Sophomore eepist answers the Call
By MIKE CONNOLLY
Sports Writer
KENOSHA, Wisc.
Meagan Call was not supposed to be the highest finishing Notre Dame woman at the NCAA Fencing Championships. In fact, the 2001 second team All-American wasn't even supposed to be at the Championships.
When head coach Yves Auriol recruited Kerry Walton for the 2001 season, many expected Walton, one of the top junior epeeists in the country, to replace Call as one of Notre Dame's two epee qualifiers. Call posted a respectable 11-12 record at the 2000 Championships and earned third team honors but most expected Walton and Anna Carnick, who finished ninth at the 2000 Championships and had considerably more experience than Call to qualify for this year's championship.
Call was too short and too inexperienced to be help the Irish fight for a national title in 2001.
But then Walton's grades for the first semester came back and she was ineligible. The Irish turned to the 5-foot-2 epeeist from Oregon to carry the load again in 2001. And Call not only met the challenges but exceeded them.
The woman who was too short and too inexperienced led the Irish in epee wins during the regular season.
"I knew it had to be done and Anna knew it had to be done," Call said. "So we just went out there and fought like hell."
And then she got sick. Just days before she was supposed to fenced in the opening round of women's epee, Call wasn't even sure if she was going to fence.
But the woman who wasn't even expected to qualify for nationals beat her illness and battled her way to a fifth place finish — by far the strongest showing of any Irish woman.
"Two days ago we didn't even know if she would fence or not," head coach Yves Auriol said. "The girl is amazing. She is so smart and such a tough competitor."
What Call lacks in size and reach, she makes up for in determination and confidence. Others may have doubted her ability but Call never did. She expected to not only fence well but challenge for the individual foil title. Only fencers who finish in the top four qualify for the fence off for the national title so Call is a little disappointed at her fifth place showing — especially since she was in second after six rounds but lost three straight bouts in the final round.
"I am disappointed but in a couple of weeks, I am sure I will feel better about it," Call said. "I knew I needed to win the bouts [in round seven] so I started fencing for myself and not my team and I just lost it."
The little ball of heart and determination just couldn't find the same drive for herself that she had for her team. Without the challenge of aiding a greater cause, Call couldn't find the same energy and focus.
"I am really proud of her and really, really happy for her," Carnick said. "She is a little upset now but tonight or tomorrow, whenever it hits her, she is going to be really pleased with herself. That is just an example of someone having lots more confidence in herself this year."
Although she stumbled at bit at the very end, throughout the season, whenever her team needed her, Meagan answered the Call and fenced like a champion.
"She's definitely one athlete that improved way more than anyone I have ever seen before," men's foil captain Ozren Debic said. "She is beating people who have World Cup experience and that's great. She probably felt her responsibility was to get better and give it her best shot and she is doing just that."
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
All Sports Stories for Monday, March 26, 2001
