Columbia’s Schneider — Sabre National Champion
Columbia sophomore Daria Schneider gave Columbia its second NCAA fencing champion in three years, as she helped the Lions to third place in the 2007 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Championships held at Drew University.
Schneider, a sophomore from Brookline, Mass., whose father is a Harvard professor, was one of two Columbia fencers to make the four-person individual semifinals in women’s sabre. She was joined by Emily Jacobson, who won the 2005 NCAA women’s sabre crown for Columbia, and was second last season.
Placing well and making first team All-America were old hat for Jacobson. But it was a new thing for Schneider, who had qualified for the 2006 NCAA Championships, but did not make the trip due to the limit of two fencers per weapon — Columbia was represented by Jacobson and then-senior Emma Baratta.
Coming into nationals, Schneider wasn’t even thinking of individual fencing glory. “I was thinking of winning as many bouts as I could for our team,” she recalled. “I wasn’t even thinking of the individuals.”
But she went 11-3 the first day, as did Jacobson, and then a superb 8-1 the final day to finish with 19 victories in 23 bouts, second-best among all women’s foilists behind Caitlin Thompson of Penn State, who was 20-3. Notre Dame’s Valerie Providenza matched Schneider with 19 victories, and Jacobson snared the last semifinal spot when her 17-6 record edged two St. John’s fencers who had 16 each.
Despite beating her in their five-touch bout the previous day, Jacobson was unable to top Thompson in the semifinals, losing 15-7. Schneider, however, surprised Valerie Providenza of Notre Dame with a 15-14 victory. Within minutes of the win, Schneider’s mind was on her upcoming battle with Caitlin Thompson.
The complete article from Bill Steinman can be found on the Ivy League website.
