Fencing Captures 21st Straight NIWFA Championship

Saturday, March 4

West Point, N.Y.

All Day

Temple University

NIWFA Championships

(L to R): Alexandra Keft, Victoria Suber and Kristen Kemnitzer with the NIWFA Trophy

Fencing Captures 21st Straight NIWFA Championship

3.4.17 | Women's Fencing

NIWFA Team Standings NIWFA Individual Results

WEST POINT, N.Y. - For the 21st year in a row, Temple fencing can call itself champions of the National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association. The Owls won the NIWFA team title at the 89th annual championships along with trophies in foil and epee, as well as an individual foil title for freshman Kennedy Lovelace.

Temple had the maximum two finalists earn spots in each individual event. Lovelace, after helping lead the foil squad to a weapon title, also won as an individual in her debut season with the Owls after beating Abby Kaye from Stevens in the gold-medal bout. Teammate and sophomore Auset Muhammad was close behind, earning bronze with a win against Caitlin Kotz from Drew University.

Sophomore Ally Micek earned a runner-up finish in epee after a loss to FDU's Natalia Toby, while teammate and sophomore Fiona Fong took fourth place. Fong has now been a finalist and top-five finisher in both years of her career after placing third a year ago.

In sabre, senior Victoria Suber earned a career-high third-place finish, while freshman Malia Hee took eighth place.

In the team event, Temple placed first among a field of 17 teams. Stevens came in second, with Johns Hopkins placing third. The Owls won in foil ahead of second-place Stevens and third-place Smith, and also won in epee ahead of second-place Johns Hopkins and third-place FDU. JHU took the sabre title, with Temple placing second ahead of Stevens.

"It was nice to retain our team championships and win two squad events," said Temple head coach Dr. Nikki Franke. "It was a good tournament for us to get ready for the NCAA Regional. The team really performed very well as a whole and it was great preparation for what will be an even more challenging day for us next weekend."

Temple will next head to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional, hosted by Lafayette on March 11, where the Owls will have the maximum 12 fencers competing to earn berths at the NCAA Championships.