Feb. 10, 2008

DURHAM, N.C. - The North Carolina women's fencing team entered the Duke Dual Meets Saturday needing to win 15 of the 27 bouts against the Blue Devils to capture the one Carlyle Cup point up for grabs. The Tar Heels did even better, winning 17 of the 27 bouts against Duke, and beating three of the four other teams at the dual meet. North Carolina finishes the regular season with a record of 25-10. North Carolina is now well ahead of Duke 11-3 in the 2007-08 Carlyle Cup season with three winter sports points still to be determined before spring sports season starts.

The women's sabre team went 8-1 against Duke and also earned the Sabre Cup, which honors the best weapon squad at the meet. The squad was able to give the Tar Heels a solid foundation for the rest of the match against the Blue Devils.

"The Duke meet for the women was a blowout for us," Head Coach Ron Miller said. "Sabre started it out with an 8-1 record, and epee, although struggling early, came back strong at the end. Women's foil really put them away."

For many on the team, facing the Blue Devils was the perfect way to end the regular season. Saturday was the first time this season that North Carolina faced off against Duke.

"We talk about it all year," sophomore sabre fencer Jennifer Sawicki said. "I felt like my entire squad rallied, our team rallied and we were just really happy about it."

The match against Duke sent the Tar Heels into the second half of the competition undefeated. North Carolina defeated M.I.T. 19-8 and Brandeis 20-7 earlier in the day. The strong start gave the team the motivation it needed to face its biggest rival.

"We were ready, and we were energized," freshman foil fencer Kaitlin Williamson said. "We just gave it everything we had."

Sawicki, who finished the day 13-1, and junior Jennifer Clark, who finished 9-5, helped lead the sabre squad. Sophomore epee Claire Brandow finished 9-3. The foil squad also had solid performances from sophomore May-Lynne Chen-Contino, who went 8-3, and Williamson, who went 8-2.

Coming back from a break, the Tar Heels faced tough competition from Temple, eventually losing 21-6. Despite the disappointing defeat, North Carolina bounced back to defeat Air Force 18-9. The team has been working on not lingering on a loss.

"One of the things we work on is what's called a release of error," Miller said. "In other words, it's a situation where you fence enough meets and enough bouts that you desensitize yourself to the loss and focus on the next win. They just said okay, that's over, on to the next bout."

Sawicki echoed the team's strategy when it comes to moving on from a difficult match.

"You just refocus at each meet," Sawicki said. "It's its own meet. You make sure that you are fresh, you drop the last one out of your mind and you work your hardest."

Assistant Coach Joshua Webb saw that effort come to fruition when the Tar Heels returned to the strip to face Air Force.

"They got down to Temple, but they came back for Air Force with renewed energy and renewed vigor," Webb said. "They turned that around. It was a big win."

Sawicki emphasized how important the rest of the team can be to a fencer on the strip when he or she is behind in a bout.

"We got a little flat against Temple," Sawicki said. "You could tell, everyone was sitting down, but then by the end we had everybody standing up again and cheering. I think that was basically a good rallying point for us because as long as we're yelling for each other and making as much noise as possible it really shows that our fencers on the strip do better."

It was also a good day for those Tar Heels hoping to continue their efforts into the postseason. Each team can send a maximum of 12 fencers, four from each weapon -- North Carolina will be sending 12 women to regional competition. This last regular season meet gave some athletes that last bit of preparation before the focus shifts from team-oriented to individual competition.

"The postseason is going to be very different," Sawicki said. "The momentum is different, and you have different goals. I think we're going to take the confidence that we gained here and hopefully focus it into our personal endeavors. It's a lot more about going back to your individual goals."

As the Tar Heels reflect on the season, many realize how far they have come since the first meet.

"We've come together as a team," Williamson said. "People are really starting to have confidence in their own performance and with the team as a whole."

Webb also recognized how well the team's efforts throughout the season culminated in Saturday's final regular season meet.

"That maturity that they've shown from the beginning of the season and that growth is the biggest part," Webb said. "They're peaking at just the right time."