Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Release
PHILADELPHIA – Haverford College women's fencing Alexandra Morrison has been voted to the 2017-18 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area at-large team. The all-area team is voted on by the sports information offices of the 29 area institutions from the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Morrison, a senior chemistry major, was selected to the team for the first time during her career.
The at-large teams take into account those student-athletes from area schools whose sports do not have a dedicated Academic All-Area team. In order to be eligible for Academic All-Area honors, an athlete must be in at least his or her second year at the institution and hold a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20 or better.
A two-year captain for the Fords, Morrison was a steadying presence on the Fords this season. Her selflessness was on full display during the spring semester as Morrison transitioned to the sabre squad to help balance out the lineup across all three weapons after spending her entire career as a foilist. Nevertheless, a natural for fencing, Morrison did not miss a beat on her way to an outstanding senior season and qualified to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional Championships for the fourth straight season.
During the fall semester, Morrison racked up a squad-best 25 individual bout wins as a foilist. Showing no unfamiliarity in sabre, she bested opponents from Division I programs North Carolina and Duke in her weapon debut to set the stage for a strong close to her career. Her break out performance in sabre came when she tallied a 10-5 record during the Sollee Invitational. During the postseason, she won 11 bouts at the EWFC Championships and placed a career-best 27th overall at regional despite fencing the weapon for just under three months.
Women's fencing totaled 16 team victories during the 2017-18 season with a young team. That win total was the Fords' highest since the 2013-14 campaign. Morrison's efforts helped the team match its fifth-place finish from last year's EWFC Championships. She was also instrumental in the Fords earning a two spot improvement in the final team standings during the NIWFA Championships.