Northwestern University Athletics
Handful of Wildcats Keeping Busy at Summer Nationals
7/26/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Fencing
July 26, 2010
EVANSTON, Ill. -- The 2010-11 Northwestern fencing season is still a few months away, but a number of current and former Wildcats have remained competitive during the summer months, competing at the 2010 Summer Nationals in Atlanta, Ga.
Sophomore Dayana Sarkisova (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central), fresh off her third-place finish at the 2010 NCAA Championships, placed 11th out of 43 fencers among the women's foil. She finished seven spots ahead of former Wildcat All-America Sam Nemecek, who placed 18th. Additionally, Sarkisova fenced in the Under-19 division and finished 12th out of 93 competitors.
In the women's epée, recently graduated All-American Christa French led the purple with a 22nd-place finish. Sophomore Karalina Collins (Houston, Texas/Waltrip) finished 52nd with Joanna Niklinska, who also graduated in June, placing 56th. Collins teamed up with incoming freshman Dina Bazarbayeva to capture the Junior Women's Epée team championship, and the duo also competed in the Under-19 division with Bazarbayeva placing seventh and Collins finishing 38th out of 107 entries.
Additionally, associate head coach Ed Kaihatsu competed in the Veteran 50 men's foil and won the gold medal, earning the number one ranking in the United States for that age group. Kaihatsu earned a spot on the U.S. Veteran World Championship team, which will compete at the World Championships in Porec, Croatia in October.
Northwestern's 2010-11 season will get underway in early October as the Wildcats look to build on last season's memorable 45-4 campaign which included a third-place finish in the Midwest Fencing Conference and a ninth-place showing at the NCAA Championships.
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