The nationally ranked St. John’s men’s and women’s fencing teams will travel to Houston, Texas this coming week for the NCAA Championships. The women are currently ranked fourth, while the men are listed fifth.
The Red Storm qualified a total of 11 out of 12 possible candidates competing in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, only the Storm qualified a complete team of 12 fencers.
The women will take six fencers, including Erzsebet Garay and Katia Larchanka in the foil.
Garay finished fourth last year, and this season possesses a record of 45-3. Garay is an All-American graduate student.
Olga Ovtchinnikova and Kasia Wieronski will lead the women’s team in the saber. Ovtchinnikova, a freshman, has had an impressive season, amassing a 39-6 record. Senior Kasia Weironski finished 10th last year at the NCAAs and was a second-team All-American.
Joanna Guy and Reka Szele also earned trips to the tournament for epee. Last season Guy finished 10th at the NCAA Championships, receiving All-American honors.
Men’s captain Ben Bratton will lead the team to Houston, where he finished second overall during his freshman year. Joining him in epee will be Adam Rodney.
Foilist junior Sam Wunderlich will be competing in his first NCAA Tournament, and is also the only male foilist to qualify from the Storm.
Luther Clement and Nikita Tsukhlo will head the men’s squad in the saber, which looks to be the Red Storm’s strongest event. Clement, as well as Bratton, have competed internationally this season, adding to their already impressive resumes.
Women’s Golf
In women’s action, Christin Thomson led the Red Storm with a 150 to finish six-over-par at the Springlake Invitational and rank ninth out of 97 participants.
Jaclyn Sanders also had a solid outing, recording a 76 on her second day of the event, her lowest score of the year.
Despite finishing ninth as a team, St. John’s made school history by carding a 304, good enough for second best in the University’s history.
Women’s Tennis
The St. John’s women’s tennis team improved to 3-6 overall (1-2 Big East), edging West Virginia 4-3.
Barbora Blahutiakova and Mariana Chachua got the victory at the No. 2 spot in doubles, and Lauren Lorenzetti and Gabija Gasiunaite also recorded wins.
Chachua also picked up a win in singles action with a 7-5, 6-1 victory.
Alison Adamski clinched the win for St. John’s by defeating Raynie Theis 7-5, 6-3 in singles at the No. 5 spot.
Men’s Golf
George Zolotas led St. John’s, finishing fifth overall and carding a two-underpar-70 and three-overpar-73 in two rounds at the Treasure Coast Classic.
As a team, the Red Storm finished third for the day with 581 strokes.
