Three Fencers, All Freshmen, Win At Temple Open

Saturday, November 15

Philadelphia, Pa.

All Day

Duke University

Temple Open (W)

Three Fencers, All Freshmen, Win At Temple Open

11/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Fencing

By: Duke Sports Information

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. ? Duke freshmen Becca Ward, Tristan Jones and Dan Cohen all took first place in their respective events at the Temple Open on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 15-16 in McGonigle Hall, while senior Peter Truszkowski, sophomore Dorian Cohen and freshman Dana Rosen also tied for third place in their events.

Duke had a total of 19 fencers finish among the top 25 in the six events at the Temple Open, which drew over 600 competitors and had no less than 88 entries in each event. All seven of Duke's men's foil fencers finished among the top 25, four of which earned top-10 finishes. Five men's epee entries took home top-20 honors, while four of those landed among the top 10 as well.

Ward, who won a pair of bronze medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, dominated the 98-competitor field in the women's saber competition to bring in top honors in her first collegiate tournament. Jones followed with a first-place finish in the men's epee bracket on Sunday, topping the other 105 entries, while fellow freshman Cohen beat out 94 other participants to win first place in the men's foil competition. Cohen's first-place finish followed a third-place outing at the North American Cup last weekend.

Truszkowski, a two-time All-America and team captain this season, tied Penn's Andrew Bielen for third place in the men's saber field, which consisted of 88 entries. Dorian Cohen, meanwhile, tied Lowden Charles for third in 95-member men's foil bracket, while Rosen matched North Carolina's Katie Williamson for third place in the 98-entry women's foil group in her first collegiate tournament.

Behind Dan and Dorian Cohen's top-three finishes in men's foil, junior Andrew Simon took sixth, sophomore Eliot Cohen took eighth and freshman Nikola Lahcanski notched an 11th-place finish. Sophomore Charles Keilin and senior Danaan Metge also claimed top-25 honors as Keilin took 21st and Metge claimed 23rd.

In men's epee action, Jones was one of four Blue Devil freshmen to finish in the top 10, leading classamtes Jonathan Parker (6th), Sam Schack (8th) and Nathaniel DeLucia (9th). Sophomore Marc Shepsman followed in 15th, while junior James Lambert took 31st and sophomore Graham Godwyn earned a 34th-place finish.

Sophomore Blake Horowitz took 25th in the men's saber field to lead senior Laughlin Stewart (29th), junior Peter Franklin (39th) and freshman Justin Goldsmith (48th).

Along with Ward, fellow freshman Ashley Donald also excelled in the women's saber competition and worked her way into ninth place. Senior captain Jessica Hancock finished 22nd, while sophomore Margot Mausner took 59th.

Sophomore Allison Putterman, who was an NCAA qualifier as a freshman, also notched a top-20 finish in the women's foil competition after taking 16th in the 98-competitor field. Senior Alexandra Stein followed in 29th place to edge junior teammate Noel Shaskan, who finished in 30th.

Nicole Bloom was Duke's lone representative in the women's epee bracket, and she took 26th.

Duke At The Temple Open

Nov. 15-16, 2008

Philadelphia, Pa. (McGonigle Hall)

Women's Foil (98 Entries)

T-3. Dana Rosen

16. Allison Putterman

29. Alexandra Stein

30. Noel Shaskan

Women's Saber (98 Entries)

1. Rebecca Ward

9. Ashley Donald