The youth of the North Carolina fencing team has shown strong in this year’s individual competitions — and this weekend was no different.
First-year Connor Ritchey led all Tar Heels after tying for third place in men’s saber in the Kansas City North American Cup over the weekend. Fellow first-year Mathew Garrelick also had a successful outing in men's sabre, adding a 27th-place finish.
First-year Jason Xu fared well for the men, as well, finishing 22nd in epee after tying for third place in his previous competition.
Ian Head — a first-year fencer from London — was the only Tar Heel to participate in men's foil, as he finished tied for 193rd place.
Each of the performances by Ritchey, Garrelick and Xu gained points for North Carolina, which helps the Tar Heels with seeding and qualifications in future competitions.
The women’s team did not have the same amount of success in Kansas City.
First-year Sydney Persing finished 88th in women's foil, while sophomore Sara Moreno had the highest finish for the women’s squad, placing 47th in epee.
Quotable
“Right now, they’ve established themselves as leaders in their weapon squads and will be counted on heavily in the dual-meet season. They’ve really set a great tone for the rest of the fall, and we expect that to carry on into next year.” — Coach Ron Miller on his first-year fencers.
