Feb. 23, 2008

Notre Dame, Ind. - The 2008 Midwest Fencing Conference Championships were held on Saturday in the Joyce Center Fieldhouse at the University of Notre Dame. The first day of the championships featured all of the individual competition.

In the women's epee, Wayne State senior Justyna Konczalska placed ninth, while Emanuela Bercea finished 19th. Sam Barc was 35th.

Konczalska had a 5-0 record in pool play and was +17 in touches. She was seeded second for the direct elimination round of 64. After a first round bye, she defeated Chicago's Emily Rowe 15-3. She fell to Mary Pozydaev of Ohio State, 15-12, in the round of 16.

Bercea compiled a 4-2 mark in pool play and was +3 in touches. She defeated Samantha Brooks of Michigan State, 15-7, in the round of 64 before losing, 15-11, to Ohio State's Leslie Lampman.

Barc had a 3-3 mark in pool play and was -8 in touches, then fell in the round of 64, 15-13, to Case Western Reserve's Elle Brennan.

Complete Women's Epee Results.

In foil competition, Samantha Strassburg was 22nd, while Rachel Broderick placed 40th.

Strassburg went 3-3 in pool play and was -2 in touches. Broderick was 1-5 in pool play and -13 in touches.

In the round of 64, Strassburg defeated Indiana's Amanda Hare, 13-8. In the next round she lost to Northwestern's Meredith Baskies 15-0. Meanwhile Broderick lost in the round of 64, 15-14, to Stefanie Engstrom of Illinois.

Complete Women's Foil Results.

Competing for WSU in the women's saber were Karolina Budna (7th), Ann Bartoszewicz (17th) and Anna Kotov (32nd).

Budna went 5-1 and was +27 in touches in pool play. She was seeded eighth and received a bye in the round of 64. In the second round she defeated Katie Smetana of Cleveland State 15-2. In the round of 16, Budna recorded a 15-3 triumph over Northwestern's Allison Keller. She lost, 15-13, to Ohio State's Eileen Grench in the quarterfinals. Grench was the eventual runner-up.

Bartoszewicz had a 5-1 mark in pool play and was +20 in touches. The seventh seed for the direct elimination competition, she received a first round bye before being upset, 15-12, by Northwestern's Whitney White.

Kotov compiled a 2-4 record and -12 in touches during pool play. She upset Michigan State's Meg Holt, 15-9, in the round of 64 before falling, 15-2, to eventual champion Siobhan Byrne of Ohio State.

Complete Women's Sabre Results.

The Midwest Fencing Conference Championships will conclude on Sunday with the team competition.