High hopes for fencing at NCAAs

While security will no doubt be tight at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, if the Tigers can get their weapons into the academy, they will definitely be competitive in an attempt to usurp the NCAA title from defending national champions Penn State.

Though Princeton has consistently struggled in team competition against scholarship schools such as Penn State and St. Johns, the Tigers have a shot at individual championships due to their several fencers ranked in the top 10. Still, the NCAA posted their list of the top seven "team contenders" late Thursday, which included Columbia-Barnard, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn, Penn State, Princeton and St. Johns.

The NCAA selection committee chooses a maximum number of two fencers per gender, per school and per weapon based on a fencer's ranking and results from a regional conference championship. While the selection committee was supposed to issue a list of competitors Thursday, this list was not available at press time. Essentially chosen long before regionals, Princeton fencing prodigies junior epee Soren Thompson and freshman foil Jacqueline Leahy will be among those heading to Colorado for competition.

Tiger hopefuls

This year has truly been about the meteoric rise of freshman foil Jacqueline Leahy, undefeated in collegiate competition to date. Ranked No. 2 in the world, Leahy is humble about her accomplishments and prospects for NCAA success.

"It's going to be pretty hard, especially since we fight five touch bouts rather than [the traditional] 15," Leahy said. "You really have to think on your feet, and you have less time to evaluate your opponent."

Leahy will face stiff competition, notably from former world champion Alexandra Kryczalo from Notre Dame. Kryczalo, a native of Poland, defeated her during Leahy's first bout as a Tiger at the Penn State invitational, a non-collegiate event. Leahy explained the difficulty of competing against scholarship schools, noting that many of them are able to field teams of "imported people," something Princeton and the other Ivies are often unable to do. She will also have to fight her bouts without the support of her friends and family who live near the academy due to the new security regulations, something which has left her understandably "disappointed."

Leahy, a native of Colorado, will head west earlier than the rest of the team for a banquet recognizing her nomination for Colorado Sportswoman of the Year. Unlike the majority of the Tigers, the fencing season will continue for Leahy regardless of the outcome of the NCAA tournament, as she will head to Trapani, Italy for the Junior World Championship in April.

Thompson, who received an automatic bid for the tournament, will enter the competition with two NCAA medals already under his belt. He spent last weekend in Liechtenstein competing in an international competition.

With the silver epee medal last year and a gold freshman year, he enters the tournament a perennial favorite.

For those Tigers not ranked as high as Leahy or Thompson, the continuation of their season is out of their hands, as they wait for the now tardy decision of the NCAA committee. Regardless of the final decision, Princeton will no doubt be a substantial force at this year's competition.