WALTHAM, Mass. -- Senior Kat Xikes of Chatham, New Jersey, and junior Jack Sullivan of Somerville, Massachusetts, both from the fencing team, have been named the Brandeis University Athletes of the Week for the week ending November 2. The Brandeis Athlete of the Week program is presented by The Chateau Restaurant and Jake n JOES Sports Grille.
At the season-opener for the Brandeis fencing team at the New England Intercollegiate Fencing Conference Fall Tournament - better known as the Big One - Xikes and Sullivan each took home gold medals as two of the nine Judges to finish in the top three of their weapons.
Xikes paced a women’s fencing squad that took home gold, silver and bronze at the meet. She won the direct elimination as the joint-fifth seed. Xikes bested first-year and joint-fifth seed Sophia Jeffords of Manhattan Beach, Calif., in the championship bout, 15-12, and another Brandeis rookie, Nandini Bains of New York, N.Y., 15-13, in the semifinals. Bains reached the final four as the #16 seed, upsetting top-seeded Kelsey Fontenot of MIT, 15-9, in the Round of 16. Xikes' best win in the tableau was a 15-7 win over the fourth seed, Jessica Murphy of Sacred Heart, while Jeffords eliminated second-seeded Ceren Atalar of Boston U, 15-10, in the quarters.
Sullivan was one of two men’s foil fencers to make the semifinals of the elimination round. Sullivan, who claimed the joint-second seed in the direct elimination, rolled through the bracket, never surrendering more than seven points in the 15-point bouts. He won in the finals over Brown's Ansel Edison, who reached the gold-medal match as the 21st seed. First-year Luc Kong of Medford, Massachusetts, was the eighth seed in the draw, and he upset top-seeded Derek Kim of Brown, 15-11, in the quarters, before dropping a 15-12 match to Edison in the semis.
The Brandeis fencing teams will continue their season on Thursday, November 20th, with the annual Fencing Beanpot tournament at Harvard.
This is the tenth year that the Brandeis Athlete of the Week program has been presented by The Chateau Restaurant Group. The Athlete of the Year Program highlights top Brandeis student-athletes who have had an outstanding athletic achievement in the week prior. Each selected student-athlete will be featured on the Brandeis athletics homepage and inside the Chateau Waltham and Jake n JOES
Owned and operated by the Nocera Family, the Chateau Restaurant of Waltham opened in 1933 and set the standard for providing the tradition of Italian family dining, friendly service, and quality food at reasonable prices for its customers. Located on 195 School Street, with 900 seats, the Chateau is always ready to accommodate large parties.
The Nocera Family consists of 6 brothers who have always had a passion for playing sports. In 2010, the Nocera Family launched a new concept, Jake n JOES Sports Grille. Jake n JOES Waltham opened in 2014 and is the best place to watch a game and enjoy quality food.
"Brandeis student-athletes are fantastic role models in our community,” says Chateau President Joe Nocera, “They exemplify the ideals of excellence and commitment both on and off the playing field. The Chateau Waltham and Jake n JOES Waltham are proud to partner with Brandeis Athletics to continue to enhance a positive focus within the Waltham Community."
Xikes is a 2022 graduate of Chatham High School. For more information on Brandeis women’s fencing, visit their web page at https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/womens-fencing.
Sullivan is a 2023 graduate of Greater Commonwealth Virtual School. For more information on Brandeis men’s fencing, visit their web page at https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/mens-fencing.
For more information on Brandeis athletics, visit our web page at www.brandeisjudges.com or follow us on social media on X, Instagram and Facebook @BrandeisJudges.
