Fencing club slashes way to 5th

A cacophony of yells, both of triumph and frustration, filled Notre Dame’s Joyce Center last weekend at the Midwest Fencing Conference Championships as athletes from 20 colleges battled in individual and team competition.\n“I love epee!” senior fencer Samantha Kuykendall said after winning a bout Sunday, referring to her weapon division. \nIU fencers competed in each of the six divisions — men’s and women’s epee, saber and foil at the championship event. Both men’s and women’s teams finished above their projected seatings, and IU’s team score ultimately placed it in fifth-place overall in the competition. \nThe men’s epee team scored especially well in team competition Sunday, coming in fourth and earning the division’s Schiller Award for the highest-ranked club team. \nBoth IU foil teams caused an upset at the competition. The women’s team rose to fifth place from its initial 11th place team seating and the men earned sixth-place honors from a 12th place seating. Sunday’s initial team seatings were based on previous performances and Saturday’s individual matches.\nThe men’s saber team placed 12th overall, while women’s saber placed 11th and women’s epee earned 10th. \nIU’s combined team standings set them in fifth place overall with 860 points, the second-highest rank for a club. Michigan’s club team scored higher. The women placed seventh with 405 points and the men tied for fifth with Michigan at 455 total points.\nIU’s fencers faced off against several of the best collegiate fencers in the country, including 2007 NCAA men’s epee champion, Wayne State sophomore Slava Zingerman, and Ohio State senior Siobhan Byrne, who ranks among the top women’s saberists worldwide.Facing such heavy competition in Saturday’s individual matches, none of IU’s fencers made it past the second round out of six.\nRegardless of win/loss ratios, IU fencers said they enjoyed the competition.\n“I love fencing these guys anyway,” said club president and junior Rick Gunyon “This is a treat in itself.”\nThe fencing club is now preparing for the U.S. Association of Collegiate Fencing Club national championships, which IU hosted in 2007. This year’s competition will be held April 5-6 at Smith College in Northampton, Mass.