Fencing Qualifies Three for Nationals

As a handful of basketball teams across the nation anxiously and helplessly awaited news of their NCAA Tournament fates yesterday, several Harvard fencers took matters into their own hands.

The Harvard fencing team qualified three fencers for the NCAA Tournament this weekend at the regional qualifier at Boston College. Junior Emily Katz and freshman Liz Blase made the cut in the women's foil event, while co-captain Eugene Cha became the first Harvard man to qualify for Nationals in three years by securing a spot in the men's epee.

"I'm very excited," said Katz. "Especially for Eugene, that was huge."

In a tournament in which the top eight competitors in each weapon secure a berth, Katz finished fourth and Blase snuck in at the final slot. Blase's fate was briefly in doubt, as she actually finished ninth among the foilists.

But Blase finished behind three fencers from Ivy powerhouse Columbia. According to NCAA rules, each school can only send two competitors to nationals in a given event. As a result, Blase will cap off her first year by competing on the national stage.

"They have an awesome squad, and they proved it by getting two people in," Cha said of the foilists. "They have a bright future."

By finishing seventh in the men's epee event, Cha became the first male Crimson fencer to make it to Nationals since he was a freshman.

"This was definitely something I felt I could do," Cha said. "This is what we've worked toward all season, and it's great to see it come together."

This will be Katz' second straight NCAA appearance. Last year, she finished eleventh in the 24-team field.

"There's a lot more pressure this time," Katz said. "It was really difficult last year, and this time it'll be just as hard, if not harder."

Katz, like the entire women's team, has improved a great deal in the past year. The foilists led the Crimson to an impressive 14-1 record in regular season play.

Although the team's overall finish at the Intercollegiate Fencing Association Championships last weekend had been relatively disappointing, this weekend's showing is a better inidication of the skill level the team has reached.

"The IFA's were more of a fun event than anything," Cha said. "This is what really counts."

A number of fencers who did not make it to the final round also made their mark yesterday. Captain Ellen Schulz made it to the round of 15 in the foil before falling when the field was narrowed down to ten. Foilist Mark Lee also performed well for the Crimson.

The NCAA Championships will be held at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Mar. 22-25.