STANFORD, Calif. – Competing at home for the first time in five years, the Stanford fencing teams earned three individual titles at the NCAA West Regionals on Saturday at Ford Center and Burnham Pavilion.
Freshman Crystal Qian won the women's foil, Joy Yun won the women's saber, and Donghwan Park won the men's saber to head Cardinal candidates for the NCAA Championships March 23-26 in Durham, North Carolina.
The four programs in the region – Stanford, Air Force, UC San Diego, and Incarnate Word – are allotted three NCAA slots each in men's epee and men's foil, and two each in men's saber, and the three women's weapons. In addition, two spots in each weapon will be eligible for consideration for NCAA at-large spots.
Where does that leave Stanford? Understand that the top regional placers are "recommended" for the NCAAs by a committee, but the selections won't become official until Tuesday.
The Cardinal who placed in those allocated NCAA spots are Qian, Yun, Park, Irene Yeu (second, women's epee), and Kai Rayle (third, men's epee). Cardinal who can be considered for at-large spots are Jeanette Han (tied for third, women's saber), Haley Koo (fourth, women's foil), and Luke Park (fourth, men's foil).
Irene Yeu (left) in epee action. Photo by John P. Lozano/ISIphotos.com.
All of Stanford's top-four finishers advanced to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation semifinals, which begin Sunday at 9 a.m. at Burnham Pavilion. The same four schools comprise the MPSF, but MPSF results are not considered for NCAA qualification.
The MPSF individual finals begin at 10:20 a.m., with team relays beginning at 1:45 p.m. The MPSF combined team champion will be crowned at 3:10 p.m. Stanford is the defending champion.
Qian was among three in women's foil, along with UCSD's Kyra Wu and Air Force's Melissa Kline, to go 8-2 in pool play, which determined the placing in each weapon. Qian lost 5-1 to Kline and 5-4 to Wu, but still won the pool because of her plus-20 touch differential among her 10 bouts, while Wu was plus-19 and Kline plus-14. Stanford's Koo, the defending region champion, was left on the NCAA bubble with a 7-3 record.
Yun went 9-2 in the saber pool, finishing just ahead of four others at 8-3, including Han and fifth-place Erika Yong, also of Stanford. Yun is 31-7 this season.
Park, a two-time All-American, captured his first regional title. He went 11-2, with UCSD's Shawn Kim next at 10-3. None of the other 12 fencers won more than eight bouts in that division. Park beat Kim, 5-3, in the decisive matchup, and improved his season record to 48-14.
Stanford's Donghwan Park. Photo by John P. Lozano/ISIphotos.com.
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NCAA West Regionals
At Ford Center/Burnham Pavilion
Winners and all Stanford
Men
Foil – 1, Jack Griffith (Air Force) 8-2; 4, Luke Park (Stanford) 6-4; 11, Sanjay Kasi (Stanford) 1-9.
Epee – 1, Vedran Markota (UCSD) 12-2; 3, Kai Rayle (Stanford) 10-4; 8, Aidan Kung (Stanford) 8-6; 12, Connor Jeong (Stanford) 4-10.
Saber – 1, Donghwan Park (Stanford) 11-2; 8, Eugene Ko (Stanford) 7-6; 9, Calvin Zau (Stanford) 6-7.
Women
Foil – 1, Crystal Qian (Stanford) 8-2; 4, Haley Koo (Stanford) 7-3; 7, Sofia Raso (Stanford) 4-6; 9, Woo Joo Kwon (Stanford) 2-8.
Epee – 1, Renee Zuhars (UCSD) 12-2; 2, Irene Yeu (Stanford) 11-3; 6, Hanna Lee (Stanford) 9-5; 11, Aditri Patil 5-9.
Saber – 1, Joy Yun (Stanford) 9-2; 3 (tie), Jeanette Han (Stanford) 8-3; 5, Erika Yong (Stanford) 8-3; 9, Shining Xi (Stanford) 4-7; 11, Charlotte He (Stanford) 2-9.