UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Four University of Notre Dame women’s fencers climbed the podium Saturday as the reigning national champions kicked off their first collegiate event of the season at the Penn State Garret Open.
Senior Amanda Sirico topped the field in women’s epee, while the Irish also claimed second and third places in women’s foil and third place in women’s sabre.
How It Happened
Women’s Epee
Sirico assembled a 14-1 record during pool play to work her way to the second overall seed, then earned a pair of 15-14 victories in direct elimination to advance to the gold-medal bout. There, she met Northwestern’s Pauline Hamilton, who she defeated 15-7 for her second career Garret Open victory.
Freshman Miriam Grady was a fifth-place finisher in her first career tournament in a Notre Dame uniform, while sophomore Dasha Yefremenko placed in a tie for 11th.
Women’s Foil
The Irish sent six of their seven women’s foilists to the direct elimination round of 16, led by top-seeded junior Finnula Mageras, whose 5-0 third round with a +19 indicator locked up the No. 1 slot going into sudden death. Though Mageras finished ninth overall, two other Irish foilists climbed the podium as No. 4 seeded junior Morgan Partridge and eighth-seeded senior Elyssa Kleiner met in the semifinal. Partridge advanced to the title bout with a 15-12 win over her teammate, and walked away with silver.
Two more Notre Dame foilists rounded out the top ten — sophomores Erica Tsai (seventh) and Isabelle Elizondo (10th) — while junior Samantha Viquiera placed 11th.
Women’s Sabre
Three Irish sabreuses advanced to the elimination rounds, with senior Tara Hassett, junior Natalie Disher and sophomore Reghan Ward earning top 16 seeds. Ward went in with a No. 5 slotting and won a pair of 15-12 bouts to advance to the semifinals, where she fell to Temple’s Malia Hee to tie for third place. Hassett (10th) and Disher (15th) each fell in the first round.
Up Next
The Irish will close out the weekend Sunday as the men’s competition concludes the Garret Open. Fencing will begin at 8:30 a.m. ET and live results can be found here.
Standings
Penn State Garret Open
Nov. 3-4, 2018
White Building
University Park, Pa.
Women’s Epee
1. Amanda Sirico
5. Miriam Grady
T11. Dasha Yefremenko
15. Julia Barry
T30. Giorgia Giordano
33. Meghan O’Reilly
45. Katherine Wallace
Women’s Foil
2. Morgan Partridge
T3. Elyssa Kleiner
7. Erica Tsai
9. Finnula Mageras
10. Isabelle Elizondo
11. Samantha Viqueira
29. Beatrice Verrecchia
Women’s Sabre
T3. Reghan Ward
10. Tara Hassett
15. Natalie Disher
28. Regina O’Brien
T30. Christina Boitano
–ND–