Despite having lost key starters to graduation, the men's and women's fencing teams will not settle for a rebuilding year on the heels of last season's undefeated Ivy League slates.
Overall, solid showings at the Penn State Open this past weekend bode well for both squads as they brace to defend their league championships. Relative inexperience in the sabre squads could be the main challenge for Princeton as it begins a year of tough Ivy League competition.
Though missing Eva Petschnigg — who captured the NCAA foil title last year as a freshman and is currently taking a year off to train for the Austrian Junior World Team — the women's fencing lineup is well positioned within the league.
Senior sabre squad leader Alexa Chew is confident of the Tigers' depth across the board.
"Other teams have a few good fencers, or are really strong in one weapon, but our team has a lot of depth," Chew said. "Our team is really tight, and that support pulls us through close matches."
The graduation of Jason Burrell '00 and Steven Wang '00 — who finished sixth and 19th respectively in NCAA epee competition last year — will similarly challenge the men's team.
Sunny days
Nevertheless, senior sabre and captain Terry Kim is optimistic that those slots will be effectively filled.
"With the freshmen [who are entering with a lot of experience] and the upperclassman [core]," Kim said, "we look to have a deep team that is solid in all three weapons."
Last year's outright championship was the women's first. Sophomore foil squad leader Mindy Rostal acknowledges the long and intensely competitive road to a repeat.
"Another league championship is definitely possible," Rostal said. "It's going to be tough, though."
While the epee squad, led by junior Lindsay Campbell, is expected to sweep its Ivy League competition, much is also expected of the foil squad after its recent performance at the Penn State Open. But the sabre squad is still a question mark.
Three of last year's four sabre starters, in addition to assistant coach Graham Brooks, have been lost. This lack of experience greatly contributed to a disappointing showing at last weekend's tournament.
Chew, the sole returning starter, is realistic in her self-assessment.
"The [sabre] squad has a lot of potential," Chew said, "but the season will definitely be a challenge."
Family
Senior foil and captain Lisa Leslie takes the relative inexperience of the underclassmen in stride.
"During the preseason, the returners have done a fantastic job of taking the newcomers under their wings," Leslie said. "I think it is possible to beat any team in the league if we are at our best."
Yale and Penn were two of the Tigers' most hotly contested matches last year and should be this season as well. Columbia, with three-time first team All-Ivy foil Susan Jennings, could also be a potential spoiler.
The men's team is not limiting its goals to a league championship defense, however.
"Winning the league championship last year was very rewarding, and this year the team has developed around the idea of not only defending our title, but building on last year's success," Kim said. "We have the talent, and more importantly, the camaraderie to do so."
The sabre squad that Kim anchors was predominantly composed of freshmen last year. As those freshmen fencers — including sophomore squad leader Dan Pratt — develop, they should be increasingly ready to take on the responsibility of defending the title they helped win.
At the recent Penn State Open, Princeton fencers placed in the top 16 in all three weapons — a confidence-building performance. Some of the Tigers' top finishers included Rostal (second place) in foil competition and juniors Maya Lawrence (second) and Lindsay Campbell (fourth).
On the men's side, freshman Soren Thompson tied for third place in epee, while Kim took eighth in the sabre competition. Freshman Jon Jew-Lim placed 11th in foil.
"In past years, one or more of the squads was not as deep as the others," Kim said. "This year all three are strong enough and deep enough to challenge our competition."
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