Fencers caught off-garde

Senior Kristin Howell finished seventh in épée in a field of 128 fencers at the U.S. Fencing North American Cup this weekend. No other fencer in any of the other events placed higher than 13th.

The fencing team traveled across the state to Pittsburgh this past weekend to compete in the U.S. Fencing North American Cup, a showcase of the nation’s best in the sport.

“It was something that we were looking forward to,” coach Nikki Franke said. “This is the strongest competition you can have, and this is the level we want to be fencing on.”

The Owls had several fencers compete in the three events – sabre, épée and foil – during the weekend, but the team’s lone finalist was senior Kristin Howell in the épée. Howell finished seventh overall in a field of 128 fencers. Sophomore Jill Bratton and junior Grace Wu also competed in the épée and placed 62nd and 65th, respectively, in the event.

Franke said some team members performed very well, while others are still looking to improve. Overall, she characterized the event as “an opportunity for [the team] to learn some things that will help us as the season progresses.”

In addition to Howell, sophomore Kamali Thompson also left Pittsburgh with a strong performance, as she competed in the sabre and finished 13th in a field of 62. Thompson was defeated by Columbia University freshman Emily Jacobson, the eventual champion.

“That is a very strong result in a very strong field,” Franke said.

Senior Christie Griffith and junior Audrey Barroso also competed in the sabre, finishing 44th and 52nd, respectively.

The Owls had three members compete in the foil. Sophomore Alyssa Lomuscio had the team’s best finish in the weapon with a 28th-place finish in the 93-fencer field. Freshman Mikayla Varadi finished 40th overall, while senior Melissa Parker finished 46th.

Franke described the tournament’s results “as a typical bell curve” – some participants competed and performed very well, others did not, and the majority were somewhere in the middle.

The Owls return to action Jan. 9 for the Philadelphia Invitational, which will be held at the University of Pennsylvania.

Raymond Boyd can be reached at raymond.boyd@temple.edu.

Fencing duo sparks team with All-American stature

Tucked deep behind the façade of McGonigle Hall is the training ground for two of the best athletes Temple has to offer.

And though their styles of play contrast, and their game isn’t well-publicized, juniors Melissa Parker and Kristin Howell have helped lead the country’s No. 8-ranked fencing program.

Both Parker and Howell bring unique personalities to the team, but each has reached the elite status of All-American through similar traits.

“I think one of the things is their work ethic,” coach Nikki Franke said. “They both work very hard. They are very committed. They want to be good and do what they need to do in order to continue to improve.”

Howell picked up the game when she was 11, while Parker first began her career at the ripe age of 5. They both came from Texas to play under legendary coach Franke, who is now in her 37th year directing the Owls. Howell was also impressed with the fencing tradition on North Broad Street.
“It’s all about teamwork,” Howell said. “Everything we do is team. I like that a lot. Everyone’s involved, whether it’s punishment or reward.”

Last season was a special one for both fencers, as they made history for the program. In the NCAA Tournament, Parker became the first Temple fencer to be named second-team All-American since Lisa Honig in 1994. Howell dazzled as well, earning the honorable mention distinction in the epee event, a feat never accomplished by an Owl.

Parker’s focus is in the foil event, while Howell’s is in the epee. Both are naturally appropriate for each based on their widely different demeanors.

“Melissa is a much more aggressive fencer,” Franke said. “The weapon fits her personality, while Kristin is kind of laid-back and easygoing and is more opportunistic, which is more of an epee style.”
But the praise from their coach didn’t stop there.

“The weapons that they specialize in many ways complement their personalities, and their personalities complement the weapons they’ve chosen,” Franke said.

Franke also mentioned that while both are leaders in the locker room, each has a different way of getting the message across. Howell is “quiet and reserved,” but speaks up when the time is right, while Parker is a high-energy motivator, constantly seeking to get everyone “pumped up.”

The work that goes into being an All-American fencer isn’t easy.

Like any Division I sport, the offseason is filled with workouts and training designed to improve strength and agility. Tournaments can be all-day affairs, lasting up to 12 hours, so cardio is a premium.

“It’s really hard, actually,” Parker said. “No one realizes all the work that we put into it like conditioning and lifting and taking lessons with Coach. [It’s] really technical. My brain hurts afterward. It’s a whole body workout.”

This year’s NCAA Tournament is March 19 in State College, Pa. Some of the Owls’ biggest rivals will be in attendance, including the country’s No. 1-ranked team and host, Penn State. Both Parker and Howell will be looking to make the progression to first-team All-American.

To do that, they’ll need to battle more than 20 of the country’s finest fencers. The top spots are decided by whoever leads the field in wins. Last season, Parker finished seventh in the foil, while her counterpart Howell was ninth in the epee category.

“At the Championships, you have to get in the Top 12 to be considered All-American,” Howell said. “Everyone’s an incredible fencer, so it’s really difficult.”

If Parker and Howell accomplish their goals, it will not only be because of individual talent but because of the teammates around them. It all stems back to the emphasis the Owls put on the word “team.”
“They couldn’t be as good as they are without the team and the people that they train with everyday,” Franke said.

Parker and Howell have already brought favorable attention to the program but look to continue to build on past and present successes. Come March, the strength of the Owls may lie in the opposing personalities of their All-Americans.

Anthony Stipa can be reached at anthonystipa@temple.edu.

Solid showing at Temple Open

Coming off an impressive 2007-2008 campaign that was highlighted by sweeps of the Penn State Multi Meet and the NIFWA Championships, the fencing team played host to the 29th annual Temple Open at McGonigle Hall last weekend.

The Open is known for having the largest competitive field in the United States, as this year’s Open consisted of 30 schools, making it one of the largest in history. In addition, the Open provides fencers with the opportunity to gain competitive experience.

The results were highlighted by junior Kristin Howell winning the epee competition and freshman Kamali Thompson finishing in a tie for third in the sabre.

In addition, junior Melissa Parker finished fifth in the foil, sophomore Grace Wu finished fifth in the epee, sophomore Alyssa Lombardi finished sixth and senior Kaitlyn Uckert finished seventh.

Meanwhile, sophomore Audrey Barroso and junior Christie Griffith finished in a tie for fifth and eighth, respectively, in the sabre.

“I think this is a very good tournament for us,” coach Nikki Franke said. “It’s the second tournament of the year. [So] especially for those newcomers, they had that first tournament, which is under their belt.”

That first competition, the Penn State Open, helped give the team its own identity.

“This team has their own character. The girls are very pleased with how hard they’re working and how well they’re working together,” Franke added. “It’s a unique team, and we want to be challenged.”

It will be a new squad, as the Owls graduated four seniors last year and are left with three fencers leading things this season. One of them is team captain Uckert, who finished last season 35-11 while qualifying for the NCAA Regionals.

“We have a very new team, and we are trying to keep their spirits up,” she said. “We’re very competitive, and we just want to keep that competition high along with our levels of our enthusiasm and spirit.”

As for the five incoming freshmen, Uckert only has two words of advice for them.

“Stay calm,” she said.

Perhaps being relaxed helped the Owls prepare for the Temple Open, which, Uckert said, isn’t all that pressure-filled, despite being such a large fencing competition.

“The Temple Open is a little bit more relaxed,” she said. “So it’s just a position for us to have fun, to really know that this is our turf, and that this is our first and only home meet of the year.”

Another reason for the relaxation may have been that the Owls already finished the Penn State Open, the other large individual tournament, earlier this month. The Owls entered that competition with nine returning letter-winners, most notably, all-Americans Kristin Howell and Melissa Parker.

Parker, who became Temple’s first second team all-American since Lisa Honig in 1994, finished last season 28-14, while placing second in the NCAA Regionals. She made the foil finals at the Penn State Open, where she finished sixth.

Howell, who became Temple’s first epee all-American, ended last season at 27-10 and finished ninth in the NCAA Championships and second in the U.S. Fencing Junior Olympics. She was ranked No. 8 in the nation and earned the Female Student-Athlete of the Year award.

Lombardi’s qualifying for the NCAA Regionals last season has prompted her and all the other fencers to work extra hard.

“We’ve set the bar high,” she said. “We swept in all the weapons they had there [at the NIFWA Championships] last year, and I hope we can do it again this year.”

The Owls return to action Dec. 6 in the Vassar College Multi-Meet in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Joe Polinsky can be reached at jpolinsky@temple.edu.

Fencer honored

After a 27-10 individual record, a second place finish in the U.S. Fencing Junior Olympics, the No. 1 seed at the NCAA Regionals in the epee competition, seventh in the NCAA Championships, and becoming Temple’s first epee All-American, sophomore Kristin Howell can add another honor to the list.

Howell was named Female Student Athlete of the Year at the sixth-annual Breakfast of Champions on April 23 for her role in leading the Temple women’s fencing team to a 24-6 overall record and No. 8 ranking in the nation.

“This is such a huge honor, especially for me being a sophomore.” Howell said about the award. “The only thing I can really do is continue to work hard and do my best to have an equally good, or even better, season next year.”

There were eight nominees up for the award. The criteria to win included a combination of academic and athletic performance.

Howell not only excelled in meets, but she also got it done in the classroom, posting a 3.06 cumulative grade point average as an undeclared university studies major.

At the Breakfast of Champions, she and fellow sophomore Melissa Parker were honored for achieving All-American status for 2007-2008. Parker became the Owls’ first second-team All-American since Lisa Honig in 1994.

“Making All-American this season was exhilarating” Howell said. “Last season, I narrowly missed the championships, so making it this year and doing so well [felt good].”

Howell, Parker, co-captain Christie Griffith and fellow epee player Grace Wu were recognized for participating in the NCAA Tournament, an event in which Howell placed ninth.

The Penn State Multi-Meet on January 26 was also a highlight of Howell’s season. Not only did Temple have a perfect 4-0 record during the meet, defeating North Carolina, Haverford, and Drew, but the Owls also knocked off the defending NCAA champions, Penn State, 14-13.

“We hadn’t beaten Penn State for years, so that was a great moment.” Howell said. “We fought so hard and we succeeded. I will never forget that day.”

Assistant coach Bradley Baker said the win proved to the team that they can beat anyone in the country with a little effort and focus.

With the award, Howell and the rest of the fencing team look forward to the upcoming 2008-2009 season.

Joe Polinsky can be reached at jpolinsky@temple.edu.