PHILADELPHIA – The Haverford College women's fencing team got its 2019-20 season underway Saturday at the Temple Open. The Fords entered 12 of their fencers in the highly-competitive field and had at least one individual reach the direct elimination draw in each of the three weapons.
Foilist Golda Glasser was the team's highest placer over the weekend as she finished 30th overall after advancing to the Round of 32 of the direct elimination draw. Glasser opened her day with a 3-5 record, however, two of those defeats came on the final touch which allowed her to advance to the direct elimination tournament. Glasser picked up a 15-12 victory over her opponent from Florida before her tournament run ended in the Round of 32.
Co-captain Zuyi Wang joined her fellow foil fencer in the direct elimination draw as she also went 3-5 in seeding bouts, but moved into the direct elimination draw as two of her defeats also came on decisive fifth touches. Wang dropped a hard-fought 15-11 bout during the Round of 64 and finished in 40th place. Ceanne Lyon made her debut for the foil squad. After a tough opening pool draw, Lyon came back with a 3-2 record to finish seventh overall in the consolation rounds.
Haverford's epee squad was led by three-time regional qualifier Katie Bradley's 41st place finish. She went 4-4 in the pool bouts before a 15-7 setback in the Round of 64 during the direct elimination draw. All five of the Fords' epeeists entered the draw. Although only Bradley advanced into the direct elimination draw, Haverford closed the day with a standout showing in the consolation rounds.
Maia Carvalho won the consolation draw with a 6-0 record in those bouts. Co-captain Claire Cai and Sarah Blossom were fifth and sixth, respectively, in the consolation draw. Cai went 4-2 in consolation bouts with both of her defeats coming on the decisive final touch while Blossom matched that 4-2 record with one of her defeats coming in the same final touch fashion. Yuqin Wu made her collegiate debut and picked up her first victory of the year during an 18th place finish in the consolation pool.
The sabre squad sent two individuals into the direct elimination bouts as Macy Brooks and Maria Yea placed 40th and 43rd, respectively. Brooks won three bouts and Yea one during the seeding rounds before both fell in tough opening direct elimination draws. In the consolation draws, Caroline Donado bounced back from a tough opening round of pool fencing where she suffered three defeats by 5-4 or 5-3 scores. Shaking that off quickly, Donado became the Fords' second consolation champion as she dominated that pool with five straight 5-1 victories. Fellow first-year Megan Heflinger notched the first two victories of her career during a ninth-place showing in consolation action.
Women's fencing will return to the strips this coming weekend for the first team competition of the season. The Fords will travel to New York on Sunday, November 10 for the Vassar Invitational. Action on the strips is set to get underway at 10 a.m. that day.