Temple University Athletics
Fencing Adds Highly Successful Recruiting Class of Five Freshmen in 2016-17
6.15.16 | Women's Fencing
PHILADELPHIA - Five freshmen make up one of the most talented recruiting classes in many years for head coach Dr. Nikki Franke's Temple fencing team. Both the foil and sabre squads will add two freshmen to the mix in 2016-17, while the epee squad adds one.
The recruiting class covers four different states and includes Malia Hee (Vancouver, Wash./PDX Fencing), Kennedy Lovelace (Frisco, Texas/International Fencing Alliance), Kerry Plunkett (West Linn, Ore./PDX Fencing), Alexa Prasher (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Fencing Academy), and Camille Simmons (Bellaire, Texas/Alliance Fencing Academy).
"This is clearly one of the deepest classes we've recruited to the program in some time," said Franke. "We're very excited about what they will bring to the program. They each come from very strong club teams and have a wealth of fencing experience behind them."
Hee, who plans to major in advertising, joins the sabre squad under assistant coach Josh Herring. She competes for the PDX Fencing Club and has racked up numerous top finishes over the past couple years. Hee took gold in junior women's sabre at the 2015 Junior Olympics after also capturing gold in both junior women's sabre and cadet women's sabre at the 2014 Junior Olympics. She took bronze in Division I women's sabre at the 2015 Summer Nationals, and earned silver in junior women's sabre at the 2014 Phoenix World Cup.
"Malia has a very high fencing IQ and a very calm demeanor," said Franke, "which is something I'm really impressed with. I know she will continue to excel here as part of our program."
Lovelace will fence for Franke's foil squad, coming out of the International Fencing Alliance in Texas. She will come into Temple as an undeclared major in the Tyler School of Art. Lovelace took a silver medal in cadet women's foil at the 2015 Junior Olympics, and placed seventh in junior women's foil at the 2015 January NAC. Also in 2015, Lovelace took a 17th place in international competition at the 2015 Junior World Cup in Croatia.
"Kennedy is a very strong foilist and has extensive national and international experience," said Franke. "She's a very dedicated fencer and will bring that focus along with her wealth of experience to the team."
Also joining the sabre squad is Plunkett, who comes from the same PDX Fencing Club as teammate Malia Hee, and plans to major in kinesiology at Temple. She was the gold medalist in Division II Women's Sabre at the 2014 Portland NAC, and took silver at the same competition as part of her women's sabre team. Plunkett placed in the top 32 in Division I Women's Sabre at both the 2015 Richmond NAC and the 2015 Summer Nationals.
"Kerry comes from a very strong program in Oregon and is very well trained," said Franke. "She is definitely going to contribute to our team's success going forward."
Planning to major in anthropology, Prasher is a foilist who comes to Temple from Grand Rapids where she fences for the Grand Rapids Fencing Academy. Her top results include seventh-place finishes at both the 2014 Louisville NAC (junior women's foil) and the 2014 Portland NAC (cadet women's foil). She also earned a 17th-place finish in junior women's foil at the 2015 Kansas City NAC.
"Alexa is a very hard worker," said Franke, who adds Prasher along with Lovelace to her foil squad. "She has had excellent results in the past. She has a very strong skill set and a solid fencing game, and it's going to be very exciting to work with her."
The lone addition to the epee squad is Simmons, who competes for the Alliance Fencing Academy and plans to major in public relations. She was part of the gold medal-winning junior women's epee team at the 2016 Junior Olympics, and placed in the top 32 at the 2016 Division I NAC in Richmond. Simmons was a member of the 2015 Cadet Travel Team and qualified to compete at the 2016 Junior World Cup in Dijon, France.
"Camille is very talented and extremely enthusiastic, and I look for her to bring that energy to our program," said Franke. "She is a very intense fencer and we're really looking forward to having her on the team."
The recruiting class covers four different states and includes Malia Hee (Vancouver, Wash./PDX Fencing), Kennedy Lovelace (Frisco, Texas/International Fencing Alliance), Kerry Plunkett (West Linn, Ore./PDX Fencing), Alexa Prasher (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Fencing Academy), and Camille Simmons (Bellaire, Texas/Alliance Fencing Academy).
"This is clearly one of the deepest classes we've recruited to the program in some time," said Franke. "We're very excited about what they will bring to the program. They each come from very strong club teams and have a wealth of fencing experience behind them."
Hee, who plans to major in advertising, joins the sabre squad under assistant coach Josh Herring. She competes for the PDX Fencing Club and has racked up numerous top finishes over the past couple years. Hee took gold in junior women's sabre at the 2015 Junior Olympics after also capturing gold in both junior women's sabre and cadet women's sabre at the 2014 Junior Olympics. She took bronze in Division I women's sabre at the 2015 Summer Nationals, and earned silver in junior women's sabre at the 2014 Phoenix World Cup.
"Malia has a very high fencing IQ and a very calm demeanor," said Franke, "which is something I'm really impressed with. I know she will continue to excel here as part of our program."
Lovelace will fence for Franke's foil squad, coming out of the International Fencing Alliance in Texas. She will come into Temple as an undeclared major in the Tyler School of Art. Lovelace took a silver medal in cadet women's foil at the 2015 Junior Olympics, and placed seventh in junior women's foil at the 2015 January NAC. Also in 2015, Lovelace took a 17th place in international competition at the 2015 Junior World Cup in Croatia.
"Kennedy is a very strong foilist and has extensive national and international experience," said Franke. "She's a very dedicated fencer and will bring that focus along with her wealth of experience to the team."
Also joining the sabre squad is Plunkett, who comes from the same PDX Fencing Club as teammate Malia Hee, and plans to major in kinesiology at Temple. She was the gold medalist in Division II Women's Sabre at the 2014 Portland NAC, and took silver at the same competition as part of her women's sabre team. Plunkett placed in the top 32 in Division I Women's Sabre at both the 2015 Richmond NAC and the 2015 Summer Nationals.
"Kerry comes from a very strong program in Oregon and is very well trained," said Franke. "She is definitely going to contribute to our team's success going forward."
Planning to major in anthropology, Prasher is a foilist who comes to Temple from Grand Rapids where she fences for the Grand Rapids Fencing Academy. Her top results include seventh-place finishes at both the 2014 Louisville NAC (junior women's foil) and the 2014 Portland NAC (cadet women's foil). She also earned a 17th-place finish in junior women's foil at the 2015 Kansas City NAC.
"Alexa is a very hard worker," said Franke, who adds Prasher along with Lovelace to her foil squad. "She has had excellent results in the past. She has a very strong skill set and a solid fencing game, and it's going to be very exciting to work with her."
The lone addition to the epee squad is Simmons, who competes for the Alliance Fencing Academy and plans to major in public relations. She was part of the gold medal-winning junior women's epee team at the 2016 Junior Olympics, and placed in the top 32 at the 2016 Division I NAC in Richmond. Simmons was a member of the 2015 Cadet Travel Team and qualified to compete at the 2016 Junior World Cup in Dijon, France.
"Camille is very talented and extremely enthusiastic, and I look for her to bring that energy to our program," said Franke. "She is a very intense fencer and we're really looking forward to having her on the team."
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