SOUTH BEND, Ind. (1/16/2016) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's and women's fencing squads opened the dual portion of the 2015-16 season on Saturday, competing at the 2016 Notre Dame DeCicco Duals at the Castellan Family Fencing Center.
The Titans went head-to-head against six different squads, including the top-ranked Notre Dame women's team and the No. 2-ranked UND men's fencing squad. The Detroit men's squad topped No. 21-ranked Wayne State, 18-7, for its lone victory of the day. WSU was receiving votes in the most recent CollegeFencing360.com coaches poll.
The Detroit men's team finished the day 1-5, while the Titan women's fencing team went 0-6.
For the men, freshman
Algird Szumlas and junior
Austin Carlisle each notched double-digit victories. Szumlas finished 12-5 in the foil, while Carlisle went 11-7 in the sabre. Junior
Allen Gray tallied a mark of 9-9 in the sabre, while freshman Joshua Blackburn (foil) and junior
Aaron Dittel (epee) recorded six and five bout wins, respectively.
The Detroit men's sabre team finished the day with a team-high 22 bout victories, with
Chuck Neubecker and Robert Thacker adding a bout win each to the weapon. Sophomore
Thomas Borden earned another three wins in the epee for the Titans.
The Titan women's fencing team collected 16 bout wins as a team, with the sabre team leading the way, earning 13 of those victories.
Nicole Fitch, who fenced in the foil last year, led the sabre team with five bout wins. Newcomers Erica Tessmer and Emily Rapp each tallied four bout triumphs in their first collegiate dual action in the sabre.
In the women's foil, Jordyn Dunlap and Destiny Kacir both competed in a dual meet for the first time with Dunlap picking up two bout wins and Kacir earning her first bout victory as well.
Detroit returns to competition on Sunday, Jan. 31 when the Titans fence at the Northwestern Mega-Meet in South Bend, Ind.
Detroit results - 2016 DeCicco DualsMen's FencingDetroit vs. Florida -- L, 16-11
Detroit vs. #2 Notre Dame -- L, 22-5
Detroit vs. #21 Wayne State -- W, 18-7
Detroit vs. #17 Sacred Heart -- L, 21-6
Detroit vs. #15 NJIT -- L, 21-6
Detroit vs. Lawrence -- L, 19-8
Women's FencingDetroit vs. Florida -- L, 20-4
Detroit vs. #1 Notre Dame -- L, 27-0
Detroit vs. Wayne State -- L, 22-4
Detroit vs. #22 Sacred Heart -- L, 26-1
Detroit vs. NJIT -- L, 17-9
Detroit vs. Lawrence -- L, 22-5
