WALTHAM, Mass. – The Big Red fencing team snapped an 11-bout losing streak to St. John's as it picked up four wins on the day at the Brandeis Invitational. Cornell had lost 11 straight to the Red Storm, which finished fourth in the nation a year ago, with the last Big Red win coming on Jan. 11, 1992 when Cornell beat SJU on touches after the bout ended in an 8-8 tie.
 
The Big Red narrowly fell in the first round of today's invitational to UNC, 15-12, but came back to defeat the host Judges (19-8), MIT (21-6), Boston College (17-10) and the Red Storm (15-12).
 
The foil squad was a perfect 5-0 on the day, including a crucial 9-0 performance against St. John's to lead the Big Red to victory. Gabriella Zusin went undefeated, posting a 13-0 record in her bouts to lead the foils. Luby Kiriakidi also reached double-digit wins (10-3) and Julia Telischi finished with a winning record (7-6).
 
The saber squad went 28-17 on the day, with three victories, including a pair of dominating 8-1 performances against Brandeis and MIT. Four of the team members – Regina Chen, Megan Buteau, Katherine Kudryashov and Valerie Tan – finished with a .500 record or better, with Chen posting a squad-best 11-3 record.  
 
The epee squad also posted three wins on the day, with identical 6-3 victories over Brandeis, MIT and Boston College. Victoria Wines led the squad with a 10-4 record, while Rebekah Jones finished at 8-7.
 
Cornell will return to action after the semester break when the team travels to the Philadelphia Invitational on Jan. 21, 2017. 

COACH'S CORNER – DARIA SCHNEIDER
This week has been the kind of week coaches dream about.  We dealt with challenges regarding what Cornell Fencing represents which elevated our conversations about who we are as a team and who we want to be as a team.  We took another step towards defining what direction our program is going.  As coaches we have a vision for the team but this week leaders on our team took ownership of that vision.  It wasn't easy but going through this process together yielded incredible results.  It wasn't just that we won, although we did a lot of that.  Today our fencers began to show glimpses of what we have been working so hard on in the fencing gym.  The idea that the fencing strip requires them to bring their best selves, there are no easy answers, no easy touches, and winning is always a grind.  The team came together and every fencer was engaged and present until the last touch of the last bout of each match.  The more they embrace persistent hard work and bring full awareness to what they are doing in each moment the sooner their gains will emerge.  We have a long way to go but this was a step in the direction of what I believe Cornell Fencing can be. 
 
FROM THE FENCERS
"I am so incredibly proud of our athletes. Having started off with a tight loss to UNC, we recognized the need to reset, and we ended up beating the next four schools, including a historical match with St. John's. I was so impressed with the level of team spirit that was exemplified overall, and I was so proud of the foil squad for supporting each other on and off the strip throughout the whole day and for being undefeated. I am looking forward to an amazing season!" – Gabriella Zusin
 
"At Brandeis, every squad was able to stay focused during every bout. Throughout the past week, the team stressed the importance of enthusiasm and fortitude, especially against stronger opponents. We saw the culmination of that hard work at this tournament with wins against Boston College and St. John's University. In previous seasons, we have struggled with these schools, but this time around, it was a different story as all the girls remained engaged both on and off the strip, through fighting for each point and actively cheering for their teammates. I am excited to see what the next tournament holds for us and sure that our hard work will lead to strong results and team dynamic." – Regina Chen
 
"I was very proud of the fencing team this past weekend. We have been working very hard at practice, and this tournament allowed us to show our improvement. If we were down, we reminded each other what we had learned and this helped us make several comebacks. Our hard work really paid off at this tournament and the team did very well." – Megan Buteau

BRANDEIS INVITATIONAL RESULTS 
UNC def. Cornell, 15-12
Saber: 6-3; Foil: 4-5; Epee: 5-4 
Cornell def. Brandeis, 19-8
Saber: 8-1; Foil: 5-4; Epee: 6-3
Cornell def. MIT, 21-6
Saber: 8-1; Foil: 7-2; Epee: 6-3 
Cornell def. Boston College, 17-10
Saber: 5-4; Foil: 6-3; Epee: 6-3 
Cornell def. St. John's, 15-12
Saber: 4-5; Foil: 9-0; Epee: 2-7  
 
Saber Squad (28-17)
North Carolina: 3-6
Brandeis: 8-1
MIT: 8-1
Boston College: 5-4
St. John's: 4-5
 
Saber Members (28-17)
Regina Chen: 11-3
Megan Buteau: 7-4
Katherine Kudryashov: 4-2
Yelizaveta Sapozhnikov: 4-6
Valerie Tan: 2-2
 
Foil Squad (32-13)
North Carolina: 5-4
Brandeis: 5-4
MIT: 7-2
Boston College: 6-3
St. John's: 9-0
 
Foil Members (32-13)
Gabriella Zusin: 13-0
Luby Kiriakidi: 10-3
Julia Telischi: 7-6
Rachael Sternlicht: 1-2
Angela Zhang: 1-2
 
Epee Squad (24-21)
North Carolina: 4-5
Brandeis: 6-3
MIT: 6-3
Boston College: 6-3
St. John's: 2-7
 
Epee Members (24-21)
Victoria Wines: 10-4
Rebekah Jones: 8-7
Vera Lin: 5-9
Caroline Kleiner: 1-1