Oct. 17, 2017
By Joanne Norell
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Fencers with ties to the University of Notre Dame had successful weekends across the continent last week, with a plethora of podium finishes at the FIE World Cup in Cancun and US Fencing October North American Cup in Anaheim, California.
Recent graduate Lee Kiefer captured her third career World Cup gold medal – and second of the year – while competing in Cancun. The win moves her back into No. 2 in the world rankings with 248 points.
The Irish added eight top-three finishes at the October NAC, highlighted by a podium sweep in Division I women’s epee by Kelley Hurley (’10), junior Amanda Sirico, and Courtney Hurley (’13). In women’s foil, alum Adrienne Nott (’06) snared gold, while freshman Erica Tsai finished tied for third.
Freshman Stephen Ewart collected the top finish in Division I men’s epee, while sophomore Ariel Simmons finished sixth in the event. Fellow rookie Nick Itkin also claimed gold, snatching the top spot in men’s foil. Rounding out Notre Dame’s top finishers was senior Francesca Russo, who claimed second place in women’s sabre.
FIE World Cup – Cancun
Women’s Foil
Cancun, Mexico
Oct. 13, 2017
1. Lee Kiefer
55. Sabrina Massialas
US Fencing October NAC
Anaheim, Calif.
Oct. 13-16
Division I Women’s Foil
1. Adrienne Nott (’06)
T-3. Erica Tsai
8. Elyssa Kleiner
17. Stefani Deschner
34. Erin Dietsche
50. Finnula Mageras
61. Morgan Partridge
70. Mari Summers
75. Samantha Viqueira
Division I Women’s Sabre
2. Francesca Russo
27. Regina O’Brien
75. Reghan Ward
Division I Men’s Epee
1. Stephen Ewart
6. Ariel Simmons
11. Nicholas Hanahan
32. Dylan French
103. Zachary Cheng
114. Zachary Zeller
132. Cole Mallette
Division I Men’s Epee Classification
7. Cole Mallette
Division I Men’s Sabre
32. Colin Campbell
47. Ben Scholl
70. Arsenii Panteleev
Division I Women’s Epee
1. Kelley Hurley (’10)
2. Amanda Sirico
T-3. Courtney Hurley (’13)
33. Julia Barry
Division I Men’s Foil
1. Nick Itkin
55. Michael Antipas
74. Joseph Marino
87. Hazem Khazbak
106. Alexander Ju
–ND–
Joanne Norell, athletics communications assistant director 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 men’s tennis, women’s tennis and fencing programs, in addition to overseeing production of the football Gameday Magazine. Norell is a 2011 graduate of Purdue University and earned her master’s degree from Georgetown University in 2013.