Direct Elimination Results: Epee | Foil | Sabre

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Haverford College women's fencing team competed this past Saturday at the 88th NIWFA Championships at The West Point Military Academy in New York. The Fords placed fifth overall out of 15 teams, including a seven-touch margin over EWFC rivals Drew, and only behind Temple, Stevens Tech, Rutgers, and FDU.

The sabre and epee squads each placed fifth, both being edged out by Rutgers for the first time. The foil squad was seventh. As the format of the championship requires each fencer to compete against only one opponent from each school, the individual round was able to be fenced on the same day. Each weapon selected 16 fencers from the A, B and C slots of the team competition.

The highest placing individual finish went to freshman phenomenon Anna Neuheardt, whose sixth place finish put her at the top of the second-team all-conference cadre. Close behind Neuheardt was senior co-captain and epeeist Julie Petersen. Petersen's seventh place finish put her on the All-NIWFA Team for the fourth consecutive season. Foilist Alexandra Morrison rounded out the individual round qualifiers, and placed 16th after a hard-fought loss to Stevens Tech's Abby Kaye, last year's EWFC Fencer of The Year.

Freshman standout Emily Brown impressed with a 10-4 record in the C-strip sabre, nabbing the fifth slot, just out of qualification to the individuals. Senior Elisabeth Hawthorne completed a three-week crash course in foil fencing (after two  years on the sabre squad) with a fourth-place finish among 18 total fencers in the "C" pool.

Although the regular season is now over with the conclusion of the conference championships, several Haverford fencers will qualify to the NCAA Regional Championship. The regional competition will be held on March 11 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa.