Spring Break
FENCING: Kozel, Friedman reach NCAA Championships
by Andrew Ng
Staff writer
Sports | 3/4/08
Posted online at 3:54 AM EST on 3/4/08
/ Last updated at 11:40 AM EST on 3/4/08
On a day when the four Brandeis fencers who potentially qualified for the NCAA National Collegiate Fencing Championships overcame several obstacles, none came further than epée Caitlin Kozel '09.
Despite initially being seeded 22nd out of 39 women's epée competitors due to her regular-season record, Kozel went all the way to the final round of last Sunday's Northeast Regional Fencing Championship and eventually finished in fourth place, a performance that propelled her to the region's seventh seed and her second straight NCAA Championships appearance.
"She was attacking a little more, mixing up her defense," coach Bill Shipman said. "She was very relaxed and her point was on. She fenced the best she had all season."
Kozel could be joined by up to three members of the men's squad. Foil Will Friedman '09 secured his own bid by also advancing to the final round, where he finished in seventh place to grab the region's seventh foil spot.
Captain and foil Eugene Vortsman '08 and saber Adam Austin '11 remain under consideration for at-large bids. Vortsman claimed the 11th seed in the region after a 12th-place tournament result, while Austin finished as the 13th seed in the saber division. The NCAA will reevaluate the strength of Vortsman's and Austin's opponents' over the season before deciding today whether they will qualify.
The NCAA holds four regional tournaments throughout the country, with 24 fencers per weapon qualifying for the NCAA Championships. Qualification is based both on regular-season success and regional tournament finish. The regional consists of three pool rounds and a final round-robin tournament.
Kozel began the day as one of the tournament's lower seeds, but she finished 4-2 in her first-round pool with a touch differential of +8 to advance to the second round. Once she got there, Kozel imposed her will on the competition, winning all four of her bouts to emerge victorious from her second round pool. Her only close bout was against Columbia rookie Martyna Urbanowicz, who she beat 5-4.
Despite initially being seeded 22nd out of 39 women's epée competitors due to her regular-season record, Kozel went all the way to the final round of last Sunday's Northeast Regional Fencing Championship and eventually finished in fourth place, a performance that propelled her to the region's seventh seed and her second straight NCAA Championships appearance.
"She was attacking a little more, mixing up her defense," coach Bill Shipman said. "She was very relaxed and her point was on. She fenced the best she had all season."
Kozel could be joined by up to three members of the men's squad. Foil Will Friedman '09 secured his own bid by also advancing to the final round, where he finished in seventh place to grab the region's seventh foil spot.
Captain and foil Eugene Vortsman '08 and saber Adam Austin '11 remain under consideration for at-large bids. Vortsman claimed the 11th seed in the region after a 12th-place tournament result, while Austin finished as the 13th seed in the saber division. The NCAA will reevaluate the strength of Vortsman's and Austin's opponents' over the season before deciding today whether they will qualify.
The NCAA holds four regional tournaments throughout the country, with 24 fencers per weapon qualifying for the NCAA Championships. Qualification is based both on regular-season success and regional tournament finish. The regional consists of three pool rounds and a final round-robin tournament.
Kozel began the day as one of the tournament's lower seeds, but she finished 4-2 in her first-round pool with a touch differential of +8 to advance to the second round. Once she got there, Kozel imposed her will on the competition, winning all four of her bouts to emerge victorious from her second round pool. Her only close bout was against Columbia rookie Martyna Urbanowicz, who she beat 5-4.
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