By Pritish BehuriaThe Daily Northwestern

Freshman Christa French has started her Northwestern career with three top-5 finishes in her first three meets.

Going into last weekend’s Junior/Cadet World Championships, coach Laurie Schiller expected a similar performance, and French did not disappoint.

The Cats’ top finisher, French placed third in the epee division.

“Her performance was excellent,” Schiller said. “She’s capable of those kind of performances, and I’m really proud of her.”

Unfortunately for the Cats, French was the only finisher in the top 10 in a difficult weekend for the Wildcats.

Since the Junior/Cadet World Championships only allow fencers aged 20 and under to participate, several of the Cats’ seasoned fencers – such as seniors Jessica Florendo and Mai Vu – missed out.

Sophomore Samantha Nemecek led the team in the foil division, finishing 13th, while freshman Meredith Baskies had an impressive performance for the Cats, finishing 28th.

The epee division again had the strongest performances for the Cats this weekend, with freshman Joanna Niklinska and sophomore Megan Ross finishing 15th and 27th. Freshman Kayley French, Christa French’s sister, had a disappointing weekend after an impressive start to the season, finishing 33rd.

Schiller said Kayley had a tough bout in the first round after good performances in the pool section, while Ross lost in a bout that went into overtime.

The sabre division remained a disappointing one for the Cats, with sophomore Adrienne Shon leading the Cats in 38th place.

The weekend’s meet was a competitive one, with more than 130 fencers in each division. Fencers from all over the United States and Canada competed.

“It was a good weekend, and we’re making good progress,” Schiller said. “Some younger fencers may struggle, but we go to these meets to help them get experience ahead of the season.”

Reach Pritish Behuria at [email protected].