Uplifting Start to the South Championships

Last year during the Ivy Fencing Round-Robins, we ran a story about a Harvard fencer, Sam Cross, who was in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant.

 That story can be found here.

 As it turns out, after speaking with Harvard coach Peter Brand, Sam actually did not need the transplant. He has endured chemotherapy treatments that have been deemed effective and has since returned to Harvard to complete his last year of study and is doing well. The hope is that his recovery becomes complete as he continues to be monitored for progress.

“I am sure that Sam would concur when I say that both he and the Harvard fencing team are grateful to everyone in the Ivy League and other fencing programs in the nation for their tireless support of Sam and his family in their hour of need”, the coach said.

We at the Ivy League wish Sam continued success in his treatment and are priveleged to pass along the great news!

Now, lets get fencing! The fifth round is due to start shortly.

On Top of His Game

Strategize. Defend. Adjust. Attack.

The tenets of Olympic fencing, or the guiding principles of a successful hedge fund?

The answer, according to Columbia’s James Melcher ‘61, is both.

“Fencing instills a certain high degree of self-discipline, much like the financial world,” says Melcher, founder of Balestra Capital and a member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic team in Munich. “Fencing is a very unnatural sport. In most sports, when you hit with a racket or fist, you hit hard; in fencing, in those crucial moments, you actually have to relax.”

“It doesn’t take strength, it takes discipline,” he says. “And then, when the moment is right, you strike, and you strike quickly.”

To read Mr. Lemire’s full article, please check out the online version of Columbia College Today.

Come Downstairs and Say Hello!

The Ivy fencing blog has been deemed a [Great Success!] thus far.  Outside traffic has driven close to 2,500 hits to the web space over the last two days.

Unfortunately, we currently do not have the ability to see specifically where people are checking in from.  So the office is asking for your help.  Please notify where you are tuning in from.  Our goal is to hit as many states/countries as possible.

So if you could - just leave a comment on this roll call sheet and disclose where you are checking our little humble blog from.  And feel free to show your support for your favorite Ivy!  And feel free to provide any feedback that you wish.  Just remember, all comments will be monitored prior to being posted.

 Thanks for your support of Ivy Fencing!

Day 1: Sights and Sounds of Ivy Round-Robins

The first day of action is complete and both team competitions are still wide open. For those that did not have the opportunity to make it to Yale’s Lanman Center this past Sunday, the following video was made to display some of the various sights and sounds unique to the Ivy League. The video shows the League’s coaches and some of the bouts that took place at Yale.

The final day of competition is this upcoming Sunday (Feb. 10) at Princeton’s Jadwin Gymnasium in Princeton, N.J., beginning at 10 am. Come cheer on your favorite Ivies!

 

Men’s: Columbia 21, Princeton 6

The first half of the Ivy League Fencing Championship (formerly known as the ”North” Championship) is taking place at Yale University’s Payne Whitney Gym in New Haven, Conn. on February 3, 2008. Below is the latest match report.

Sabre: Columbia, 9-0
Columbia: Alex Diacou 3-0, Jeff Spear 3-0, Alex Rudnicki 3-0.
Princeton: Thomas Abend 0-3, John Stogin 0-3, Paul Boswell 0-2, Robert Brenner 0-1.

Foil: Columbia, 7-2
Columbia: Sherif Farrag 2-1, Kurt Getz 3-0, Isaac Kim 2-1.
Princeton: Clayton Flanders 1-2, Steven Liss 0-2, Peter Toshev 1-2, Mike Elfassy 0-1.

Epee: Columbia, 5-4
Columbia: Lorenzo Casertano 3-0, Max Czapanskiy 1-2, Brent Kelly 1-2.
Princeton: Tommi Hurme 0-3, Graham Wicas 2-1, Nate Sulat 2-1.

IVY RECORDS: Columbia 2-0, Princeton 1-2

To return to the main page, click here.

Men’s: Penn 16, Harvard 11

The first half of the Ivy League Fencing Championship (formerly known as the ”North” Championship) is taking place at Yale University’s Payne Whitney Gym in New Haven, Conn. on February 3, 2008. Below is the latest match report.

Sabre: Penn, 7-2
Harvard: Scott DiGiulio 0-3, Steve Ahn 1-2, Craig Gorin 1-2.
Penn: Matt Kolasa 2-1, Andrew Bielen 2-1, Jonathan Berkowsky 3-0.

Foil: Penn, 8-1
Harvard: Hao Meng 0-3, Kai Itameri-Kinter 1-2, Long Ouyang 0-3.
Penn: Ron Berkowsky 3-0, Alex Salsman 3-0, Dan Shiff 2-1.

Epee: Harvard, 8-1
Harvard: Billy Stallings 3-0, Teddy Sherrill 3-0, Karl Harmenberg 2-1.
Penn: Ben Wieder 0-3, Samuel Monk 1-2, Jacob Wischnia 0-3.

IVY RECORDS: Harvard 2-1, Penn 2-1

To return to the main page, click here.

Women’s: Penn 14, Harvard 13

The first half of the Ivy League Fencing Championship (formerly known as the ”North” Championship) is taking place at Yale University’s Payne Whitney Gym in New Haven, Conn. on February 3, 2008. Below is the latest match report.

Sabre: Harvard, 5-4
Harvard: Allie Sneider 1-2, Alexa Weingarden 3-0, Samantha Parker 1-2.
Penn: Danielle Kamis 2-1, Cassandra Partyka 1-2, Alexis Baran 1-2.

Foil: Penn, 6-3
Harvard: Anna Podolsky 1-2, Misha Goldfeder 1-2, Arielle Pensler 1-2.
Penn: Abby Emerson 2-1, Zoya Abdikulova 1-2, Ilana Sinkin 3-0.

Epee: Harvard, 5-4
Harvard: Lisa Vastola 1-2, Maria Larsson 3-0, Elizabeth Bast 1-2.
Penn: Kristen Hughes 1-2, Kathryn Anthony 1-2, Stephanie Wheeler 2-1.

IVY RECORDS: Penn 2-1, Harvard 2-1

To return to the main page, click here.

Women’s: Columbia 19, Princeton 8

The first half of the Ivy League Fencing Championship (formerly known as the ”North” Championship) is taking place at Yale University’s Payne Whitney Gym in New Haven, Conn. on February 3, 2008. Below is the latest match report.

Sabre: Columbia, 9-0
Columbia: Danielle Gordet 3-0, Emily Jacobson 3-0, Jackie Jacobson 3-0.
Princeton: Caroline Merz 0-3, Lyuba Docheva 0-3, Cara DiGirolamo 0-3.

Foil: Columbia, 5-4
Columbia: Magda Losonczy 1-2, Nicole Ross 2-1, Abby Caparros-Janto 2-1.
Princeton: Mina Zargham 1-2, Ann Gong 2-1, Karen Petsche 1-2.

Epee: Columbia, 5-4
Columbia: Oriana Isaacson 1-2, Tess Finkel 2-1, Martyna Urbanowicz 2-1.
Princeton: Jasjit Bhinder 1-2, Jo-Ann Karhson 0-1, Chandler Clay 3-0, Lauren Clark 0-2.

IVY RECORDS: Columbia 3-0, Princeton 1-3

To return to the main page, click here.

Women’s: Cornell 16, Yale 11

The first half of the Ivy League Fencing Championship (formerly known as the ”North” Championship) is taking place at Yale University’s Payne Whitney Gym in New Haven, Conn. on February 3, 2008. Below is the latest match report.

Sabre: Cornell, 5-4
Cornell: Alison Ewing 1-2, Alexandra Heiss 3-0, Gwen Waichman 1-2.
Yale: Erin Frey 2-1, Farrah Kimovec 1-1, Katharine Arden 1-2, Chloe Rossetti 0-1.

Foil: Cornell, 5-4
Cornell: Celia Smith 1-2, Jessica Tranquada 2-1, Analise Peleggi 2-1.
Yale: Lidia Gocheva 3-0, Jennifer Cohen 1-2, Jennifer Ivers 0-3.

Epee: Cornell, 6-3
Cornell: Katharine Thompson 2-1, Tasha Hall 2-1, Sallie Dietrich 1-1, Erica Waichman 1-0.
Yale: Rebecca Moss 3-0, Pruittiporn Kerdchoochuen 0-3, Abigail Fraeman 0-3.

IVY RECORDS: Cornell 2-2, Yale 0-4

To return to the main page, click here.

Round 4

Round Four has indeed ended.  However, individual results will be delayed until tomorrow.  The reason for this is because the blogmaster has to travel from New Haven, Conn., back to Bucks County, Pa.  That is a pretty long drive so it needs to take place sometime soon.

In addition to this, there is a pretty big football game on tonight (or so he has been told) and needs to save as much time as possible so that he can watch the commercials.

Prediction: GIANTS 29, Patriots 26.

For no other reason than the blogmaster is the opposite of a Patriots fan.  But the Giants are probably already down (at 5:49 pm).

TEASER: The fourth round scores…

Men’s competition -

Penn 16, Harvard 11
Columbia 21, Princeton 6

Women’s competition -

Penn 14, Harvard 13
Columbia 19, Princeton 8
Cornell 16, Yale 11

UPDATE: Well the score was slightly off but the margin of victory and team were right… so if the blogmaster may take a page out of Meatloaf’s lyrical brilliance (kind of)… “two out of three ain’t bad”.