Photo by: S. J. Carrera, Inc.
Northwestern Fencing Unveils Class Of 2027
1/24/2023 10:00:00 AM | Women's Fencing
‘Cats to add eight newcomers in the fall
EVANSTON, Ill. (January 24, 2023) – Northwestern Fencing Head Coach Zach Moss announced the addition of eight student-athletes to his 2027 class on Tuesday. The group of signees includes talent from across the globe, with members hailing from Canada, Hong Kong, and Romania, in addition to the United States.
"I'm thrilled to welcome this class to our Northwestern fencing family," Moss commented. "They will bring high level experience, toughness, and a strong sense of community to our program. From the beginning of the recruitment process, these were fencers we felt would be excellent fits for our team and Northwestern. I expect them to step onto campus and make an immediate impact – both on the strip and off it. The standout skills and experience that they bring will help to continue to propel our program forward. We can't wait to have them join us in the Fall!"
Alex Chen
Sabre / 5'11
Toronto, Ontario, Canada / Toronto Montessori School
High School: No. 1 ranked Junior in Canada … No. 1 ranked Cadet in Canada … No. 4 ranked Senior in Canada … Junior and Senior Canadian National Champion … Youth Chinese National Champion.
Personal: Parents are Tianqi Sun and Youye Chen … Grew up in Beijing, China … Honor Roll student … Volunteered at Montreal Sabre Grand Prix, as well as a volunteer translator, PT, and tutor … Anticipated major is Journalism.
Adèle Bois
Sabre / 5'7
New York, N.Y. / Stuyvesant High School
High School & Club: Three-time National All-American First Team … A22 rating … Top 16 at 2019 Cadet circuit in Moedling, Austria … Cadet top-8 at 2020 Junior Olympics … First in Juniors at 2022 Winter Thrust RJCC … Ninth at 2022 Cadet circuit in Grenoble, France … Fenced for Scarsdale Fencing Center and Fencer's Club Inc..
Personal: Parents are Stéphane and Eve Bois … Chose Northwestern over Brown and UNC … Anticipated major is Journalism.
Daphne Chan Nok Sze
Foil / 5'7
Hong Kong / St. Paul's Co-Educational College
High School & Club: Selected to both Junior and Senior Hong Kong National Teams … Second place at FIE World Senior Games Satellite in Singapore … 12th at World Junior Fencing Championships (Individual) … First place at Challenge Marathon Fleuret … First place team at Asian Junior and Cadet Championships.
Personal: Daughter of Kim Pong Clerebold Chan … Anticipated major is Learning and Organizational Change.
Karina Vasile
Foil / 5'4
Bucharest, Romania / Wellington College (Crowthorne, UK)
High School & Club: Romanian National Team member … 2022 European Champion with Romanian National Team … Individual bronze medal in 2022 European Championship 2022l … Bronze medal in 2018 European Team Championship … 16 National Champion titles in individual & team events (2014-2022) … Won 13-of-14 foil matches against other public schools in the UK … Romanian Senior, Junior and Cadet National Champion … Ranked first in the country in all categories for foil … Club team is CSA Steaua Bucuresti … Master of Arms in Public Schools National Championship … Fencing Sport Full Colours and Old Wellingtonians Society Fencing Prize Recipient 2022.
Personal: Parents are Luana Vasile and Peter Vasile … Chose Northwestern over Notre Dame, Boston College, and Ohio State … 2022 Risdale Chemistry Prize Recipient … Class President from 2019 – 2022 … 2022 Silver Award in Intermediate British Biology Olympiad … Anticipated major is Biological Sciences.
Ava Wade-Currie
Epee / 5'6
Hyde Park, Mass. / Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
High School & Club: 2020 Massachusetts Individual State Champion … USA Fencing All-American Team in 2020 and 2022 … Eighth place in October NAC Cadet Women's Epee … 15th plate at Cadet Women's Epee World Cup in Grenoble, France … 16th place at November NAC Division 1 Women's Epee … Club team is Olympia Fencing Center.
Personal: Mother is Allison Wade … Competed against fellow Wildcats Christina Liu, Anna Damratoski, Asha Henry, Lia Douglas, Karen Wang before arriving at Northwestern … Chose Northwestern over Temple, LIU, and Penn State … USA Fencing All-Academic Team … Anticipated major is undecided.
Christina Liu
Epee / 5'2
Houston, Texas / Memorial Senior High School
High School & Club: USA Fencing First Team All-American … 5th place at 2021 December NAC Cadet Women's Epee … Earned top-32 finishes at 2022 April NAC, 2022 Junior Olympic Championships, 2022 January NAC in Junior Women's Epee, and 2021 Cadet World Cup in Grenoble, France.
Personal: Parents are Rong Ye and Da Liu … Competed against fellow Wildcats Karen Wang and Ava Wade-Currie before arriving at Northwestern … National Honors Society member … AP Scholar … USA Fencing All-Academic First Team … Anticipated major is undecided.
Amy Lu
Sabre / 5'2
Rockville, Md. / Holton-Arms School
High School & Club: USA Fencing First Team All-American … 24th at the Riposta Cup in Bucharest, Romania (Cadet) … 7th at the Riposta Cup (Cadet teams) … 37th at 2022 January NAC (Junior) … 13th at 2021 July NAC (Cadet) … Three-time Academic All-American … Club team is Capital Fencing Academy.
Personal: Parents are Quansheng Lu and the late Bing Lu … National Merit Commend Student … Anticipated major is undecided.
Erika Castaneda
Foil / 5'6
Seattle, Wash. / Laurel Springs School
High School & Club: USA Fencing First Team All-American … 36th at the Grand Prix in Incheon, Korea … 6th in the Paris Marathon Fleuret Challenge … 5th at the World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico … 3rd in Div1 Fairfax Challenge … 3rd in Div1 American Challenge … 1st in Junior Rain City Challenge … 9th in Div1A July Challenge … Has participated in seven years of club fencing for Silicon Valley Fencing and Rain City Fencing Center … USA Fencing Academic All-American.
Personal: Daughter of Carlos Castaneda … AP Scholar with Honor … National Honors Society member … National Hispanic Scholar Award … Plays the cello and piano … Chose Northwestern over Brown, Notre Dame and UCSD … Anticipated major is neuroscience on the pre-med track.
"I'm thrilled to welcome this class to our Northwestern fencing family," Moss commented. "They will bring high level experience, toughness, and a strong sense of community to our program. From the beginning of the recruitment process, these were fencers we felt would be excellent fits for our team and Northwestern. I expect them to step onto campus and make an immediate impact – both on the strip and off it. The standout skills and experience that they bring will help to continue to propel our program forward. We can't wait to have them join us in the Fall!"
Alex Chen
Sabre / 5'11
Toronto, Ontario, Canada / Toronto Montessori School
High School: No. 1 ranked Junior in Canada … No. 1 ranked Cadet in Canada … No. 4 ranked Senior in Canada … Junior and Senior Canadian National Champion … Youth Chinese National Champion.
Personal: Parents are Tianqi Sun and Youye Chen … Grew up in Beijing, China … Honor Roll student … Volunteered at Montreal Sabre Grand Prix, as well as a volunteer translator, PT, and tutor … Anticipated major is Journalism.
From Toronto, Canada, Alex Chen is officially a Wildcat!#GoCats pic.twitter.com/fjUEeq3RhF
— Northwestern Fencing (@NUWFencing) January 24, 2023
Adèle Bois
Sabre / 5'7
New York, N.Y. / Stuyvesant High School
High School & Club: Three-time National All-American First Team … A22 rating … Top 16 at 2019 Cadet circuit in Moedling, Austria … Cadet top-8 at 2020 Junior Olympics … First in Juniors at 2022 Winter Thrust RJCC … Ninth at 2022 Cadet circuit in Grenoble, France … Fenced for Scarsdale Fencing Center and Fencer's Club Inc..
Personal: Parents are Stéphane and Eve Bois … Chose Northwestern over Brown and UNC … Anticipated major is Journalism.
From New York City, N.Y., Adèle Bois is officially a Wildcat!#GoCats pic.twitter.com/z5lhbuuR2u
— Northwestern Fencing (@NUWFencing) January 24, 2023
Daphne Chan Nok Sze
Foil / 5'7
Hong Kong / St. Paul's Co-Educational College
High School & Club: Selected to both Junior and Senior Hong Kong National Teams … Second place at FIE World Senior Games Satellite in Singapore … 12th at World Junior Fencing Championships (Individual) … First place at Challenge Marathon Fleuret … First place team at Asian Junior and Cadet Championships.
Personal: Daughter of Kim Pong Clerebold Chan … Anticipated major is Learning and Organizational Change.
From Hong Kong, Daphne Chan Nok Sze is officially a Wildcat!#GoCats pic.twitter.com/Ys20PCudgl
— Northwestern Fencing (@NUWFencing) January 24, 2023
Karina Vasile
Foil / 5'4
Bucharest, Romania / Wellington College (Crowthorne, UK)
High School & Club: Romanian National Team member … 2022 European Champion with Romanian National Team … Individual bronze medal in 2022 European Championship 2022l … Bronze medal in 2018 European Team Championship … 16 National Champion titles in individual & team events (2014-2022) … Won 13-of-14 foil matches against other public schools in the UK … Romanian Senior, Junior and Cadet National Champion … Ranked first in the country in all categories for foil … Club team is CSA Steaua Bucuresti … Master of Arms in Public Schools National Championship … Fencing Sport Full Colours and Old Wellingtonians Society Fencing Prize Recipient 2022.
Personal: Parents are Luana Vasile and Peter Vasile … Chose Northwestern over Notre Dame, Boston College, and Ohio State … 2022 Risdale Chemistry Prize Recipient … Class President from 2019 – 2022 … 2022 Silver Award in Intermediate British Biology Olympiad … Anticipated major is Biological Sciences.
From Bucharest, Romania, Karina Vasile is officially a Wildcat!#GoCats pic.twitter.com/TFKDyYG8xi
— Northwestern Fencing (@NUWFencing) January 24, 2023
Ava Wade-Currie
Epee / 5'6
Hyde Park, Mass. / Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
High School & Club: 2020 Massachusetts Individual State Champion … USA Fencing All-American Team in 2020 and 2022 … Eighth place in October NAC Cadet Women's Epee … 15th plate at Cadet Women's Epee World Cup in Grenoble, France … 16th place at November NAC Division 1 Women's Epee … Club team is Olympia Fencing Center.
Personal: Mother is Allison Wade … Competed against fellow Wildcats Christina Liu, Anna Damratoski, Asha Henry, Lia Douglas, Karen Wang before arriving at Northwestern … Chose Northwestern over Temple, LIU, and Penn State … USA Fencing All-Academic Team … Anticipated major is undecided.
From Boston, Mass., Ava Wade-Currie is officially a Wildcat!#GoCats pic.twitter.com/XljcXNeAju
— Northwestern Fencing (@NUWFencing) January 24, 2023
Christina Liu
Epee / 5'2
Houston, Texas / Memorial Senior High School
High School & Club: USA Fencing First Team All-American … 5th place at 2021 December NAC Cadet Women's Epee … Earned top-32 finishes at 2022 April NAC, 2022 Junior Olympic Championships, 2022 January NAC in Junior Women's Epee, and 2021 Cadet World Cup in Grenoble, France.
Personal: Parents are Rong Ye and Da Liu … Competed against fellow Wildcats Karen Wang and Ava Wade-Currie before arriving at Northwestern … National Honors Society member … AP Scholar … USA Fencing All-Academic First Team … Anticipated major is undecided.
From Houston, Texas, Christina Liu is officially a Wildcat!#GoCats pic.twitter.com/q89q2nHhhN
— Northwestern Fencing (@NUWFencing) January 24, 2023
Amy Lu
Sabre / 5'2
Rockville, Md. / Holton-Arms School
High School & Club: USA Fencing First Team All-American … 24th at the Riposta Cup in Bucharest, Romania (Cadet) … 7th at the Riposta Cup (Cadet teams) … 37th at 2022 January NAC (Junior) … 13th at 2021 July NAC (Cadet) … Three-time Academic All-American … Club team is Capital Fencing Academy.
Personal: Parents are Quansheng Lu and the late Bing Lu … National Merit Commend Student … Anticipated major is undecided.
From Rockville, Md., Amy Lu is officially a Wildcat!#GoCats pic.twitter.com/bbDviaFYgW
— Northwestern Fencing (@NUWFencing) January 24, 2023
Erika Castaneda
Foil / 5'6
Seattle, Wash. / Laurel Springs School
High School & Club: USA Fencing First Team All-American … 36th at the Grand Prix in Incheon, Korea … 6th in the Paris Marathon Fleuret Challenge … 5th at the World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico … 3rd in Div1 Fairfax Challenge … 3rd in Div1 American Challenge … 1st in Junior Rain City Challenge … 9th in Div1A July Challenge … Has participated in seven years of club fencing for Silicon Valley Fencing and Rain City Fencing Center … USA Fencing Academic All-American.
Personal: Daughter of Carlos Castaneda … AP Scholar with Honor … National Honors Society member … National Hispanic Scholar Award … Plays the cello and piano … Chose Northwestern over Brown, Notre Dame and UCSD … Anticipated major is neuroscience on the pre-med track.
From Seattle, Wash., Erika Castaneda is officially a Wildcat!#GoCats pic.twitter.com/uHwnTPoWRZ
— Northwestern Fencing (@NUWFencing) January 24, 2023
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