In its first collegiate competition of the year, the North Carolina fencing team turned to fresh faces for a solid start to the season.
Both the men's and women's teams fared well for UNC in the Temple Open in Philadelphia, as four Tar Heels finished in the top-10 over the weekend — including two first-year fencers.
The women's squad showed consistency on Saturday, with each competitor placing in the top half of their respective fields. Junior Amanda Lalezarian led the way with a tie for sixth place in women's foil, while sophomore Meredith Bozentka finished in eighth for women's sabre.
On the men's side, the underclassmen shined on Sunday. First-year Connor Ritchey had the highest mark for the Tar Heels, tying for third in men's sabre. First-year Jason Xu notched an eighth-place mark in men's epee, while Ritchey's teammate on the men's sabre squad — first-year Matthew Garrelick — finished in 13th place.
Quotable
“We’re looking really good and we’re looking to get stronger … As a team, we’re consistently improving. And as we do more of these tournaments, we’re just going to be learning more about each other and learning how to hype each other up for these competitions.” — Ritchey on the trajectory of his team.
Notable
Some of UNC’s more experienced fencers could not make the trip to Philadelphia, according to Coach Ron Miller. But as a result, Miller was impressed with his team's depth and the younger fencers' ability to play up to the standards of their absent teammates.
Three numbers that matter
