Duke fencers Ben Cohen and Andrew Mahen finished 12th and 14th respectively out of 24 saber finalists at the NCAA fencing championships.
Cohen, a first-time varsity fencer, earned All-America honors-he is the first Duke fencer since Jeremy Kahn in 1997 to receive this accolade.
Although Cohen's initial goal this season was qualifying for the national championship, the sophomore's expectations grew as his season progressed.
"My goal for the season was to make the NCAA's," he said. "And then when I got there I thought I could be an All-American."
Cohen's success didn't faze Mahen, a three-time NCAA finalist in his own right.
"It's not a surprise at all," Mahen said. "He fenced very well. He goes out there and he shocks people because the don't expect him to see him fence so well."
Although his 14th-place finish surpassed his two previous performances, Mahen was disappointed that he failed to garner All America honors.
"I think I should have done better, but [my performance] wasn't terrible like last year's," he said."
Unlike the regular season, during which only team competitions take place, the NCAAs are strictly an individual tournament, in which the country's top 24 fencers in each of fencing's three weapons-foil, epee and saber-square off against each other in two days of round-robin competition.
This year, the national championships were held at the the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wis.
Because of the unique format, competing in the NCAA's requires a significant adjustment, Mahen said.
"There's a different type of pressure," he said. "It's a big step for me, but for Ben it appeared to be easier, because he fenced better individually."
Cohen attributed his success to a lack of distractions and the presence of his veteran teammate.
"I always try as hard as I can to win," he said. "In team meets you're always supporting the team, but during the individual competition you're out on your own.
"It helped that Andy and I were together the whole time and supporting each other. It was really good to have him around me."
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