March 24, 2012
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State fencing team benefited from an event-best 61-victory effort from its men’s unit in the opening rounds of qualifying to take a 14-point lead at the 2012 NCAA Championships, hosted by the Buckeyes at French Field House and St. John Arena.
A day after Ohio State’s women’s epeeist Katarzyna Dabrowa clinched an individual title, four Buckeyes are poised to make a run at championships by finishing in the top four of their weapon categories.
Ohio State and Princeton concluded women’s competition Friday tied at 88 victories apiece, but the Scarlet and Gray pulled ahead on the strength of sabreist Max Stearns, who leads his weapon with 13 victories, and Marco Canevari, who sits atop men’s epee with his own 13 wins.
The Tigers and Buckeyes did not face each other in the first four rounds but will meet in 12 bouts Sunday.
Notre Dame trails Ohio State and Princeton in third with 130 victories. Penn State and St. John’s wrap up the Top 5, tied at fourth with 122 wins.
The final day begins at 9:30 a.m. Sunday inside French Field House with the final three rounds of pool play which will determine the team champion. Semifinal and championship bouts begin at 2 p.m. inside St. John Arena to declare individual titles.
Canevari’s teammate, Kristian Boyadzhiev, is in fourth in epee, but is one of five fencers with 10 victories. The Sofia, Bulgaria, native’s +17 indicator places him just behind Harvard’s Peregrine Badger, who leads the group of five with a +23 indicator. Canevari and Boyadzhiev’s 23 victories have set the standard at the event, trailed by Princeton with 19.
Sophomore foilist Zain Shaito tallied 11 victories to finish the day in third, just a win behind Notre Dame’s Enzo Castellani and Princeton’s Alexander Mills. Shaito scored wins over both Castellani and Reggie Bentley of Notre Dame. Fellow Buckeye Chris Colley is in the middle of the field at 12th with seven wins. The tandem’s combined 18 wins places only behind a 21-win showing from the Irish.
Sabreist Rhys Douglas is currently 16th with seven victories. However, he is only two wins behind Yale’s Nathaniel Benzimra, who holds the final semifinal spot at fourth.
2012 NCAA Championships
Columbus, Ohio
Ohio State Results (Through Four of Seven Rounds)
Men’s Sabre
1. Max Stearns
16. Rhys Douglas
Men’s Foil
3. Zain Shaito
12. Chris Colley
Men’s Epee
1. Marco Canevari
4. Kristian Boyadzhiev
