Q: How many years have you been fencing?

Hartman: This is my eleventh year of fencing. My older brothers started before me at TCFC, or Twin Cities Fencing Club.

Q: Why did you decide to start fencing?

Hartman: My brothers were doing it, and I was going along anyway before I started. I was doing other sports to at the time like soccer, ballet, and swimming. I was also into the whole Princess Bride thing. Kind of like a Peter Pan and Robin Hood kind of thing.

Q: What does an average training day look like for you?

Hartman: On Mondays and Wednesdays I have a long lesson with my coach. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I get to fence other people and also have a lesson with my coach. On Saturdays I do more conditioning like running to strengthen my legs and arms.

Q: Which schools were you most interested in?

Hartman: I only applied to Notre Dame, Penn State, and Ohio State, because I had a pretty good idea what I wanted to do.

Q: What attracted you to Notre Dame?

Hartman: Well, the three schools have the top three fencing programs in the U.S., so each was a good choice under a fencing aspect. When I went to Notre Dame, I just felt it.

Q: How did Notre Dame let you know that they wanted you to attend?

Hartman: The coach called and emailed, because he wanted to tell me about the academics and of course the fencing programs. The fencing programs at the three schools are basically the same, but I really liked the prestige of Notre Dame. I know all these coaches really well, and it was really hard to say no to two of them.

Q: What was it like to commit to a Division I school?

Hartman: It’s kind of different from football; I’m not a big sports girl. It wasn’t that big of a deal, because in the fencing world I was ready for the change. Once I started talking to people, I realized that it was kind of a big deal.

Q: What was the day you signed like?

Hartman: We all gathered in the Ames room; Mr. Brown made a speech about the other students who signed prior to me. He spoke of the huge opportunity ahead of me, and he talked about what I’ve done in my fencing career. I read the letter of intent out loud and then signed.

Q: What was your favorite SPA fencing memory?

Hartman: Probably in tenth grade when I won Midwest. I fenced against a pretty good girl, who was also a good friend of mine. That was really hard for me for a while, and it was a close bout. There was a huge crowd cheering me on; that added a high emotional level. I felt the pressure coming down on me, and it was hard to focus. Eventually, I pulled through and won.

Q: What are you looking forward to the most about fencing at Notre Dame?

Hartman: The coach is really good; I like his style. I’ll also have a ton of good fencers to bout. I’ll also have a chance to fence on a team instead of individually. There’s a whole team dynamic that goes with that.

Q: What would you hope that people know about fencing?

Hartman: The sport’s not known very well, but it’s a sport. The fact is that fencers have to be very athletic. People see us as nerdy kids who want to play with swords, but it’s really about coordinating your body to move with strategy.