HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College women's fencing team will begin its ninth year under head coach Chris Spencer during the upcoming 2015-16 season. Haverford will look be looking to improve on fourth place finishes during the EWFC and NIWFA Championships from a year ago. Looking to help the team return to the top of Division III fencing will be nine returners that are teaming up with four newcomers to the squad.
The most accomplished fencer entering the season for the Fords is senior epeeist and captain Julie Petersen. Petersen enters her final season with the Fords as a three-time All-NIWFA fencer that finished runner-up in epee during each of the past two seasons. The senior leader has also been named first-team All-EWFC twice in her career. Already a three-time qualifier to the NCAA Regional, Petersen's best performance came during an eighth place showing in 2014 as she advanced to the regional final.
Looking to solidify the epee squad, co-captain Leila Braun will has switched from foil to epee for the upcoming year. Braun qualified to the NCAA Regional in foil during her freshman and sophomore seasons. She was also an All-EWFC fencer in foil during those seasons, garnering first-team accolades in her first year. Sophomore Lauren Pronger has joined the team and will fence epee in her first year, while junior Alexis Auer will join the team in the spring after studying abroad this fall. Auer is a two-time placer at the EWFC Championship.
Sophomore Alexandra Morrison qualified for the NCAA Regional in foil during her first season. Morrison was the team's top foil fencer a year ago with an 11th place showing at the NIWFA Championship. The foil squad has added regional experience as junior Diana Schoder will transition from sabre to foil this year. Schoder was 31st in the regional sabre last year and will join the team for the second semester. Junior Amira Abujara will look to use her experience from the first two years as she will be counted on to contribute right away. Freshman Renata DiDonato will also test her mettle in the weapon.
With six individuals, the sabre squad will be the largest contingent of fencers on the team. Junior Sofia Tieze, who will studying abroad during the first semester, highlights last year's returners as she was a second-team All-EWFC fencer for the weapon and placed 12th at the NIWFA Championships. Sophomore Amanda Soled also brings experience back with her second year of collegiate training. After taking a year away from the sport, two-time regional qualifier Elisabeth Hawthorne returns for her senior season. Three of the team's incoming freshmen, Emily Brown, Anna Neuheardt, and Elizabeth Parente will also compete in sabre.
There will two chances to catch the women's fencing team in action at the Andy Kates Fencing Salle as it hosts the Dan Arnstein '09 Invitational and Tri-Co Invitational in late November and early December. Those home competitions are in addition to the Alumnae Match and Banquet which will be held on February 20.