Buckeye Fencing Set For Competition at Midwest Regional Qualifier – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/2/2005 12:00:00 AM | Fencing
March 2, 2005
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State fencing squad competes Sunday at the Midwest Regional Championship in Detroit, Mich. The Buckeyes, coming off a first place finish last weekend at the Midwest Conference Championship, will aim to qualify the maximum of 12 fencers to compete March 17-20 at the NCAA Championship in Houston, Texas. Sunday’s bouts begin at 9 a.m.
LAST SEASON
Last season at the Midwest Regional Qualifier (March 14), the Buckeyes qualified the maximum of 12 fencers who went on to compete and capture the 2004 NCAA Championship title for Ohio State. Buckeyes Adam Crompton (sabre), Denis Tolkachev (epee) and Marguerite Plekhanov (sabre) each finished first in their respective weapons at regional competition.
MIDWEST CHAMPIONS
Ohio State defeated Notre Dame by 55 points to place first overall Feb. 27 at the Midwest Conference Championship in South Bend, Ind. The Buckeyes claimed the title after the men’s squad finished first overall and the women fencers placed second behind the Fighting Irish. It was Ohio State’s second-consecutive Midwest Conference crown. On the men’s side, Ohio State took first in all three weapons and tallied a total of 540 points, 65 points better than second place Notre Dame. The women Buckeye fencers placed second in the competition, just 10 points behind first place Notre Dame. The squad recorded a total of 490 points in the three weapons, placing first in sabre, second in foil and fourth in epee.
FOLLOW THE LEADER
In Ohio State’s 44-2 overall performance this season, Buckeye leaders within the six weapons have emerged. In men’s sabre, Adam Crompton leads with a 31-2 record, Richard Spicer holds a 36-3 mark in men’s foil and Denis Tolkachev rounds out men’s epee at 25-4.
On the women’s side, Eileen Grench leads in sabre with a 30-3 record, Hanna Thompson holds a 53-2 foil mark and Marquerite Plekhanov leads in epee with a 26-12 record.
Also on top for the Buckeyes are Jason Rogers, 22-3 (men’s sabre), Boaz Ellis, 18-4 (men’s foil), Christian Rivera, 20-3 (men’s epee), Amelia Gaillard, 21-6 (women’s sabre), Metta Thompson, 32-6 (women’s foil) and Kaela Brendler, 15-9 (women’s epee).
12 RANKED
Twelve Ohio State fencers are ranked in the nation according to the Feb. 11 ranking report by U.S. Fencing. Five Buckeyes are ranked in the Top 10 of the senior division. Jason Rogers is ranked No. 3 in men’s sabre, while Adam Crompton is ranked No. 6. Amelia Gaillard is ranked No. 6 in women’s sabre, while Eileen Grench is positioned at No. 9 in women’s sabre. Hanna Thompson holds the No. 4 spot in women’s foil.
Senior Division
– Women’s Sabre: No. 6 Amelia Gaillard, No. 9 Eileen Grench (Junior Div. fencer)
– Women’s Foil: No. 4 Hanna Thompson, No. 16 Metta Thompson
– Women’s Epee: No. 23 Kaela Brendler (Junior Div. fencer)
– Men’s Sabre: No. 3 Jason Rogers, No. 6 Adam Crompton, No. 33 Jason Paul (Junior Div. fencer)
– Men’s Foil: No. 33 William Jeter (Junior Div. fencer)
– Men’s Epee: No. 23 Christian Rivera (Junior Div. fencer)
Junior Division
– Women’s Sabre: No. 6 Eileen Grench, No. 24 Syvenna Siebert
– Women’s Epee: No. 6 Kaela Brendler
– Men’s Sabre: No. 17 Jason Paul
– Men’s Foil: No. 16 William Jeter
– Men’s Epee: No. 5 Christian Rivera, No. 46 George Blackburne
FRESHMAN TRIO
Freshmen Siobhan Byrne, Amelia Gaillard and Eileen Grench have had a stellar start this season in women’s sabre. Gaillard and Grench are currently ranked in the senior division of women’s sabre by U.S. Fencing. Gaillard is positioned at No. 6 with a 21-6 overall record, while Grench is ranked No. 9 and is 30-3 overall in sabre this season. Byrne is 19-6 overall in varsity matches for the Buckeyes.
HIGH MARKS
Adam Crompton went undefeated against all his opponents Jan. 29 and 30 at the Notre Dame Duals in South Bend, Ind. Crompton finished the weekend 24-0 and overall this season is 26-1 in sabre. Hanna Thompson also had a stellar showing at the Notre Dame Duals as she suffered just one loss. Thompson went 29-1 and is 37-2 overall in women’s foil.
OHIO STATE DUALS
The fencing team hosted opponents Feb. 5 at the Ohio State Duals at French Field House in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes improved to 44-2 overall with wins over Cleveland State, Chicago, Detroit-Mercy, Michigan, Purdue, Case Western Reserve, Oberlin and Bowling Green. Both the men’s and women’s fencing squads are now 22-1in duals action this season.
In eight rounds, the Buckeyes went undefeated against all eight opponents. The men topped Cleveland State, 25-2, Chicago, 26-1, Detroit, 22-5, Michigan, 24-3, Purdue, 23-4, Case Western Reserve, 23-4, Oberlin, 25-2, and Bowling Green, 24-3. On the women’s side, the Buckeyes were victorious over Cleveland State, 24-3, Chicago, 25-2, Detroit, 26-1, Michigan, 23-4, Purdue, 26-1, Oberlin, 26-1, and Bowling Green, 24-1. Their only shutout came against Case Western Reserve, 27-0.
NOTRE DAME DUALS
The Buckeye fencers competed Jan. 29-30 at the Notre Dame Duals in South Bend, Ind. Both the men and women picked up 10 wins each and improved their overall record to 28-2.
In duals action, the men picked up 10 wins including, No. 4 Notre Dame, 16-11, Cleveland State, 23-4, Detroit, 25-2, Northwestern, 17-10, Cal State Fullerton, 18-9, Michigan, 19-8, Wayne State, 19-8, Michigan State, 24-3, Wisconsin, 25-2, and Lawrence, 24-2. Their only loss at the Notre Dame Duals, and first this season, came against No. 2 Penn State, 15-12.
The OSU women also tallied 10 wins in duals competition and suffered their first loss of the season to No. 2 Notre Dame, 16-11. The Buckeyes defeated No. 3 Penn State, 14-13, No. 6 Northwestern, 21-6, Cleveland State, 25-2, Detroit, 25-2, Cal State Fullerton, 23-4, Michigan, 21-6, Wayne State, 21-6, Michigan State, 18-9, Wisconsin, 27-0, and Lawrence, 23-3.
CAPTAIN CRUNCH
The Buckeye squad is led by overall captains Boaz Ellis, Hanna Thompson and Metta Thompson and weapons captains Christian Rivera (men’s epee), Ellis (men’s foil), Jason Rogers (men’s sabre), Kaela Brendler (women’s epee), Hanna and Metta Thompson (women’s foil) and Marguerite Plekhanov (women’s sabre).
UP NEXT
Ohio State wraps-up the 2005 season March 17-20 at the NCAA Championship in Houston, Texas. Last season at the NCAA Championship, the Buckeyes claimed the title after the squad outscored second-place Penn State by 34 points, 194-160, en route to the national crown. Ohio State posted the second-highest team total in the five years that the NCAA has contested events in the six weapons.
Individually at the 2004 NCAA Championship, Buckeye junior Adam Crompton defended his 2003 sabre crown after he defeated Columbia fencer Sergey Isayenko, 15-14, in the title bout. Ohio State sophomore Boaz Ellis went 24-1 in duals to claim his first NCAA title in foil. Ellis defeated Yale’s Cory Werk, 15-8, in the title bout.
### Go Bucks! ###
