PHILADELPHIA – Starting the season strong! The University of Pennsylvania women's fencing team completed its first meet of the 2024-25 season on Saturday at the Temple Open.
 
Freshman Polina Kharchyna highlighted Penn in the outing, capturing silver in epee in her collegiate debut. Senior Katina Proestakis Ortiz led the upperclassmen for the Quakers, grabbing silver in foil. The Red and Blue had five other top-ten finishes at the open, with Talia Becker Calazans placing sixth in foil, Grace Hu and Victoria Kuznetsov both taking ninth in epee, Amanda Li placing sixth in sabre, and Vivian Lu finishing seventh in sabre.
 
The Quakers had five freshmen open their collegiate careers at the meet, with Malak Hamza, Kharchyna, Li, Sophie Neuman, and Alexandra Wong hitting the piste for the first time wearing the Red and Blue.

Up Next
The Quakers return to the Tse Center for the first time in 2024-25 on Saturday, Nov. 16, for the Elite Invitational.
 
Foil (80 Fencers)
Katina Proestakis Ortiz, T3rd
Talia Becker Calazans, 6th
Lenna Choi, 15th
Malak Hamza, 20th
Sophie Neuman, 22nd
Samantha Hsuing, T30th
Alexis Bienstock, T54th
 
Epee (88 Fencers)
Polina Kharchyna, 2nd
Grace Hu, T9th
Victoria Kuznetsov, T9th
Elizabeth Wang, 23rd
Emily Ostrovsky, 50th
Elizabeth Jia, 51st
Alexandra Wong, 52nd
 
Sabre (77 Fencers)
Amanda Li, 6th
Vivian Lu, 7th
Leah Blum, 22nd