University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
NCAA Championships (Women)
UNC's Litynski Places Sixth At NCAA Championships
March 22, 2015 | Fencing
Senior Gillian Litynski placed sixth Sunday at the NCAA Women's Fencing Championship in Columbus, Ohio. It marked her fourth year qualifying for the championships and the third year in a row that she has earned All-America honors there by finishing in the top 12.
“It was a very strong field this year,” UNC coach Ron Miller said. “I'm very proud of her – she did great. I think she fenced better and more consistently than she did the year she finished third.”
Litynski had her highest finish, third, as a sophomore in 2013. Last year she was eighth and as a freshman she finished 18th.
“The only major disappointment this year is that her total of 15 wins is also what the winner had,” Miller said.
Notre Dame's Francesca Russo, whom Litynski beat during the round-robin, finished first. Penn State's Karen Chang was second. Harvard's Adrienne Jarocki and Penn State's Teodora Kakhiani tied for fourth. Anastasia Ivanoff from Columbia/Barnard was fifth.
Litynski is a nursing/global studies double major from Niskayuna, N.Y. She was honored as the Atlantic Coast Conference Fencer of the Year in women's sabre and also won the ACC Championship in that weapon. Additionally, she is the recipient of an ACC Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholarship.
“We've had some very strong sabre fencers here, both men and women, but Gill is probably the most consistent ever,” Miller said. “To even reach the championships four years in a row is a great accomplishment.”
Litynski was the only Tar Heel to qualify this year, but her sixth-place finish placed the team at 21st overall.
