Temple Open Provides Tar Heels With Season-Opening Highlights

Saturday, October 23

Philadelphia, Pa.

All Day

North Carolina

Temple Open (Women)

The Tar Heel men competed at the Temple Open on Sunday.

October 24, 2021 | Fencing

Temple Open Results

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The North Carolina fencing team wrapped up two days of competition at the Temple Open on Sunday and headed for home with a pair of top-eight finishes, valuable experience across the board, and renewed enthusiasm for the season ahead.

The women competed on Saturday and the men on Sunday in an extremely challenging field that included nearly 500 fencers from approximately 30 schools. "It was a great way for us to open the season," UNC coach Matt Jednak said.

Sophomore Xavier Hilbert placed sixth in men's epee and graduate transfer Luca Rampazzo was fifth in men's sabre. Will Palazzolo was 10^th in men's foil for the Tar Heels' highest finish in that weapon.

In the women's competition on Saturday, Tarleton Hunt, Sophia Mandour and Sofia Molho were all in the top 12 in foil, with Hunt and Mandour tied for 10^th and Molho in 12^th. Isabella Summers was the top UNC finisher in epee in 12^th, with Allegra Parker just behind in 14^th. In sabre, Judy Zhang took 13^th.

"Our focus early on both days was on figuring out what's working and what's not," Jednak said. "Then we said, 'Let's put what's not working on the back shelf for now and focus on the things that are going well. Let's keep refining them throughout the day.' We were really strategic about trying to use the good things in as many varieties as we could."

The Tar Heels continued to grow through the long competition day, and also on their non-competition day. When the women's team was in action on Saturday, the men's team was there to support, with the roles switched on Sunday. Jednak saw that as a valuable part of the weekend as well, as Carolina continues to develop its culture and expectations, and to grow as a team. Some more experienced team members chose not to compete and instead to focus on leading and making sure those newer to the team felt supported.

The Tar Heels are back in action Nov. 6-7 at the Garret Penn State Open, where the team will fence in a similar open format with the women on Saturday and the men on Sunday.

"When we go to Penn State, we're going to be using these same pieces again," Jednak said. "We'll see a new field, but we'll be using the same pedagogy."

Temple Open • Philadelphia, Pa.
Oct. 23-24, 2021

UNC results
For complete results, click here
Oct. 23
Women's Foil (field of 95)
T10. Tarleton Hunt
T10. Sophia Mandour
12. Sofia Molho
44. Sarah Followill

Women's Epee (field of 87)
12. Isabella Summers
14. Allegra Parker
T24. Erica Oake

Women's Sabre (field of 82)
13. Judy Zhang
29. Tamara Kobozeva
38. Iman Tucker

Oct. 24
Men's Foil (field of 73)
10. Will Palazzolo
13. Lucas Fernandez
14. Kevin Maia Lima
28. Anders Hartmark
31. Jake McGillion-Moore
T37. Connor Lee

Men's Epee (field of 92)
6. Xavier Hilbert
17. Eli Lippman
26. Nathan Paolini
32. Jared Cohen
38. Reza Merchant
44. Henry Shugart
59. Jack Kambeseles

Men's Sabre (field of 70)
5. Luca Rampazzo
20. Casper Mika
26. William Wun
28. Noah Shepanek
30. Alec Mulvaney