Despite being plagued by illness and injury, the fencing team pulled off victories over Sacred Heart, University of New Hampshire, and Dartmouth this weekend, but still fell short against Boston College and Wellesley in its last NCAA meet of the season.
Saturday was an especially difficult afternoon for the epee squad. Already missing sophomore Amanda McDavid, who has skipped a large part of the season due to knee problems, and freshman Kristina Thompson, who is out with mono, the epees also suffered from the absence of sophomore captain Tracy Mayfield, who missed the meet due to a stomach virus.
Freshmen Rachel Amani Smathers and Becca Hughes anchored the epee squad with help from freshman Leah Meller and sophomore Olivia Kim, who won her first two tournament bouts. Despite her strong performance, Meller sustained a wrist injury, adding to the squad's increasingly lengthy list of ailments.
"It was a really long meet that started off with me spraining my wrist and then fencing on it all day," Meller said. "But for a beginning fencer like me, all the experience I got was really great. Even though I didn't win a lot, the team was working really hard."
"Our squad is depleted, so that's been difficult," Mayfield added. "It was good because Leah got a chance to step up and fence, but it was very unfortunate as well because Leah hurt her wrist. Now there's pressure on all of us to get healthy and stay healthy, which isn't easy."
In the face of all injuries and absences, it was difficult for the epee fencers to keep their energy level high.
"The epees really do need to get their act together," Smathers said. "Part of it is legitimate health issues, and part of it is that I think we've just lost momentum. We just have to find our drive."
The foil squad fared better during the afternoon and saw success against rivals BC and Wellesley, both of whom defeated the Jumbos earlier this season.
"I think it went really well," sophomore Lisa Granshaw said. "We were all working really hard for this week, especially since a couple of our fencers have been sick and out. We worked really hard for BC especially. Even though we didn't beat them as a team overall, as a foil squad we did a lot better than we did against BC last time and also against Wellesley, who had given us trouble before."
Senior captain Louisa May Zouein, assisted by freshman Alex Cheetham, led the sabre squad with her consistent play.
"Cheetham is doing a super job," Zouein said. "She has knee problems and they're hurting her really bad, but she did a good job and pulled an appropriate number of bouts."
Despite the day's difficulties, the Jumbos enjoyed the home advantage for the final time this season.
"I think it's more relaxing to be at home," Granshaw said. "We're on our home turf, and it's not like we're in a totally different environment and we have to adapt and find all the strips. There's not as much confusion as there is at an away meet, and it helps a lot. We're able to get to our strips faster and hook up faster, and we're more comfortable."
The Jumbos will take the weekend off before competing in the New England Championships on Feb. 24, the National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association Championships on March 3, and Regional Championships on March 11.
"This weekend off is coming at a critical point," Mayfield said. "I know I personally am going to rest and recuperate. I think it'll be a good chance for the whole team to do the same and get some rest before the big push."
"The New England meet, our next meet, is a really exhausting day," Zouein added. "It starts early in the morning, and you fence 15 to 18 schools. It's an endurance thing - if you can get your mind to stay on top of it and to control your body enough to do the right thing, then you're going to win."
