Women's Fencing: Jill Mahen profile continued...

Recovering from her shoulder injury has been a difficult process for Jill Mahen, especially because fencing has been a huge part of her life. Mahen’s brother Andy was a four-time national finalist fencer at Duke and brother Jay was on Penn State’s fencing team. Jill Mahen even founded the fencing program at West Morris Mendham High School in Chester, N.J.

While Mahen’s collegiate career has been put on hold, her high school career was filled with success. In 2006 Mahen placed third in the Under-20 Junior Olympic qualifiers. In 2005 she earned all-conference and all-state honors en route to a 26-9 record. Her high school team finished ninth at the state tournament in 2005.

Mahen hopes to get her collegiate career underway shortly. Mahen has been practicing and taking big strides in the rehabilitation process, but her body doesn’t seem to be fully cooperating. That is the reason why the date she returns to the lineup is so questionable at this point.

“Getting back is just awful. I feel like my body doesn’t move. I can’t get it to cooperate. I know what I want it to do, but I can’t get it to do that,” said Mahen.