Fencers from Princeton led the Tigers to a top overall team placement at the US Collegiate Squad Championships, held at NYC on February 26, 2012. The Princeton Tigers stepped up to the podium in 4 events earning 3 golds and one silver.
UPenn topped the men’s events with a gold and a silver and Princeton topped the women’s events with 3 golds. The combined result put Princeton at the top with more 1st place finishes than any other school in the event.
This marks the second year of the United States Collegiate Squad Championships, and the recently created Championships feature participation from a number of top fencing programs.
24 schools competed at the 2012 US Collegiate Squad Championships with a team roster that included: Ohio State, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Wayne State, UNC, U Penn, Princeton, JHU, NYU, Stevens, Drew, FDU, Haverford, CCNY, Hunter, Brown, Brandeis, Vassar, Sacred Heart, YALE, Columbia, Yeshiva, St Johns.
Among the women’s programs scheduled to attend the competition, six are ranked in the top 10 in the most recent United States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA) Coaches Poll, including second-ranked Princeton University.
The men’s draw includes an equally deep and talented pool of fencing program, represented by seven of the top 10 men’s squads.
The Championships feature a relay-scoring structure to 45 points, rather than the typical protocol of regular NCAA fencing competitions. A champion will be crowned for each weapon (men and women). There will also be an overall champion for both the men and the women combining all three weapons.
Prior to the event, Columbia fencers talked about the differences in the relay scoring system as opposed to the Dual Meet bout scoring system:
The event will take place in an Olympic-style 45-touch relay system, which is completely different from college fencing.
“I love the Weapon Squad Championships because it’s what fencers are traditionally used to—it’s team format the way we compete nationally and internationally,” junior epeeist Lydia Kopecky said. “What’s really great about this kind of tournament is that it’s a chance to really focus on strategy and outsmarting other teams more than having to win every single bout in order to get that 14-13 win.”
Leahy explained the important differences between the relay system and college fencing.
“The crucial thing to remember is that you inherit the situation of the previous bout, what that means is it’s a running score,” he said. “If a Columbia fencer, say, wins his first bout 5-3, well, then the next fencer starts his bout at 5-3 and goes to 10 touches. So you can start up a whole lot, or you can start with a lot of work in ahead of you, you can start down. So what really determines success in team bouts is how the team functions together.”
The NCAA Fencing Championships, starting March 23rd, do not feature a team event but crown the winning team based on results from the individual tournament.
Combined Team Results: 2012 USCSC
1. Princeton: 11 points (3 gold, 1 silver)
2. St. John’s: 6 points (1 gold, 3 bronze)
3. Columbia: 5 points (2 silver, 1 bronze)
4. Notre Dame: 4 points (1 gold, 1 bronze)
5. Northwestern: 4 points (1 silver, 2 bronze)
6. Pennsylvania: 3 points (1 silver, 1 bronze)
7. Sacred Heart: 2 points (2 bronze)
8. Ohio State: 1 point (1 bronze)
Full results, including the DE tables and individual match scores can be found at: USCSC.info.
Gallery of Podium Photos:
[slickr-flickr tag="USCSC" type="gallery"]
