Fencing from North by Northwestern on Vimeo.
There’s nothing on campus here at Northwestern quite like the fencing team. These athletes are some of the most gifted students our school has to offer, but not many people here know a whole lot about the sport they play.
Well, I’m pretty sure they’re the only NU sports team that sent athletes to compete in South Korea over the summer. They also log plenty of frequent flyer miles stateside, having already gone to a tournament in Portland, Ore. earlier this month. And they’ve got the longest-tenured head coach at Northwestern, with Laurie Schiller coaching his 37th season at the school this year.
Oh yeah, and they’re also really good.
Northwestern has posted a top-10 finish at the NCAA tournament for the past 15 years, and Coach Schiller has amassed a ridiculous 0.776 wining percentage over the course of his career.
The team travels to tournaments across the country, but they also have a few competitions here in Evanston. You can catch them this weekend, as Northwestern hosts the USFA Remenyik Open at the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion. The swashbuckling starts at 8:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday, so be sure to get there bright and early.
In case you’re still not sold, junior Jen Yamin and freshman Lucia Procopio were kind enough to give us a first-hand look at what it feels like to take part in one of Northwestern’s most unique sports. We had Yamin wear a GoPro after practice this week and go a few rounds with Lucia to provide us with a unique perspective that few non-fencers will ever get to see.
If this doesn’t make you feel like Inigo Montoya, then nothing will.