Eva Niklinska 2015-16 Fencing Roster

HONORS AND AWARDS:

• 2017 Francis Patrick O’Connor Award
• 2017 Notre Dame Top Gun Award
• 2017 Monogram Club Post-Graduate Scholarship
• 2017 Team Captain
• 2014 Midwest Fencing Conference Championship 11th Place
• 2014 Honorable Mention All-MFC
• 2016 All-ACC Academic Team
• 2016 Community Champion Award
• 2016, 2017 Polly DeCicco/Georgette Auriol Women’s Epee Leadership Award

AS A SENIOR:

• Went 26-6 on the season to cap Irish career with a 117-38 record
• Began the year 2-1 at the Elite Invitational
• Went 5-2 at the NYU Invitational
• Posted a 13-3 mark at the DeCicco Duals
• Wrapped season with a 6-0 mark at the Northwestern Duals
• Took home both the Francis Patrick O’Connor Award and Top Gun Award at the 2017 OSCARS, Notre Dame’s student-athlete award show
• Francis Patrick O’Connor Award is given “to the student-athlete who best displays the total embodiment of the true spirit of Notre Dame as exemplified by their contributions and inspiration to their teams. Among the qualities considered in nominating individuals – as attributed to Pat O’Connor – are caring, courage, confidence, encouragement, humility, humor, honesty, kindness and patience.”
• The Top Gun Award “is given annually to the Notre Dame graduating senior student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average and who has competed on a Fighting Irish intercollegiate team for at least three years.”
• Awarded the team’s Polly DeCicco/Georgette Auriol Award, given to the women’s epeeist “who best represents her team and University on and off the strip,” for the second straight year
• Earned a monogram

AS A JUNIOR:

• Went 46-9 on the season  
• Finished ninth at the ACC Championships  
• Opened the season with a 5-5 record at Penn Elite Invitational
• Went a perfect 31-0 at the DeCicco Duals  
• Posted a 9-3 record at the Northwestern Duals  
• Earned the University’s Community Champion Award, recognizing the contributions of Notre Dame’s student-athletes who embody the spirit of leadership, commitment and selflessness, and who strive to make Notre Dame “a healing, unifying, enlightening force for a world deeply in need”
• Served as junior class president during the 2015-16 school year
• Weekly volunteer at the Sister Maura Brannick, C.S.C, Health Center, which provides primary health care services to the uninsured residents of St. Joseph County
• Named the winner of the Polly DeCicco/Georgette Auriol Women’s Epee Leadership award, honoring the wives of former Notre Dame coaches Mike DeCicco and Yves Auriol and given to the women’s epeeist who best represents the team on and off the strip
• Named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll
• Earned a monogram

AS A SOPHOMORE:

• Went 23-4 on the season  
• Went 17-0 over two days at the DeCicco Duals  
• Named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll
• Earned a monogram

AS A FRESHMAN:

• Posted 23-18 record as a walk on with the women’s epee team
• Compiled 4-11 record at the St. John’s Invite
• Had an up-and-down performance at the Northwestern Duals, logging a 3-3 mark
• Earned a monogram

PREP AND PERSONAL:

• Graduated from Penn High School in June of 2013
• Competed with the Escrime du Lac fencing club outside of school
• In 2010, won first place at the Northwestern University Open  
• the following year, finished second in women’s epee at the National High School Championships
• Competed as a member of the silver medal-winning epee squad at Junior Summer Nationals
• At the cadet level, won bronze medal at the North American Cup (NAC)
• While in school was actively involved with many aspects of student life  
• Served as student council president in addition to being elected senior class president … member of the National Honor Society
• Named valedictorian of her graduating class  
• A National Merit Scholar Finalist  
• Named the 2012 AP Scholar with Distinction  
• Advanced as a 2012 NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Writing Achievement Finalist out of only 274 students nation-wide  
• Attended same high school as current Notre Dame men’s basketball forward Austin Torres  
• Volunteered at Ronald McDonald Family Room at Memorial Hospital in South Bend and started her own charitable organization, Handwritten Hearts, which delivers handwritten letters and gifts to patients within the different treatment wards at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center
• Also started SPLASH week at alma mater  
• SPLASH stands for Support Penn Love And Spread Happiness, promoting acceptance and anti-bullying initiatives at school
• Born in Washington, D.C. to parents Waldemar and Barbara  
• Has one sister, Joanna, who competed at Northwestern
• Graduated from the College of Science, with a degree in biology