As it enters today's Duke Invitational, the final event of the regular season, the fencing team, like Zorro, is very confident that the pointy end will go into the other man or woman.
But the Blue Devils' opponents do not lack for skill by any criteria. Duke will face off against Air Force, Columbia, Rutgers, North Carolina and Notre Dame. All five are competitive, and the Fighting Irish men and women are currently ranked second in the nation.
Coach Alex Beguinet feels the men's team has a very good chance of winning the meet despite the strength of Notre Dame. "Notre Dame is very good, but we won't just stand there," he said. "We are stronger in foil and pretty even in epee, so the saber team will have to do well for us to win."
The Duke men are led by senior Robert Manchen and freshman phenomenon Andrew Mahen. Manchen fences foil and was the lone Blue Devil to participate in last year's national championships, where he finished 16th. This year he has accumulated a 20-10 record and is optimistic about his chances in the postseason.
"I feel I am fencing much better this season," he said. "My goal is to finish in the top 12 at nationals this year [thus earning first-team All-American honors]."
Mahen, who fences saber, is having a remarkable freshman year. He has the highest win percentage of any Blue Devil with his 26-4 record. In a large part, Duke's chances against Notre Dame rest on his shoulders, as he will have to contend with nationally ranked Luke Lav'alle. The fact that the Blue Devils' chances hinge on a freshman is less disconcerting considering Mahen's background. He was an undefeated state champion last year in New Jersey.
This year's women's team is especially strong at epee. Junior Katarine Izyanka is 30-13, senior Katherine Nichols is 28-15 and freshman Kristina Schafer has a 26-16 record.
Izyanka is originally from the Ukraine and advanced to NCAA regionals as a sophomore. Nichols finished 33-19 last season and also reached NCAA regionals. Schafer is a three-time Junior Olympic participant and plans to compete again later this month.
As a group, the epee squad feels pleased with its performance this year.
"We are having a very good season; we really came together in the MIT meet," Schafer said. "Catherine is the biggest reason. She keeps this team together."
Beguinet was very pleased with the women's performance and felt that all three are legitimate contenders for a trip to Nationals.
The Duke Invitational begins today morning at 10 a.m. This represents the team's only appearance at home, and the Blue Devils hope that student support will provide the team with a psychological advantage.
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