WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University fencing team will welcome six members of USA Fencing's Absolute Fencing Gear 2019 All-Academic team to campus this fall. The six first-team members that will join coach Jennie Salmon's teams represent the most among all NCAA schools that sponsor fencing, according to USA Fencing.
First-team members achieved a GPA of at least 3.85 in their high school careers to be eligible. In total, 92 recent high school graduates were honored as USA Fencing All-Academic selections.
The six incoming first-years are:
Harper Hall – San Francisco, California (Gateway High School)
Jake Hempe – Coram, New York (Newfield High School)
Maggie Shealy – Chapel Hill, North Carolina (East Chapel Hill High School)
Samantha Shortall – Norwell, Massachusetts (Norwell High School)
Paula Thornton – Marietta, Georgia (Campbell High School)
Alexander Wicken – Norwich, Connecticut (Norwich Free Academy)
The announcement of the team was made earlier this month at the 2019 Summer National Championships in Columbus, Ohio.
Brandeis fencing kicks off its season in November with the New England Fall Intercollegiate Championships. The Judges will host two meets, the Brandeis Invitational in December and the Eric Sollee Invitational in February.