Allderdice Fencing Girls and Boys complete season with 3rd place finishes

PITTSBURGH, PA – The 2020 Pittsburgh Interscholastic Fencing Association Championships were held at Taylor Allderdice High School on Friday night. In the semifinals, The Allderdice Lady Dragons (5-3 regular season, seeded 3rd) lost 5-3 to Fox Chapel (7-1, 2nd seed), while the Boys team (5-3 regular season, seeded 4th) lost 5-1 to top seed and eventual champion Peters Township (8-0, 10-0 final record). Shadyside Academy Girls also swept through the field, going 10-0 on the season.

“The girls really fought hard,” said Head Coach Dan Yu. “We were tied 2-2 against a much more seasoned opponent. It could have gone either way, but their experience to close it out came through. The boys were also right there. We were ahead in the first 3 bouts, and ended up losing 5-4 in each of them. Those bouts could go either way. We win a couple of those, and it’s a totally different match.”

“I am really proud of the way the team performed. I know they’re disappointed but they have nothing to be ashamed of. This was a terrific season given all the things we went through with injuries, the flu, and a whole slew of beginners that were thrown into the deep end of the pool. For now, we’ll just enjoy this result, but we will be stronger next year. I am looking forward to it.”