For
the second time in three years and seventh time in the program's
history, the Irish are champions of collegiate fencing.
The combined men's and women's team edged defending-champion
Ohio State 173-171 to win in the four-day NCAA tournament held
in Houston in March.
With the Notre Dame's women's soccer team winning the NCAA title
last fall, this marks the third time the Irish have won two national
championships in one year. The others were tennis and golf in
1943-44 and football and men's fencing in 1977-78.
Notre Dame became the first team in history to win an NCAA fencing
championship tourney without the full allotment of 12 qualifying
to compete (the Irish qualified 11). The Irish women, ranked No.
1 entering the tournament, amassed a record-setting point total,
and several individuals turn in gutsy performances. On the competition's
final day, sophomore sabre specialist Valerie Providenza, hospitalized
with food poisoning two days earlier, went 9-0. And four-time
All-American foilist Andrea Ament sprained her ankle on the first
day of competition but managed to complete all her matches and
finish seventh.
The Irish have now won the national fencing title three times
since the men's and women's competitions were combined in 1994.
The team also holds three men's and one women's individual team
titles from earlier years.
(July 2005)
