NYU to fence in NCAA nationals

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via gonyuathletics.com

John Cramerus went 15-8 on Sunday to place ninth overall in epee.

Jonathan Schifman, Contributing Writer

The NYU fencing team hosted the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships at Coles Sports Center on Sunday. Ten fencers from both the men’s and women’s teams participated, including sophomore John Cramerus and freshman Daniel Sconzo, who individually had top 10 finishes that will likely take them to the NCAA Championships.

Continuing his successful season, Cramerus led all NYU participants with 15 wins on the day, placing ninth of 40 in the épée competition. Sconzo finished in 10th place out of 33 foil competitors with an 11-11 record.

After seeing unsatisfactory results in last year’s regional championships, Cramerus knew what it would take to place better this year.

“I think my opponents in each round were significantly stronger than last year, but I think the difference in my performance was actually more in how I fenced,” Cramerus said. “Last year I went into it and my mentality was all wrong — I went in to fence but I also lacked the resolve to fight. This year I didn’t underestimate anyone and came ready to crawl my way to the top.”

Other fencers from the men’s squad also competed successfully. Sophomore Quinten Burgunder came in 15th place in the saber tournament, posting a 6-6 record. Freshman Philip Shin also placed 15th in the foil bracket, ending the day 4-7. Freshman Hans Engel accumulated five wins in the épée tournament, coming in eight spots behind Cramerus.

In the larger women’s competition, NYU had more moderate results. Senior captain Audra Fox had the best performance, posting a 6-6 record in the foil bracket and placing 14th.

In the épée bracket, freshman Stephanie Cunningham, senior Alyssa Parkhust and freshman Marissa Posner combined for a 9-11 record. Cunningham tied for 24th place, while Parkhurst and Posner came in 26th and 33rd, respectively. Sophomore Cailyn Chiah also competed in épée, going 2-8 and finishing in 36th place.

Sophomore Cydney Williams and junior Ciki Chen participated in the saber tournament. Williams tied for 24th place with a 3-7 record, while Chen placed 40th, going 1-3.

Fencers who qualify for the national championships will be officially announced today. It is unlikely that any competitors from the women’s team will qualify for the national championships, but Cramerus and Sconzo seem all but guaranteed to qualify.

“More than anything I’m filled with anticipation for NCAA championships,” Cramerus said. “It’s where the real battle is and more than anything I want to do well there and bring back whatever accolades I can for our school.”

Ohio State University will host the national championships on March 19.

A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, March 10 print edition. Email Jonathan Schifman at [email protected].