She came to Northwestern as one of the country’s top fencers. Just a few meets into the season, Sam Nemecek is proving to be as good as advertised.

Nemecek notched a second-place finish in the 108-deep junior foil competition at the United States Fencing Association North America Cup in Houston on Saturday.

It was yet another top-two finish this season for the nation’s No. 2 junior foilist. Nemecek finished first at NU’s Remenyik Open in October and took second at the Junior/Cadet World Cup Championships in Alburquerque, N.M., in November.

Joining Nemecek in Houston were five NU sabre fencers and three in the epee division. In Friday’s Division I sabre competition, junior Sophie Eustis finished 61st, sophomore Gina Annunziato took 72nd, freshman Adrienne Shon finished 75th, junior Mai Vu took 77th and senior Emily Pasternak finished 80th.

Freshman Megan Ross was the Wildcats’ top finisher in the junior women’s epee, finishing 21st. Freshman Kellie Fry took 52nd and sophomore Gaby Aiuto finished 61st.

– patrick dorsey