With the start of the semester drawing near, Cornell women’s fencing had a tough outing on Saturday at the Philly Invitational, posting a 1-5 record on the weekend.
While the Red’s time in Philadelphia was highlighted by a 16-10 win over New Jersey Institute of Technology , the squad suffered difficult losses against some of the best competition in the country, including three teams ranked within the top 10 of the Women’s Coaches Poll.
The meet started with a 17-10 loss to UNC, but the Red quickly rebounded with its 16-10 win over NJIT. Unfortunately, the Red could not sustain its momentum closing out the day with losses to No. 7 Temple, No. 8 Northwestern, No. 9 Penn, and Duke.
Despite the losses, the Red took away positives regarding its young team over the weekend. The team remains focused on developing young talent for later seasons and has a bright outlook for the future.
“I found myself smiling during the beginning of my bouts because I feel so honored to fight for this team,” said senior captain Luby Kiriakidi. “We are growing stronger and more experienced with each competition, and as a sentimental senior, I’m proud to be a part of its upward arch.”
In particular, sophomore Vera Lin highlighted the potential of the Red’s young core. Lin posted a team high 12 wins as a part of the very young epee squad.
“Vera Lin has reached a whole new level in her fencing in the past few weeks,” head coach Daria Schneider said. “We saw it in Virginia Beach, and today her performance was even more dominant and consistent. This group of young women are setting the foundation for continuous growth and I look forward to leading them through Ivy championships and into the postseason.”
For now, Cornell will shift its focus to the Ivy League Championship. The team will hope to recover from a disappointing weekend in the conference championships on Saturday, Feb. 10.