No. 7 Fencing Goes for 21st Straight NIWFA Team Title

Saturday, March 4

West Point, N.Y.

All Day

Temple University

NIWFA Championships

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

No. 7 Fencing Goes for 21st Straight NIWFA Team Title

3.3.17 | Women's Fencing

PHILADELPHIA - Fresh off its best dual meet season in program history, seventh-ranked Temple fencing will now look to earn its 21st straight National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association (NIWFA) team title at the conference's championship meet on Saturday, March 4. West Point, N.Y. is the site of the annual meet, hosted by Army.

Temple head coach Dr. Nikki Franke led the Owls to a 20th consecutive team title at last year's NIWFA Championships. The Owls beat out second-place Stevens for the team title, and also earned two weapon titles in foil and sabre.

Despite a runner-up finish in epee a year ago, the event was a highlight for the Owls who had the maximum three fencers qualify for finals in the individual event. Fiona Fong, now a sophomore for Temple, was the top finisher at the meet as she took third in epee. Alexandra Keft, now a senior, was fourth, while then-freshman Quinn Duwelius was also a finalist and placed sixth.

Current senior Kristen Kemnitzer placed seventh in foil last year and 10th the year before. Junior Safa Ibrahim won the epee title two years ago.

In their final dual meet of the season on Feb. 26 at home, the Owls bested two top-five teams and came away with a 4-1 record overall. For the season, Temple finished 34-9, beating its previous record for wins in a season by six. The Owls took down previously-undefeated and No. 1 Princeton 14-13, and also beat No. 4 Penn, 15-12.

Freshman Malia Hee finished the dual meet season at 70-13 overall, setting a sabre program record for wins in a single season. Fellow freshman Kerry Plunkett was right behind her with a record of 69-23. The previous record was set by All-American Kamali Thompson, who won 55 bouts in 2010-11.

In foil, freshman Kennedy Lovelace also set a program record for single season wins, going 77-37 overall. The previous record had stood for over 20 years, set by Jennie Salmon in 1993-94 (71 wins).

Temple set new program records for wins in all three weapons in addition to the overall team record.

One week after the NIWFA Championships, the Owls will head to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional at Lafayette, and will be represented by the maximum 12 participants.