Far from last week's comfortable atmosphere in Card Gymnasium, two of Duke's fencers faced tough circumstances in the Junior Olympics held in Denver Friday.
From the start, the odds were against the two freshman foils, Eliot Cohen and Andrew Simon, who qualified for the meet.
Not only were some of the country's top fencers standing in their way, but the weather prevented the two fencers from arriving to the competition on time.
"They came late," fencing coach Alex Beguinet said. "Maybe if they had arrived on time and dressed they could have been better."
Cohen finished 73rd in the men's junior foil competition. This season has been an uphill battle for Cohen, who underwent surgery in the fall. But in Denver, he yet again displayed his resiliance.
"Eliot was down 11-0," said Beguinet. "He came back to 14-14, but the last stretch was against him."
Simon fared better in his matches. The freshman foil finished 48th in the men's junior competition. Much like his teammate, Simon has had his share of hardship. With an increased course load, it was difficult for the freshman to find balance.
"With classes he [still] came everyday," said Beguinet. "Both of them [Simon and Cohen] did very well."
Now that the Junior Olympics are over, the Blue Devils will be preparing for the Atlantic South Regional tournament on March 10.
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