OSU Fencing Team Opens Dual Meet Season – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/20/2000 12:00:00 AM | Fencing
Jan. 20, 2000
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State fencing team travelled to South Bend, Ind. this weekend to participate in a North American Circuit meet sanctioned by the U.S. Fencing Association. The meet was an individual tournament and no team score was recorded. This was the last warm up meet of the year before the Buckeyes start dual meet competition.
NAC RESULTS
According to assistant coach Michael Shearer, the OSU fencing team did not perform as well as he had hoped.
“It was a disappointing weekend. We were hoping to do much better,” Shearer said. “We fenced ‘ok’ but not at the level we hoped to be at to begin the dual meet season. No one overachieved. We need to focus on our basics and pull together for the start of duals.”
Individual Results:
Men’s Sabre Open (Finish is out of 107 fencers)
Joe Wernet- 56th
Mike Siward- 82nd
John Jakelsky- 89th
Mike Dangler- 90th
Ian Cliffe- 106
Men’s Sabre Jr.’s (Finish is out of 69 fencers)
Ian Cliffe- 49th
Men’s Foil Open (Finish is out of 176 fencers)
Greg Carlino- 125th
Men’s Epee Open (Finish is out of 194 fencers)
Greg Bianca- 73rd
Allen Jones- 80th
Geoff Kane- 86th
Jason Abele- 110th
Scott Francis- 129th
Men’s Epee Jr.’s (Finish is out of 93 fencers)
Allen Jones- 44th
Women’s Sabre Open (Finish is out of 79 fencers)
Yelena Kalkina Asst. Coach- 8th
Lynn El-Hillow- 67th
Kelly McCafferty- 75th
Sarah Bowen- 77th
Women’s Sabre Jr.’s (Finish is out of 43 fencers)
Leah Tracy- 26th
Kelly McCafferty- 37th
Women’s Foil Open (Finish is out of 124 fencers)
Fane Groes- 18th
Sally Dowding- 79th
Women’s Epee Open (Finish is out of 127 fencers)
Jaime Rice- 89th
Toya Holland- 102nd
Women’s Epee Jr.’s (Finish is out of 64 fencers)
Toya Holland- 27th
Leah Tracy- 56th
ONE BUCK MAKES THE FINALS
Volunteer coache Yelena Kalkina finished eighth in the women’s sabre open. She was the only Buckeye to advance to the finals of the NAC Open. Kalkina tied for third at the Palm Springs NAC Open. She competes in the women’s sabre, a new event this year for women. She made the switch from foil to sabre over the summer and is training to make the 2004 Olympic team.
DUAL MEET SEASON BEGINS
Until this point all the fencing the OSU fencing team has done has been in preparation for the dual meet season. No team scores were kept at any of the meets thus far and finishes only counted towards the national fencing scene. This weekend the fencers start competing for OSU. The meet will be held at Evanston, Ill. and OSU will face the likes of Big Ten rival Northwestern, and other nation ally known schools like Cal. St. Fullerton, North Carolina and Temple. The Buckeyes will practice this week on basic fundamentals to be ready for their first dual meet.
LAST YEAR AT NORTHWESTERN
The men’s team defeated all its opponents last year at this event except host school Northwestern, who beat the Buckeyes 15-12. The women defeated all their opponents except Temple, whom they tied, 16-16. This year, instead of facing Air Force, the Buckeyes will fence Lawrence and Chicago will not participate in the meet. The men’s squad defeated Cal. St. Fullerton, 21-6, and North Carolina, 17-10. The women’s team defeated Cal. St. Fullerton, 26-6, North Carolina, 20-12, Northwestern, 19-13, Hollins, 28-4, James Madison, 23-9, and Fairleigh Dickensen, 23-9.
AT THE END OF THE SEASON
Tight competition between Ohio State and Northwestern is nothing new. At the 1999 Midwest Intercollegiate Ohio State finished third behind Notre Dame and Northwestern. A mere twenty points separated the Buckeyes and Wildcats. At the NCAA Championship meet OSU finished 10th and Northwestern ended the season in 19th place. Yelena Kalkina helped lead the Buckeyes in the Midwest Conference last season finishing third. Kalkina is now a volunteer assistant coach for OSU.
WOMEN’S SABRE DEBUT
This is the first season women’s sabre will be included in meets. Ohio State Assistant coach Michael Shearer said fencing has evolved to include all three weapons for both sexes. Sara Bowen, Brie Friedman and Kelly McCafferty all compete with a sabre.
CAPTAINS ANNOUNCED
Joe Wernet was named captain of the 1999-00 Ohio State men’s fencing team, while Fane Groes will serve as captain of the women’s squad. Greg Carlino (men’s foil), Geoff Kane (men’s epee), Guy Loftin (men’s sabre), Lynn El-Hillow (women’s sabre), Jamie Rice (women’s epee), and Groes (women’s foil) will also serve as squad captains.
