Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Announce Five Additions During Early Signing Period
11/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Fencing
Nov. 26, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern fencing head coach Laurie Schiller announced the signing of five Wildcats Wednesday. The incoming recruits will begin competition for Northwestern in the 2009-10 season.
Dayana Sarkisova hails from Grand Rapids, Mich., and competes in the foil. She has extensive international experience and is currently ranked 12th on the women's foil senior list (all ages) and seventh on the junior list (under 20 years old). Sarkisova attends Forest Hills Central High School and plans to major in english. Says Schiller of Sarkisova, "Dayana is one of the best women's foil fencers coming out of high school this year. She will make an immediate impact on our team and will go far to take over from our leading foilest, Sam Nemecek, who graduates this year. We are very happy to have her join our program."
The Wildcats add another foil fencer in Emily Bruhl, a native of Fairfield, Conn. She won the state women's foil J.V. tournament her sophomore year and placed ninth at the varsity championships last year. Bruhl plans to major in biology at NU. Schiller says of Bruhl "Emily is a good high school fencer from Connecticut. She has fenced for less than three years but has attended a number of North American Cups and camps to improve her game. She is a solid fencer who will add to the overall strength of our program."
Schiller added another Connecticut fencer in Madeline Sachs. The epéeist is from Greenwich, Conn., and is the younger sister of current Wildcat Lisa Sachs. She plans to major in latin american studies. Says Schiller of Sachs, "We are pleased to have Maddie join her sister Lisa (sophomore foil) as a member of our team. She is an accomplished epee fencer who will join one of the best epee teams in the country. She has fenced on the national level for three years and we expect her to improve and be a significant part of our team."
Hannah Schwalbe is from Mill Valley, Calif., and competes in the epée as well. She attends the Branson School and is interested in studying biology once arriving at Northwestern. Schiller says of Schwalbe, "Hannah has wanted to come to Northwestern from the very beginning, so we are pleased that she is able to join us and be part of our program. Since there is no high school program where she is, she has traveled into San Francisco to learn at Halberstadt Club where she has made good progress. Over the past two years she has fenced in local and national tournaments with increasingly better results. We are sure she will thrive in our program and make a good contribution to it."
The final recruit is Alicia Gurrieri from Medford, N.J. She has fenced at several international tournaments and was an alternate on the 2008 US Cadet team (under 17 years of age), being ranked sixth in cadet at that time. In New Jersey high school play, she has only one dual meet loss in three seasons and was the District II individual champion last season. Says Schiller of Gurrieri, "Alicia is one of the stronger sabre fencers coming out of high school this year and we are very pleased to have her join us. Alicia will make an immediate impact on our program and will make a good sabre squad even better."
The Wildcats are 10-0 on the season after sweeping the NU Duals back on Nov. 15. NU hosts the USFA Illinior Junior Olympic Qualifier at the Sports and Aquatic Center (SPAC) on Sunday, Dec. 6, before traveling to Colorado Springs, Colo., for the USFA North American Cup Dec. 12-14.
