In the past, Adam Austin '11 had difficulty controlling his temper and keeping his emotions in check on the strip, but his growth over the past year as a fencer and competitor enabled him to secure a bid to last weekend's NCAA Championships. "Last year, [Austin] tended to blame other people, particularly the referee, for his problems. Now he's mature enough to solve his own problems on the strip without looking to assign blame to things he can't control," coach Bill Shipman said.

While his maturity has contributed to his growth as a fencer, Austin said his work outside of practice has also helped.

"It has been helpful to get more practice on the outside. During the season, I would always try to fence at a fencing club at least two or three times a week," Austin said.

All of Austin's growth culminated in a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Regional Championships, which helped him secure the final bid at the NCAA National Championships, where he finished 22nd.

"At Regionals, he fenced almost as well as he could expect. ... He was reacting well and moving properly," Shipman said.

At the NCAA Championships, Austin experienced some initial nerves and won just six of his 23 bouts, but he said he enjoyed the opportunity to compete.

"Being at Nationals felt like being rewarded for the effort. . I felt like I reached a new level skill-wise by the end of the season, and securing a bid at NCAAs was proof that I've improved since last year," Austin said.

Austin also said he enjoyed the environment.

"Fencing is not a sport that's really covered by any sort of media, but there were cameras everywhere, and everyone was getting interviewed. Everywhere you turned, it reminded you that it was the top of college fencing," he said.