For the second consecutive season, saber Anna Hanley '11 was named the Northeast Conference Women's Fencer of the Year. The only difference from last year is that she earned the honor for a different team. After transferring to Brandeis from Sacred Heart University last summer, Hanley went 49-0 against Northeast Conference fencers and took her second straight Fencer of the Year honors prior to last Saturday's Intercollegiate Fencing Association Championships, held in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center.

"[Hanley] was consistent throughout the year. She is one of the best fencers in New England and has only been fencing the best fencers from other teams in the Northeast Conference. When she is fencing at her best, she can compete against any of the top fencers in the country," coach Bill Shipman said.

Hanley has lost only eight bouts all season, but despite her continued success on the strip, she said her initial transition from Sacred Heart to Brandeis was not as easy.

"We didn't have a fencing room at Sacred Heart, so every time we held practice, we would have to arrive 45 minutes earlier to set up the strips and machines. Practices were very unorganized, and many of my teammates were out of shape. . Here, everyone is well-conditioned and focused," Hanley said. "I have a strong individual record, but I had difficultly adjusting to the more academically competitive environment [at Brandeis]."

At the IFA Championships, Hanley finished sixth, winning her opening-round match 15-10 against Harvard University rookie Hayley Levitt before falling to the runner-up, rookie Robin Shin of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 15-9 in the quarterfinals.

Hanley will compete with the rest of the team at the NCAA Regional Championships this Sunday. Last year, Hanley did not compete at the event, missing the cutoff by one bout.