Cool, calm Lawrence collects honors for women's fencing

Thrust. Parry. Watch for the big move. Move her into position. Block. Parry. Attack. Set her up. Here it comes . . . block the move. She overthrusts, and there's the opening. Weeks of practice, learning the moves, studying the opponents. All culminating here. Feint the first touch. She goes for it. Make the move now. The epee moves easily through the air and makes contact with the white of her uniform. The last touch. The bout is won.

Cool, calm, and collected. That is the way junior epee Maya Lawrence fences. She is always focused in the moment, working hard for the next touch that will lead her to her next victory.

"Her fencing doesn't vary day to day depending on whether it's a good day or a bad day," senior captain and foil Lisa Leslie said. "She is also incredibly patient. I don't think I have ever seen her visibly upset after a bout."

Lawrence has been an incredible asset to the women's fencing team this year, helping it to an 11-2 record. In an amazing meet against Columbia, St. John's, and Rutgers on Feb. 3, Lawrence went undefeated and notched a big win against U.S. Olympian Arlene Stevens of St. John's. And even in a disappointing team loss against Penn on Sunday, she still went 3-0.

"She has contributed to the team by being a steady fencer, getting us out of crunches or doing her part [to win]," junior foil Mindy Rostal said.

For Lawrence, fencing is as much a mental game as a physical one. Not only does it take energy, strength, and agility to execute each move and the physical stamina to win each bout, but also the ability to analyze opponents and anticipate their next moves. This is why she was not nervous going up against Stevens, the Olympian.

"We fenced her before," Lawrence said. "We knew how she fences, which makes it a little bit easier."

"Maya thinks a lot when she fences," junior epee Mary Dunlop said. "She analyzes every touch and is usually one step ahead of her opponents."

As any athlete knows, the key to becoming great at one's particular sport is dedication. The women's fencing squad knows about extra effort — exhaustive two-a-day practices throughout intersession allowed them to get ready for their busy season, and it shows. Lawrence also knows about that extra dedication.

"She's always at practice," Rostal said. "Sometimes she even comes down before and leaves after [the rest of the team]."

Each of her opponents has a different way of fencing. With epee fencing, the target zone spans the entire body, leaving a wide range of areas that must be defended. She has had to put in extra time to learn the opponents' moves and tendencies in order to continue winning as she has.

"I just try to focus on fencing well, and getting each touch," Lawrence said of her fencing mindset. "I thought going into that first Columbia match, 'I have to win this bout, because if I don't win this bout then we'll lose,' so I just try to concentrate on getting through each touch." It is not only this year that Lawrence has enjoyed success, however. As a junior, she has been with the team for three years, and has helped the team earn the Ivy League championship and berths into the NCAA tournament in both years prior.

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"Maya's contributions to the team over the past few years can probably be best characterized as stable and solid," Leslie said. "You can always count on Maya to come through in stressful situations."

Not only is Lawrence a good fencer, she is also a great teammate. She has helped to instill the team spirit which has become so essential to the women's squad this year just by being there and rooting her teammates on at the matches. She keeps spirits high with a smile that is always on her face and a cordiality which she shows to everyone.

No matter what, she remains optimistic for the good of the team. While remaining focused, she always enjoys joking around with her friends, the rest of the team.

"The amazing thing about Maya is that she can be very serious and focused on a bout one moment and then laugh and joke around with her teammates the next," said Dunlop.

Hopefully for Princeton, Lawrence will continue to affect the team as she has already. Most of the team's sights are already set on February 24, when its biggest rivals come to town for the annual Harvard-Yale-Princeton meet, which could very well decide the Ivy championship and give the winner a berth into the NCAA tournament yet again this year.

Through focus, dedication, and team play, Maya Lawrence is a force for the women's fencing squad. As Mary Dunlop puts it, "She's a great athlete and an amazing teammate."