The women's fencing team struggled at this weekend's home tri-meet against Columbia, St. Johns and Rutgers. With a 10-17 loss to perennial Ivy League powerhouse, Columbia, hopes of the 2003 Ivy League crown were all but dashed.
Handicapped
The women entered the day without their top foilist, freshman Jacqueline Leahy, whose absence was felt. Yet had Leahy competed and won all of her matches, the Tigers would still have been unable to surmount their 10-17 deficit.
"Perhaps the problem was with morale," junior Crystal Jiang said. "Columbia has been a tough team in the past and we were a little intimidated."
Columbia has dominated Ivy fencing for years and with an astounding recruiting class consiting of three of the nation's top freshman sabers, the Ivy Championship is, according to assistant coach Ben Hardt, "theirs to lose." The Princeton fencing program is attempting to bolster its sabre squad to be competitive against the Lions, but with applicants at an all time high, women's fencing has only successfully secured the admission of one recruit. Princeton's sabre squad was only able to garner one win against Columbia with sophomore Catherine Pack's victory.
Frosh standout
Freshman epee Kira Hohen-essee would be the standout on the day with a nearly flawless record, her one loss coming to Columbia. Caroline Block '06 would also win an impressive bout against St. John's, only to finish 3-6 overall.
The Tigers would finish the day with a 9-18 loss to former National Champion St. John's, finishing the tournament with an uninspiring 14-13 win against local rival Rutgers.
"Columbia and St. John's both have excellent teams, and although it was disappointing to win so few bouts, we did the best we could," sabre captain Senior Maura said. Coleman said. Coleman would finish 2-6 on the day with her two victories coming against Rutgers.
This weekend will find the women again in Jadwin Gymnasium, battling five squads: Cornel, James Madison, Farleigh Dickinson, Drew and Temple. The Tigers look forward to the return of Leahy, whose presence will no doubt give them an advantage against a very weak Cornel foil squad. While the Ivy League title does seem all but out of grasp, a loss by Columbia to Yale or Penn, albeit unlikely, could breathe new life into the Princeton squad.
Looking at Princeton's longterm schedule, the Tigers face Ivy League foes Penn in a midweek duel Feb. 12 before facing Harvard and Yale in New Haven, Conn., Feb. 22.
Prepared for the upcoming meet, junior Crystal Jiang asserts, "We still have Cornell this weekend, Penn next week, and Harvard and Yale. I am very optimistic that we can win all of those matches."
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