Montgomery’s Cougar Girls Turned in a Productive Week Across Two Sports

Nicholas Mistretta

MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent

Fencing: Montgomery 16, Bernards 11

Montgomery (7-3) opened the week with a steady 16-11 win over Bernards (1-8), leaning on depth across all three weapons to outpace a Bernards team that stayed within striking distance deep into the bout.

The match swung early when Montgomery edged the opening segment 5-4, then created separation with an 8-1 surge in the second round. Bernards answered with a strong finish—taking the third segment 6-3—but the cushion Montgomery built in the middle carried the Cougars to the final.

Montgomery’s balance showed up in the weapon totals: 6 saber wins, 5 foil wins, and 5 epee wins. In saber, Kyera Lim (2-0) and Natasha Majithia (2-0) set the tone, while Aanya Datla (2-1) added key points. Foil featured strong showings from Prithika Satish (2-0) and Anastasia Nazarenko (2-0), and in epee, Addia Roy (2-1) helped anchor the Cougars’ closing efforts.

Bernards, meanwhile, got an efficient epee performance from Christina Rekatas (2-0) and a solid saber contribution from Avery Haas (2-1) as they made their late push.

Fencing: Montgomery 18, Princeton 9

Montgomery followed with its most complete result of the week, rolling past Princeton (3-7) 18-9 in a match that was controlled from start to finish. The Cougars were consistent in every segment, posting identical 6-3 margins in each of the three rounds to steadily widen the gap.

Foil proved decisive. Montgomery went 7-2 in the weapon, highlighted by Prithika Satish’s 3-0 sweep, plus Cleo Tong (2-1) and Anastasia Nazarenko (2-1) chipping in. Saber was similarly reliable at 6-3, with Lim, Majithia, and Datla each finishing 2-1.

Princeton’s bright spot came in saber, where Yedda Wang (3-0) accounted for all three of the Tigers’ wins in the weapon. Princeton also received a top epee effort from Juliet Roden (3-0), but Montgomery’s overall depth—especially in foil—kept the outcome from tightening.

Girls Basketball: Montgomery 49, Ridge 37

On the hardwood, Montgomery (9-8) earned a 49-37 win over Ridge (7-11) by turning a close game into a comfortable margin with a third-quarter burst.

Ridge led 14-10 after one, and neither team found much rhythm in the second quarter—Montgomery took it 9-2 to grab a 19-16 halftime edge. The game broke open after the break, when Montgomery erupted for 24 points in the third quarter to Ridge’s eight, flipping a narrow lead into a commanding advantage that held through the final period.

Montgomery’s perimeter shooting fueled the separation: the Cougars hit 13 three-pointers as a team. Aliza Schulberg led the way with 12 points on four threes, while Alia Johnson posted 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists—a full stat line that controlled tempo on both ends. Sophia Lehmann added 9 points (three threes), and Virginia Herring contributed 8.

Ridge was paced by Sophia Attia (10 points) and Lexi Hansen (10 points), with Melanie Tafur adding 9. But after Montgomery’s third-quarter surge, Ridge couldn’t generate the sustained scoring needed to climb back into contention.

Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com