Fencer wins Elite 89 Award
Benjamin Lin ’17 becomes second in row to win prize for athletic and academic performance
Carrying a 5.0 GPA, Benjamin Lin ’17 was presented with the NCAA Elite 89 Award at the NCAA Fencing National Championship held this weekend at Ohio State. He is the second consecutive fencer to receive this accolade after Joey Rafidi ’14 was tabbed for this honor last year. Since the Elite 89 program was established during the 2009-10 academic year, the Engineers have collected eight awards.
The Elite 89, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 89 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 89 championships.
In his debut at the NCAA Championship, Lin finished 23rd in the sabre competition as he recorded a 5-2 victory over Air Force and edged out teammate Tzer Wong ’18, 5-4. He almost picked up wins against Notre Dame, Duke, two Penn State opponents, Columbia, and Penn but lost each bout by a score of 5-4.