From Brandeis University Athletics

The Brandeis University fencing team concluded its 2016 season at the NCAA Northeast Regional tournament today at Vassar College. The Judges put six fencers into the semifinal rounds, but were unable to advance anyone to the final pools of 12.

The Judges' top finishes were a pair of 17^th-place performances in the men's foil and women's epee. Sophomore Guillermo Narvaez (Metepec, Mexico / Technologico de Monterrey) was seeded 23^rd entering the meet in men's foil. He posted a 3-3 record in his first round and advanced in the 21^st and final spot. He added one more win in the semifinals to finish 17^th.

For women's epee, senior Sonya Glickman (Valhalla, N.Y. / Valhalla) rounded out her career with a semifinal appearance and also placed 17^th. Glickman was also the 23^rd seed in her weapon, and advanced from a difficult first-round pool that saw five of the seven fencers go 4-2. Her wins included a victory over an opponent from defending national champ Columbia in that round. Glickman's plus-four indicator put her in 13^th place headed into the semifinals. Despite posting wins over foes from MIT and Brown in the semis, Glickman was win short of a berth in the finals.

In women's foil action, senior Caroline Mattos (Cumberland, R.I./LaSalle Acad.) was unable to make a third career trip to the NCAA Championships, as she finished in 18^th place. Seeded 16^th, she went 2-4 in the second round with wins over opponents from Harvard and MIT, but only posted one win in the semifinals, over an opponent from Brown.

Men's epee was the lone squad to put multiple fencers into the semifinals. Junior Albert Reiss(Short Hills, N.J. / Millburn) and senior Ari Feingersch (Coral Springs, Fla. / J.P. Taravella) were seeded 32^nd and 33^rd entering the meet, so both had to advance through the opening round of action. They each went 3-1 in the same pool against opponents from Brown, NYU and Hunter College, with Reiss taking the head-to-head matchup. In the second round, Feingirsch made it through with a 3-3 record, recording wins against BC, Brown and NYU. Reiss's two wins in the second round came against opponents from Harvard and NYU, but with a pair of 5-4 defeats, Reiss got into a fence-off for the final spot in the semifinals. He defeated Yale's Avery Vella, 5-2, to make it to the next round. In the semis, Feingirsch defeated an opponent from Vassar, while Reiss was winless, as they finished in 18^th and 20^th places, respectively.

The Judges' final semifinalist was sabre sophomore Curtis Wilson (Denver, Colo. / Kent Denver). Seeded 21^st, that was where Wilson finished up. He went 3-3 in the first round with wins over Hunter, Vassar and an upset of eventual regional champion Roman Sydorenko of St. John's, 5-1. Wilson was not able to add to his win total in the semifinals to finish 21^st.

Unfortunately, with no competitors making to the finals, Brandeis will not be represented when they host the NCAA Championships in two weeks, March 24-27.