MEDFORD, MA (January 12, 2025) – A dramatic comeback victory over Wellesley College highlighted the Tufts University women's fencing team's action at the Tufts Invitational on Sunday at the Gantcher Center.
The Jumbos trailed Wellesley 13-12 before winning the final two matches to earn the 14-13 win. Junior
Karen Bei won in epee to tie the match, and then senior
Shannon Chen in foil won the decisive match-clincher. Tufts had lost 16-11 to Wellesley when the teams met earlier this season in November.
Division I teams Brown University and Northwestern University were also at Gantcher for Sunday's action. Tufts dropped a 22-5 match to the Bears, and fell 17-10 against the Wildcats. The Jumbos now sport a 14-18 record overall.
In the Wellesley match, which was Tufts' first of the day, the Jumbos won saber 6-3 and epee 5-4. Sophomore
Nitika Subramanian won all three of her saber matches and senior Millie Girgardi won two of three. Bei and senior
Ayelet Book both won twice in epee. Though Wellesley had a 6-3 advantage in foil, Chen's two wins were key to the Tufts victory.
Brown got the better of Tufts in the Jumbos' second match. Bei in epee and Chen in foil each had two of Tufts' wins.
Against Northwestern, the #5 ranked Division I team in the country, Bei scored two wins in epee, Chen had two in foil and Subramanian won twice in saber. The Jumbo's 10 wins against the Wildcats today were twice as many as they had when the teams met back in early November.
For today's tournament, Bei, Chen and Subramanian all finished with 6-3 records (.667) for the Jumbos. Girardi won three times in saber.
The Jumbos will compete next on February 15 at the EWFC Championships hosted by Drew University.
--JUMBOS--
