The NCAA Championships in Columbus, Ohio, was the men’s and women’s fencing teams final event of the 2013-’14 season, and the Bulldogs showed that the future of Yale fencing is in good hands.
The women sent three athletes to the competition, while two of their male counterparts also represented the Blue.
On the women’s side, Joanna Lew ’17 finished 12th in the saber competition, while Katherine Miller ’16 and captain Lauren Miller ’15 finished in 17th place in the épée and foil competitions, respectively. All three qualified for the national competition out of the Northeast Regional Championship in Wellesley, Mass.
“[The competition] was an amazing chance to fence the best in the field, and to push yourself to meet or exceed your capacity,” said Lew, who earned all-American honors for her performance at the national competition.
Lauren Miller competed at the Championship for the third year in a row after placing sixth in the foil event at Regionals.
She won eight of her 23 bouts at the competition, while Katherine Miller triumphed in 10 of her 23 bouts. Lew won 11 of her 23 bouts en route to her 12th place finish. Lauren Miller said that she gained perspective after looking back on her bouts.
“Thinking back on my performance, I know I can improve on my focus and confidence going into next season,” she said.
The men saw similar success, with Hugh O’Cinneide ’15 and Reed Srere ’17 both representing Yale and placing 14th and 19th in saber, respectively.
After finishing in eighth place in saber at the Northeast Regional Championship, O’Cinneide qualified for the NCAA Championship for the second straight year. Srere, who finished 15th at the regional competition, said he had an advantage coming into the championship as a relative unknown.
“Coming in as an underdog feels fantastic, because quite literally every win is an upset,” Srere said. “It’s also comforting knowing that I have another three years ahead of me to hopefully build upon my performance.”
Both the men’s and women’s fencing teams boasted wins against Drew, Sacred Heart and Vassar during the 2013-’14 season.