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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
CELEBRATING THE NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S FENCING TEAM
WHEREAS, with a third-place finish in the NCAA National Fencing Championship, the Wildcats made history for Northwestern University and its Fencing Team. In his five years as head coach at Northwestern, Zach Moss has propelled the Wildcats to national prominence; and
WHEREAS, the Wildcats have become a fixture in the NCAA Top 10. The Cats took a sixth-place national finish in the 2019 campaign. Their 2021 record of 17-9, 0-0 Big Ten, surpassed its ranking from two years ago, making history at the same time by achieving an all-time best third-place finish; and
WHEREAS, led by three All-Americans: freshman saber Sky Miller, senior foil Justine Banbury, and sophomore foil Anna Biasco, the team saw six fencers, the second time in program history, qualify for the NCAA championships, the maximum allowed to represent one school; and
WHEREAS, Biasco and Banbury finished seventh and eighth in foil, respectively. Miller finished second overall in saber, the best individual finish in program history. NU's other three competitors all finished in the top 15 for their respective weapons. Sophomore Ilsa Hoffman finished 14th in saber, while junior ?p?e Julia Falinska finished 13th and sophomore ?p?e Blodwen Bindas finished 15th; and
WHEREAS, the Cats' success on a national stage followed a tumultuous season. With much of the season canceled due to COVID-19, the team played less than half of a season's usual matches. The Wildcats struggled early on, going 2-4 in the season's first invitational. However, the team steadily improved, losing only one match to teams not named "Notre Dame". NU played the last matches of the season in Columbus, facing off against Ohio State and Denison University in two matches apiece. "It was a late add to our schedule, so we weren't really planning for it," Moss said. "But it was a great opportunity to get some more experience and help us get primed for NCAA...
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