STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Brandeis University sophomore Anna Hanley (Arlington, Mass./Lexington Christian) finished in 17th place in the saber today at NCAA National Collegiate Fencing Championships. Competing against Division I, II and III competition, the Judges placed 18th out of 25 teams that scored points. They were second among Division III schools and third among New England Institutions.
Hanley won eight of her 23 saber bouts to earn 17th place. She was four wins out of the top 12 and All-America status. Among the opponents Hanley defeated were two from rival New York University, two from ninht-ranked Temple University and one each from MIT, No. 6 Northwestern University, No. 7 University of Pensylvania, and Stanford University. This was Hanley's first trip to the NCAA championships.
On the men's side for Brandeis, senior Will Friedman (Newton, Mass./Newton North) posted 10 victories in his 22 foil bouts to finish in 14th place out of 24 fencers, two spots and two victories out of a second career All-America honor. Friedman, who finished in seventh place in 2008, improved three spots from his Day 1 placement. His wins on Day 1 came against opponents from No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 5 Columbia, No. 9 Stanford, plus UAA rival NYU and Cal.-San Diego. His foe from Columbia, Sherrif Farrag, was the Northeast regional champion. On Day 2, he defeated two foes from Yale, plus one each from No. 4 Ohio State and Brown. Friedman missed a chance at one additional win when a fencer from Duke withdrew after the first day of action because of an injury.
Sophomore Adam Austin (Dix Hills, N.Y./Commack) finished in 22nd place in the saber after winning six of his 23 bouts. On Day One, he posted saber victories in 14 bouts in his first taste of NCAA action to rank in 19th place. Austin recorded victories over opponents from top-ranked Notre Dame and No. 6 Princeton, plus Vassar and Wayne State. On the second day of action, he went 2-7, with his two wins coming against foes from No. 8 St. John's and No. 10 Duke.
Host Penn State University won the team title with 195 points, followed by Notre Dame with 182. Brandeis scored 24 points, one ahead of Division I Cornell University and six behind DII University of California-San Diego.