WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University senior Joanne Carminucci of Webster, New York, and junior Ian Quin of Ramsay, New Jersey, have been selected as the University Athletic Association (UAA) Fencers of the Week for the week ending October 28th.
Both fencers were honored for winning gold medals the 2018 New England Intercollegiate Fencing Conference Fall Invitational, also known as The Big One.
Carminucci received the fourth seed in the women's foil bracket in the direct elimination tournament after going 5-0 with just four touches received in the preliminary rounds for a +21 margin of victory. She rolled through the first two rounds of the tournament with wins of 15-1 over a foe from Vassar and 15-3 against an opponent from UMass. In the quarterfinals, she defeated Kayla Moy of Boston College, 15-6, then took out another Eagle, Lee Madison, 15-8 in the semifinals. In the title match, Carminucci topped top-seeded Cindy Shen of Dartmouth, 15-9, to earn her second-straight championship at the event. This is her eighth career UAA Fencer of the Week honor.
Quin was one of 10 unbeaten fencers in the prelims, earning the sixth seed in the men's foil bracket with a +18 indicator. He also cruised in the first round, 15-1, over a foe from UMass, and took a 15-7 win in the second round against an MIT opponent. Things got tougher as Quin advanced, defeating Frank Riccio of Sacred Heart, 15-10, in the round of 16. Against the third seed, BC's Cameron Mayer in the quarters, Quin edged his opponent, 15-14. Facing Christopher Kiel of MIT in the semis, Quin took a 15-9 win, and then won the final by the same score against Zachary Hammer of BC, to claim another title at the event. This is Quin's fourth weekly honor from the UAA.
Brandeis returns to action on November 17th when they compete in the first of two Northeast Fencing Conference meets at MIT with bouts against Smith, Boston University, Sacred Heart, UMass, MIT, Wellesley and New Hampshire.
Carminucci is a 2015 graduate of North Salem High School.
Quin is a 2016 graduate of Ramsey High School.