HAVERFORD, Pa. – Entering the 2019-20 season with a young squad, the Haverford College women's fencing team began to witness that young potential build the foundation to becoming the next generation of star fencers. Continually improving throughout the year, Haverford capped its season with four EWFC All-Stars (all which will return to next year's team), an NIWFA All-Star, and two regional qualifiers. Haverford's improvement was measurable with results against opponents such as Wagner where Haverford lost by an 18-9 score during the first meet of the season but won that matchup 15-12 when those squads met just two months later. There are numerous other examples where the Fords closed the gap against other foes in subsequent meetings while widening the margin of victory during others.
That all led up to the postseason where Sarah Blossom (epee), Maia Carvalho (epee), Caroline Donado (sabre), and Hanna Kopits (foil) earned their EWFC All-Start status. Donado did so in her first-year while Blossom and Carvalho earned those accolades during following strong sophomore campaigns. Kopits became a three-time EWFC All-Star in as many seasons during her junior year. She went on to earn NIWFA All-Star status while Carvalho and Donado represented the Fords at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional Championship, the toughest regional across all NCAA fencing.
Season Notes: Haverford improved its win total by four dual victories throughout the 2019-20 season … Hanna Kopits is now a three-time EWFC All-Star for the foil squad while twice earning All-NIWFA status … Only inclement weather during the 2019 NIWFA Championships has kept Kopits from the chance of being a three-time all-star at both competitions … Maia Carvalho also advanced to the direct elimination bouts of the NIWFA Championships this year and is a two-time EWFC All-Star heading into her junior season … Carvalho led the Fords with a 28th place finish at the regional championships, a six-spot improvement from when she qualified during her rookie season … Sarah Blossom and Caroline Donado earned All-EWFC status for the first time in their careers, while Donado also placed 32nd at the regional sabre championships during her standout first-year.
Team Honors
- Second-Team All-Eastern Women's Fencing Conference (EWFC): Sarah Blossom (epee), Maia Carvalho (epee), Caroline Donado (sabre), Hanna Kopits (foil)
- Second-Team All-National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association (NIWFA): Hanna Kopits (foil)
- National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association (NIWFA) All-Academic Team: Katie Bradley
- NCAA Regional Qualifiers: Maia Carvalho (28th; epee), Caroline Donado (32nd; sabre)
- Ambler Scholar-Athlete: Katie Bradley
Looking ahead: Those four standouts headline a returning team full of potential for the coming years. While the Fords will be without the outstanding leadership of two-time EWFC All-Star Katie Bradley and team captain Zuyi Wang, the foundation is in place for the Fords to continue their trajectory up the postseason standings. Bradley departs from an epee squad that will return co-captain Claire Cai next year after she studied abroad during the spring semester. Yuqin Wu also gained valuable experience for that weapon squad in addition to Blossom and Carvalho's exploits. Kopits leads a foil squad that also features Golda Glasser who advanced to the direct elimination bouts at the NIWFA Championship. The foilists will also return first-years Ceanne Lyon and Lillian Sweeney who gained valuable experience. The entire sabre squad will be back for at least two more years as sophomores Macy Brooks, Sofia Nicolayevsky, and Maria Yea fenced alongside first-years Donado and Megan Heflinger this past season.