Monday, January 18
San Jose, Calif.
Noon EST
Columbia University
vs
North American Cup
Ross Overcomes Illness and Injury to Finish Fifth in Fencing Cup
1/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Fencing
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Fighting off illness, a nagging injury, and the fatigue that results from a full day of fencing against the best the United States has to offer, Columbia All-American Nicole Ross forged a fifth-place finish in Division I Elite Women's Foil on the final day of the North American Cup.
With the fifth place, Ross duplicated her finish in last spring's NCAA Championships and bested her national ranking. The junior from Manhattan's Upper West Side is ranked sixth in the U.S. Fencing Association Senior Women's rolling rankings.
"I'm really very happy with my result today," Ross said. "It was pretty dicey all day." Her coach, George Kolombatovich, was equally pleased. "Despite fighting a bad cold," he noted, "Nicole fenced wonderfully."
Ross's performance was the highlight of the final day of fencing at the San Jose Convention Center. She shared the strips with two other women's foil fencers, first-year D'Meca Homer, who made the round of 64, and senior Alex Huber, who just missed it.
Senior All-American Jeff Spear led the Lions' Sunday showing when he fought through an injury to place 26th in Senior Men's Sabre. Fellow senior sabre fencer Alex Rudnicki was 78th.
Sophomore Neely Brandfield-Harvey and first-year Lydia Kopecky were 53rd and 60th, respectively, in Senior Women's Epee on Sunday, and first-year Eddie Grigoriev was 34th in Junior Men's Foil.
The Lions begin the collegiate portion of the 2009-2010 season this coming weekend in two power-packed meets. On Saturday January 23, Columbia meets the best of college fencing in the NYU Invitational at the Violets' Coles Gymnasium, beginning at 8 a.m. The next day, the Lions journey to Jamaica, Queens, for a multi-meet at St. John's Taffner Field House, beginning at 10 a.m.
The opponents at NYU include Ohio State, St. John's, Notre Dame, Wayne State, the Northwestern women's team, and the Stevens Tech men's squad. Sunday's fencing features the host Red Storm, as well as Notre Dame, Ohio State and defending NCAA champion Penn State.
With the fifth place, Ross duplicated her finish in last spring's NCAA Championships and bested her national ranking. The junior from Manhattan's Upper West Side is ranked sixth in the U.S. Fencing Association Senior Women's rolling rankings.
"I'm really very happy with my result today," Ross said. "It was pretty dicey all day." Her coach, George Kolombatovich, was equally pleased. "Despite fighting a bad cold," he noted, "Nicole fenced wonderfully."
Ross's performance was the highlight of the final day of fencing at the San Jose Convention Center. She shared the strips with two other women's foil fencers, first-year D'Meca Homer, who made the round of 64, and senior Alex Huber, who just missed it.
Senior All-American Jeff Spear led the Lions' Sunday showing when he fought through an injury to place 26th in Senior Men's Sabre. Fellow senior sabre fencer Alex Rudnicki was 78th.
Sophomore Neely Brandfield-Harvey and first-year Lydia Kopecky were 53rd and 60th, respectively, in Senior Women's Epee on Sunday, and first-year Eddie Grigoriev was 34th in Junior Men's Foil.
The Lions begin the collegiate portion of the 2009-2010 season this coming weekend in two power-packed meets. On Saturday January 23, Columbia meets the best of college fencing in the NYU Invitational at the Violets' Coles Gymnasium, beginning at 8 a.m. The next day, the Lions journey to Jamaica, Queens, for a multi-meet at St. John's Taffner Field House, beginning at 10 a.m.
The opponents at NYU include Ohio State, St. John's, Notre Dame, Wayne State, the Northwestern women's team, and the Stevens Tech men's squad. Sunday's fencing features the host Red Storm, as well as Notre Dame, Ohio State and defending NCAA champion Penn State.
Players Mentioned
EPEE
/ Fencing
FOIL
/ Fencing
FOIL
/ Fencing
FOIL
/ Fencing
EPEE
/ Fencing
FOIL
/ Fencing
SABRE
/ Fencing
SABRE
/ FencingInterview: FENCE | Anne Cebula & Jackie Dubrovich Headed Paris Olympics
Wednesday, July 24
Interview: FENCE | Bogdan Hamilton Previews Paris Olympics
Tuesday, July 23
Highlight: FENCE | Oxenreider Clinches NCAA Finals Berth
Friday, March 22
Highlight: FENCE | Burke Wins National Sabre Championship
Sunday, March 26
