Two fencers represent MIT
NCAA Fencing Championships held at Ohio State
For the second year in a row, Joseph F. Rafidi ‘14 will represent MIT at the NCAA Fencing Championship and he will be joined by Cordelia G. Avery ‘17 at the competition scheduled to begin this Thursday at Ohio State. Qualifiers for epee and sabre, Rafidi and Avery are the lone Division III participants in their respective weapons.
Avery finished fourth at the NCAA Northeast Regional earlier this month, marking the fourth year in a row the Engineers have received a sabre entry and the second straight season a rookie will be representing the women’s team on the national scene. She racked up a ledger of 59-12 in dual competitions as her 17-1 record in Northeast Fencing Conference action resulted in first-team All-Star accolades.
The first men’s fencer to make back-to-back NCAA appearances since foilist Spencer Sugimoto ‘08 in 2005 and 2006, Rafidi looks to improve upon his ninth-place performance from last season. A runner-up at the NCAA Northeast Regional this year, he captured first place at the New England Championship and generated a total of 34-9 in dual competitions.
Avery makes her national debut at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday with action continuing at 9:00 a.m. the following day. Rafidi, meanwhile, takes to the strip at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday with rounds four and five starting at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday. For more information about the NCAA Championship, including live results and video of the semifinal and championship bouts, log on to http://www.ncaa.com/fencing.