May 3, 2004

EVANSTON, Ill.--Northwestern's women's fencing team has signed Gina Annunziato (Bernardsville, N.J./Bernards) and Natalie Wang (Milpitas, Calif./Presentation) to National Letters of Intent, head coach Laurie Schiller announced today.

Annunziato, a sabre fencer for only the past three years, highlighted her relatively short career by winning the 2003 Garden State Games. She recently took sixth at the Santelli Tournament, notching a 17-2 mark.

This year, Annunziato went 34-3, including 11-1 in the postseason. She led her squad to second place in the New Jersey state competition. For her efforts, Annunziato was named NJSIAA First Team All-State, as well as Star-Ledger First Team All-State.

"Gina has proven to be one of the top high school sabre fencers in New Jersey," said Schiller. "She has a lot of potential and will develop well in the company of our senior sabreists. We anticipate her having a huge role in the upcoming years."

Wang is currently ranked 30th in the junior foil circuit, but she has been listed as high as No. 23. She took 13th in the 2003 Junior Olympic Championships in the Under-20 Women's Foil division, as well as 30th in the 2003 Junior World Cup.

A member of Lucchetti Fencing USA, Wang is the younger sister of NU sophomore foilist Christina Wang (Milpitas, Calif./Castilleja).

"Natalie is an excellent foil fencer and will add some needed depth to our squad," said Schiller. "She and Christina will feed off each other nicely, and I look for Natalie to become an outstanding collegiate fencer."

The two fencers will join an already talented team that was ranked as high as No. 5 this year and took sixth in the women's division of the 2004 NCAA Championships.