 2-0, and extending their streaks to eight wins and 13 wins, respectively.
As has been characteristic this season, the women got off on the right foot by stomping Harvard, 19-8. Then they proceeded to demolish Drew, 26-1, and Rutgers, 24-3.
Though none of the women's meets came down to the final bout, they were not without their moments of drama.
The closest women's match of the day came against Northwestern. The Wildcats challenged the Quakers, pushing them to the limit, but were inevitably left behind in a 15-12 finish.
"This is definitely the best team I've been involved with during my years at Penn," senior epee Elizabeth Kreidman said in the team press release. "This is the best chance at an Ivy League championship since I've been here."
The Quakers' success was not limited to the women's side, as the men also reigned supreme over the competition. They defeated Drew, 22-5, and Harvard, 16-11.
Both the men's and the women's triumphs over the Crimson were particularly significant given the high level of competition in the Ivy League.
"The most important thing is that we beat Harvard, who has a strong team this year," Radu said. "All of our weapons did their part it was a good feeling"
Currently, the Quakers are tied with Columbia for first place in the Ivies. However, they will have to put out another flawless effort this Wednesday when they head to Princeton, if they wish to remain on top of the Ivy League.
"Princeton will be a difficult meet," Radu said "Unlike Harvard, they have a foil squad that is very competitive. It's going to be close." Men
PENN 16, Harvard 11
PENN 22, Drew 5
PENN 14, Rutgers 13
Women PENN 19, Harvard 8
PENN 26, Drew 1
PENN 24, Rutgers 3
PENN 15, Northwestern 12
