AoTW: Frosh Crosses Up All Comers

Her coach boasts that besides helping lead her team to its first ever Ivy League Championship, she’s a near shoo-in for the 2008 Olympics. Along with a No. 1 national junior ranking in foil, she stands at fifth globally.

In many other sports, these credentials go hand-in-hand with promotional deals and professionalism, but in the not-so-glamorous world of fencing, freshman Emily Cross just has to settle for Ivy League—and national—dominance. For the Ivy League Championship women’s team, Cross has dropped only one bout in a season’s worth of competition.

The New York City-raised champ began climbing the ladder to excellence early; her father, a former collegiate fencer, introduced his son, sophomore Sam Cross, to the sport early on. But it was at Sam’s ninth birthday party when his younger sister took up the mantle.

Since then, the younger Cross has stormed the fencing world. She tops the national rankings in the junior division, for fencers 20 years old and under, and stands fifth in the senior ranks.

And as the Ancient Eight found out this weekend, her dominance certainly carries over into Ivy League play. Thanks in no small part to Cross’s nearly flawless winning percentage, and the stellar performances of her freshman peers, the women’s team has gone undefeated on the year.

In college fencing, the final score is the sum of each individual’s record for any given match, so Cross’s dominance consistently equates to team success.

“Fencing is ordinarily a team sport,” Cross said. “But the college format brings the team together while maintaining an individual quality.”

And while Cross continues to dominate on the sport’s individual level, she continues to gain exposure in team environments.

The freshman has plans to compete on the U.S. Junior team this year, and, according to head coach Peter Brand, has a good chance to even make the Senior team. Brand suggests that an Olympic appearance is on the horizon.

“Emily is single-minded about her goals,” Brand said. “I believe [this] will ultimately bring her to Beijing in 2008.”

Olympics aside, of course, the Harvard fencing season is still in full swing. Despite earning an unprecedented Ivy League Championship this past Saturday with decisive victories over Yale and Princeton, the women still seek to make a statement on the national level. Ranked fourth in the country in the latest NCAA Coaches Poll, the Crimson admit that dominating the Ivy League is just the first step.

With the requisite regional qualifiers looming, however, Cross maintains the poise that has helped bring her success in the past.

“I’m confident that I can get to nationals,” Cross said.

It’s easy to see why she’s not alone in her high expectations.

—MATT R. SCHINDEL