Feb. 5, 2016

By Joanne Norell

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame fencing program will wrap up regular-season collegiate competition this weekend at the Duke Duals, the final NCAA event before the Irish host the ACC Championships, February 27-28 at the Castellan Family Fencing Center.

WHAT: Duke Duals
WHERE: Card Gymnasium | Durham, N.C.
WHEN: Feb. 6-7, 2016 | Competition begins at 8 a.m. ET both days
LIVE RESULTS
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TWITTER: @NDFencing

Duke Duals Download
The Duke Duals will feature both men’s and women’s competition, split between Saturday and Sunday. Men’s teams from Notre Dame, Duke, Brandeis, Johns Hopkins, North Carolina and Penn State will fence on Saturday, while women’s teams from Notre Dame, Duke, Brandeis, North Carolina, Penn State and Temple will fence Sunday.

Notre Dame Bout Schedule
Saturday (Men’s Competition)
8 a.m. ET – No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 4 Penn State
9:30 a.m. – No. 2 Notre Dame vs. Johns Hopkins
11 a.m. – No. 2 Notre Dame vs. Brandeis
1:30 p.m. – No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 9 Duke
3 p.m. – No. 2 Notre Dame vs. North Carolina

Sunday (Women’s Competition)
8 a.m. – No. 2 Notre Dame vs. Duke
9:30 a.m. – No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Temple
11 a.m. – No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 9 Penn State
1:30 p.m. – No. 2 Notre Dame vs. Brandeis
3 p.m. – No. 2 Notre Dame vs. North Carolina

Last Time Out: Northwestern Duals
The Irish impressed last weekend at the Northwestern Duals, held this season at Notre Dame’s own Castellan Family Fencing Center. The No. 2 Irish women remained undefeated on the season, with wins over No. 3 Princeton, No. 5 Northwestern, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 8 Penn, No. 9 Penn State and No. 10 Temple. The Irish men defeated No. 4 Penn State, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 8 Princeton and No. 10 Stanford, only falling to No. 2 Penn in a tight 14-13 match.

ACC Fencer of the Week
Sophomore sabreuse Francesca Russo was named ACC Female Fencer of the Week on Wednesday after going 19-2 at last week’s Northwestern Duals. Her 10-0 mark last Saturday helped the Irish defeat No. 8 Penn, No. 3 Princeton and No. 6 Ohio State, and she went 9-2 on Sunday with Irish wins over No. 5 Northwestern, No. 9 Penn State and No. 10 Temple. Russo, who is also the reigning NCAA women’s sabre champion, has gone 38-3 this season to improve her career record to 91-16.

Rankings Summary
The second CollegeFencing360.com Coaches Poll was released on January 29, with both Irish teams coming in at No. 2. This weekend, the Irish women will face top ten opponents in No. 9 Penn State and No. 10 Temple, while the men will face No. 4 Penn State and No. 9 Duke, among others.

Women’s Rankings
1. Columbia
2. Notre Dame*
3. Princeton
4. Harvard
5. Northwestern
6. Ohio State
7. St. John’s
8. Penn
9. Penn State
10. Temple

Men’s Rankings
1. Columbia
2. Notre Dame*
3. Penn
4. Penn State
5. Harvard
6. St. John’s
7. Ohio State
8. Princeton
9. Duke
10. Stanford

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To keep up with Irish fencing, visit UND.com/NDFencing, follow @NDFencing on Twitter and like Notre Dame Fencing on Facebook.

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Joanne Norell, athletics communications assistant at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2014 and coordinates communications efforts for the Notre Dame women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and fencing programs. Norell is a 2011 graduate of Purdue University and earned her master’s degree from Georgetown University in 2013.