This is head coach Marat Isrealian of Yale Fencing fame. Since 2022, he has led the Bulldogs to two consecutive winning seasons and top-ten finishes in the men’s and women’s 2022-23 season. His story begins years before that in 1991.

Originally born in the Soviet Union, Marat Israelian began his fencing journey in Israel. Like many others, his family left the fallen Russian state, starting a new life within the small coastal town of Ashkelon. While not well known for its fencing or sports, Israelian soon found himself amongst the small athletic community of Ashkelon as his school’s gym teacher and local fencing coach Boris Viener — a fellow immigrant from the USSR and an Olympic men’s coach himself — directed him towards the town’s fencing club.

“It was a unique situation with a high-level coach trying to develop a high-level club,” Israelian told the News. “In my town, historically, they were épée [fencers] and [the club] had been there for a while. It developed, became really strong on a national level, and that is how I started, from gym class to trying fencing at the local club.” 

It was not until Alexey Cheremskey — an Épée Fencer for the Ukrainian National Team — immigrated to Israel that things changed for Israelian. Coming under Cheremsky’s guidance, Israelian truly embraced the sport, dueling in the Junior Fencing World individually and with the Israeli Junior National Team in 2002.

Israelian thrived in this competitive environment, battling his way through numerous opponents and frequently placing within the top twenty at Junior world cups across the globe, with his highest results coming in 2004. 

Reaching second place in the Coupe de la Paix in his hometown of Ashkelon, along with third place finishes in the Coupe Heracles Junior in Budapest, Hungary and the Trophée Mannino in Catania, Italy, he finished the year ranked tenth overall, with a peak of third place.

Around this time Israelian began to battle injuries. In spite of this, he continued to fence and ultimately landed himself a spot on the St. John’s University Fencing Squad in 2009, transitioning from the Junior League to the NCAA. From the start, he solidified himself as a strong competitor for the St. John’s team, with an NCAA Épée championship, 76–20 record, and All-American honors in his first year. This was followed by another NCAA championship and All-American honors the following year, with a triumphant record of 50-17. 

Things were not to last.

“While at St. John’s, I kept getting injured,” Israelian told the News with a slight chuckle, “It was kind of early, as an athlete, to be done at 21, but with all the injuries, I knew I was done after graduation.” 

With his career cut short, Israelian prepared to focus his life beyond the sport. Armed with a bachelor’s degrees in accounting and finance, he was readying  to enter the world of Wall Street, but when faced with problems with his immigration papers he struggled to find a financial job. 

Immediately, he started giving private fencing lessons to the local crowd of New York City and fell in love with the sport even more, now from the role of coach as opposed to athlete.

Israelian found his calling in the realm of coaching, connecting with each generation of athletes he coached, whether they were young children just starting out or older athletes bettering themselves. Through his interactions with these developing athletes, he came to appreciate the effect the sport and his coaching had on people’s lives. Embracing this, he told the News he used his financial skills to navigate securing a serious coaching position beyond his private practice. 

“I was coaching privately in Long Island when the owner [of North Shore Fencing Club] Vladimir Gofman gave me the opportunity to coach there,” Israelian said to the News. “When I was looking for a job, he was looking for a coach, and I will forever be grateful to him for the opportunity. I was not a real coach; I was more of an athlete, and he gave me the chance to develop my coaching there [at North Shore]. We started winning, and I gained confidence in my own abilities with our students doing well nationally.”

Garnering a reputation for himself, it was not long until Yale came knocking in 2018. Seeking an épée coach for the team in preparation for the Ivies, the most competitive tournament of the fencing season, the Yale Fencing Team personally reached out to him. Sensing it was time to move on from North Shore and being specifically sought after by the Yale fencing squad, Israelian began working with the Yale team as a volunteer coach, helping the team earn a tenth-place finish in the 2018 NCAA Championship. During the following season, he was officially hired as an assistant coach, helping the team to a seventh-place finish in the 2019 NCAA championship. 

Now an official member of the Yale Athletics team, Israelian faced a new adjustment in coaching the collegiate fencers. Where before he had dealt with children and teenagers, now he handled young adults, preparing for their professional life beyond college and sports.

“You can’t treat them like kids; the attitude itself is different. You got to balance things,” Israelian said. “You have to encourage them to be excellent students because they are pursuing their professional lives, while at the same time, I am the fencing coach, and I need to push them to 100 percent with their fencing, keep them checked in.”

Firmly committed to this coaching style based on his previous experiences, Israelian established himself as a premier fencing coach, loved and respected by his athletes. 

“You can tell he cares so much about the team and is really dedicated to it,” Sabreuse Stephanie Cao ’25 told the News. “It is rare to have a coach you can respect and depend on. He’s the best.”

It did not take long for Yale to appreciate Coach Israelian’s effect on the team. After his third season with the team, he was promoted to Head Coach in 2021. From his athletes’ strong performances to the enjoyable environment he fostered during training and practice, he showed his qualifications for the top job and has continued to produce strong results.

“He is a very chill guy and very good at what he does,” Foilist Nick Kim ’27 told the News. “We are able to truthfully talk about the strengths and problems of the team with him and work on it. We have very good communication, and things are only going to continue to get better.”

Now in his fourth season at the helm of the Dueling Dans, Israelian looks to the next stage of Yale Fencing, beyond the current “transition period” from the previous leadership. 

Talking about the upcoming recruitments and the long-awaited recovery from the injuries that have plagued the team, he, like his fencers, is confident that the best is yet to come. 

“We are looking to attract more recruits, and we are getting stronger. We should have a fully stacked squad next year, and we’re looking to be one of the strongest Ivies next year,” Coach said. “We are going to try to win, but we are going to do it in a way that is beneficial to athletes both athletically and personally. We are going to show who we are.”

The Bulldogs’ next tournament is the NCAA regionals on Sunday, March 9.

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Fresh off winter break, the bouting Bulldogs took the fight to their opponents in the city of brotherly love, squaring off against nine total teams across the day’s matches. Haverford, Wagner and Penn — the tournament’s host — all fell to the Elis’ blades. Tying Princeton in a 13-13 nailbiter in the women’s competition, the only losses of the day came at the hands of Princeton in the men’s competition and Temple in the women’s competition. 

“We fenced well after the break,” Coach Marat Israelian told the News, “and things look good for us this season, very strong even with the injuries. We have a very cohesive team here that is fighting better and is better prepared to face the other Ivies in the next competitions and the finals.”

Despite injuries, which have left the women’s team short one fencer in matches — an automatic forfeit — and the men’s team not at full strength, the Duelling Dans managed to slash and stab comfortable and close victories, reflecting the underdog status that has characterized their season.

Many on the team, especially on the women’s team, have attributed this success to each other and their work together as a team. The presence and support of their fellow comrades have given the team the confidence and the grit to overcome the slugout matches and the big moments. 

When asked about the invitational, men’s team captain and épée wielder Tony Whelan ’26 said, “We won as a team; everyone did a great job. Where one squad struggled, the other pulled through, especially against these good fencing schools like Princeton.”

While no victory was claimed over the Tigers, the men’s 10-17 loss and women’s 13-13 tie are signs of improvement worth celebrating. For the men’s team, the loss is a marked step up from the 7-20 defeat of their last matchup, as well as the similar and frequent underperformances of past seasons. For the women’s team, the tie broke a seven game-loss streak to those furry friends.

In addition, Yale has risen in the collegiate fencing rankings, securing top ten positions this season. With an overall record of 16–3 and a USFCA record of 13–2, the men’s team is ranked No. 2 behind Notre Dame. For the women’s team, with an overall record of 20–3–1 and a USFCA record of 15–2, Yale’s female fencers are ranked No. 5. 

“This is the last meet before Ivies, and we showed up and showed out like we have all season,” Women’s team captain and Foil fencer Erica Hooshi ’25 told the News. “I am very confident in my ladies. When we get to Ivies, it is going to be awesome. We will be at full strength and full potential then. #Proud.”

The Fencing teams will compete next in the Yale Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 1, in the Payne Whitney Gymnasium. 

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Last year, the women’s team suffered a string of unfortunate injuries that debilitated their Ivy League Championship hopes. Following a high-powered 2027 recruiting class, the team has replenished their losses and returned better than ever.

Alexa Drovetsky ’27, a first-year épée fencer, appeared ecstatic upon her late-night return to New Haven.

“Last year we sputtered because we had to forfeit almost half of our bouts near the end of the season,” Drovetsky said. “But this is one of the best women’s teams we’ve had in recent years — the Class of 2027 is simply incredible.” 

Under head coach Marat Israelian’s instruction, the team continues to forge a tight-knit culture. According to Stephanie Cao ’25, teammates invest a genuine interest in each other’s lives, molding a family inside and outside of practices and game settings.

The fencing family can be traced back to the introduction of ‘Captain’s Practice’ during the beginning of the 2023-24 season. These organized venues placed a higher emphasis on constructing camaraderie and unity within the team dynamic. Clear leadership would serve a critical role in guiding the team through the triumphs and disappointments of the arduous season.

The fruits of their commitment were clearly displayed at the Vassar Open Invitational. 

Cao, a prominent saber on the women’s team, captured the weekend’s successes in three simple words. “We killed it,” she told the News.

The Women’s team competed against Vassar College, Hunter College, Stevens Institute of Technology, Wellesley College, Johns Hopkins University, Tufts University and Drew University. They suffered only one loss, falling 14–13 to the highly-ranked Cornell Bears. 

The tight loss is no cause for alarm, but rather a fountain of hope for team morale. 

Drovetsky, who has fenced Cornell competitors through several international tournaments, knew what to expect as she stepped on the piste. While the match did not turn in Yale’s direction, Drovetsky did not fret about the underdogs’ return to glory.

“We’re not even in the coaches’ ranking system, so we are the underdogs going into this year,” she said to the News. “Next time a bout is going to flip in our direction and we’ll take down Cornell.”

The Men’s team staged an equally valiant effort. They won each of their matches with relative ease.

Max Deisboeck ’27, a walk-on saber fencer, emphasized the importance of the tournament in cultivating team confidence. They proved to themselves and their competition that they are a force to be reckoned with in the Ivy League. 

Deisboeck’s seamless integration into the team culture is a testament to the fencing family. Teammates treat Deisboeck with fairness and respect, no differently than his recruited counterparts. 

“Coach Marat is trying to instill a disciplined and dedicated regimen to the team—coming to practice early and on time, putting 110 percent effort into practice, and making sure that effort comes out in the tournaments,” he told the News. “As a walk-on, I’m trying to prove to my teammates that I possess the same discipline, commitment and intangibles as everyone else.”

The fencing team awaits prominent tournaments at Penn State and other Ivy League institutions. They are equipped with the mental, physical and social tools to defy expectations and wreak havoc among America’s top-tier fencing programs.

The men’s and women’s fencing teams are set to face Brandeis on Sunday, Dec. 3, in Waltham, Mass.

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“Ever since my freshman year, the atmosphere of the fencing team has always been so inclusive,” Tan said. “We have fencers who come from all different backgrounds, and we strive to converse about our differences. As a very small and tight-knit team, we do a great job at making sure everyone is comfortable around teammates whether it’s during practice, at tournaments, or even outside of athletics.”

Tan, a Texas native, first discovered the sport when she saw a fencing flyer at her local library. 

As a high school fencer, she was a 2019 USA Cadet World Team Alternate, member of USA Designated Cadet and Junior International Foil Team, silver medalist in the Junior event at the 2021 May North American Cup and silver medalist in the junior event at 2020 Junior Olympics, among many other accolades. 

“I fell in love with the sport and decided that I wanted to fence in college to further my fencing career.” Tan said. “There were a lot of fencers who were older than me who told me how being on a fencing team in college was one of the best decisions they made, so I was very enthusiastic about fencing in college from the start.”

Because her parents immigrated from China to America before she was born, Tan wanted to be the person that pushed herself in school and in fencing, she said. Tan emphasized that her parents never pushed her to do this, but she just felt that she wanted to on her own. 

“Seeing how my parents worked so hard for our family, it definitely motivated me to work just as hard as them,” she said.

At Yale, Tan has continued earning honors as she recently qualified for the NCAA championships this year, helping the Bulldogs finish in 10th place overall. Additionally, she was selected for the United States Fencing Coaches Association All-Northeast Region team, alongside five other teammates. 

That group includes Zhou, another foilist who has attributed some degree of her success to her Chinese roots back home. Zhou’s career began in a Chinese after-school fencing program in Boston when she was nine, and she has continued with the sport for the last 12 years. 

Zhou’s coach in Boston is also Chinese and was able to provide her with the opportunity to train with the national teams in China — both in Shanghai and Jiangsu — during her high school summers. 

“Although these training camps were tough and had long hours, I learned how to be disciplined and hardworking,” Zhou said. “I think that’s one of the most important parts of being a student athlete.”

This training allowed her to earn Team Gold in the 2018 Junior World Cup, eighth place individually in the 2018 Junior World Cup, eighth in the 2017 International Cadet Designated Circuit and a Team Gold in the 2016 Cadet World Cup. 

Zhou qualified to the NCAA Championships this year, placing twelfth overall in the foil event and also being named to the United States Fencing Coaches Association All-Northeast Region team. 

Zhou’s success does not stop on the piste, as she might be more well-known for her presence on TikTok. Zhou has amassed 736.7K followers and 46.0M likes on her TikTok account @emmezhou. The page mostly features “What I Eat in a Day at Yale” videos, where she reviews dining halls and shows the world what meals are like at an Ivy League university. 

Just recently, she began sharing the fencing side of her life to her large audience.

“I love making videos about fencing because so many people do not know what it is, and have many misconceptions about it,” she said. “I think fencing is something that most of my followers did not know I do at Yale, so I enjoy sharing this new part of my life with them.”

Comments such as, “more fencing videos please!” and “I want to go to Yale through fencing too,” show just how much influence her videos have over her mostly younger audience. 

Zhou’s TikToks provide a window into the team for many. One key dynamic that both Zhou and Tan highlighted was the overall welcoming vibe and inclusivity of the fencing team, making it very easy for them to embrace their Pan-Asian identities on the team. 

“Fencing is a very inclusive sport, so as a pan-Asian fencer, I’ve felt very at home” said Tan.  “Over the past few years, there have been a lot of Pan-Asian Americans involved with fencing, so over the next few years, I believe that fencing will be a sport that will be very big within the Asian community.”

Although Zhou is graduating, Tan hopes to help the fencing team finish among the top three at Ivies next year – a goal that was unattainable this year due to a variety of injuries. 

Emme Zhou ’23 was named an All-American in women’s foil in March 2022.

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The annual men’s and women’s Ivy League Round Robins tournament — when Yale faces Columbia University, Princeton University, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University and Cornell University back-to-back over a two-day period — saw the Eli men place last amongst all five competing teams and the women’s team also place last out of all seven competing Ivies. The women’s team, in particular, was competing at a disadvantage since three of their competing members were injured. 

“I think the performance was lackluster because I see the potential for us to win as a team,” said Jack Pan ’26, who competes in saber. “The best part of the Round Robins was supporting each other. Our women’s team was short of many starters due to extreme health accidents, and it was great to see us be there for one another.”

The women’s team was missing three starters: foil Emme Zhou ’23, epee Christina Zozulya ’24 and epee Amanda O’Donnell ’26. Zhou and Zozulya are suffering fencing-related injuries of a dislocated shoulder and knee injury, respectively. O’Donnell, on the other hand, was hit by a car on campus last week, breaking her hand and nose.

In the midst of these challenges, it’s crucial for athletes and individuals to be aware of other potential injuries that might arise from unexpected sources. Especially in a sport like fencing, where shoulder mobility and strength are paramount, the risk of shoulder injuries is ever-present. However, it’s not just the fencing strip where athletes need to be cautious. Even routine medical procedures, such as vaccinations, can lead to shoulder injuries if administered incorrectly.

This brings to light the question, is sirva permanent? – a concern that underscores the need for both athletes and the general population to prioritize proper vaccination techniques and seek legal advice if they suspect they have sustained a shoulder injury due to vaccine administration.

Navigating the aftermath of injuries like dislocated shoulders, knee injuries, or fractures demands not only physical rehabilitation but also potential legal recourse, especially in cases of vaccine-related injuries. Understanding the long-term implications of conditions like SIRVA is essential for those affected, as it can have lasting effects on their ability to participate in their chosen activities, whether it be competitive sports or everyday tasks.

Amidst the setbacks faced by athletes like Emme Zhou, Christina Zozulya, and Amanda O’Donnell, it’s a reminder that injury prevention and advocacy for proper medical care extend beyond the confines of the sports arena or the fencing salle. Seeking legal guidance in such cases is not only prudent but may also provide avenues for compensation and support in managing the challenges posed by these injuries.

According to fellow teammate Julia Balch ’23, O’Donnell is bruised up but overall “okay.” Balch is regularly a foil fencer but stepped in to replace O’Donnell by fencing epee all weekend. 

“It was very difficult to fill in, especially on such short notice. But it was definitely a learning experience for me,” Balch said. 

She will be training epee this week to be prepared to compete in the event against Vassar on Feb. 22. Despite placing last, the women’s team had some strong rounds against Princeton, ultimately losing 15-12 against the top-ranked Tigers, 19-8 to Harvard and 14-13 to Brown. 

At the end of the first day, Helen Tan ’25 was in a three-way tie for second place in foil. However, by the end of the rounds on Sunday, Tan tied for sixth in foil, while Erica Hooshi ’25 and Annie Lin ’24 tied for 12th in the same event. Tan, as well as Pan and Sydney Hirsch ’23 received All-Ivy honors for their individual performances. 

The missing competitors skewed the team’s results. 

“We didn’t haven’t all of our fencers here, so it was very hard to keep up and make up for those not here. This didn’t stop our motivation and energy, though,” Hooshi said. 

Zozulya and O’Donnell will likely be out for the rest of the season, but the team is hopeful that Zhou will have a healed shoulder in time for the NCAA Northeast regionals.

On the men’s side, Pan placed fifth individually in the saber event. The men struggled throughout the tournament, falling 20–1 to Columbia, 18–9 to Princeton and 21-6 to Harvard on opening day. The day after, the male fencers took another hit and lost to Penn by 14-13.  

However, according to Pan, the team “identified the problems that need to be fixed for a successful season next school year, which is what is most important at the end of the day.”

Pan will be competing at the Senior World Cup in Padua, Italy prior to the NCAA Northeastern Regionals and Championship as he is an internationally competing fencer. He will be training both in Payne Whitney and two hours away in Manhattan to prepare for all of his upcoming meets. 

In general, though, he wanted to thank his team for “standing tall” despite their recent unfortunate circumstances. 

“We went through a lot over the past month leading up to Ivies with three back-to-back competitions and unfortunate injuries. Despite all this, we really gave it all we had on the strip and left with no regrets,” said Tan.

The team will “heal up” and “regroup,” said Tan, as they head into the end of the season regardless of recent setbacks. 

With Balch competing in epee and Pan fresh out of the Senior World Cup, the men’s and women’s fencing teams are slated to compete at the NCAA Regionals on March 11 in Haverford.

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Both the men’s and women’s fencing teams won decisive victories against fellow Connecticut school Sacred Heart. The men’s squad recorded a 19–8 win, winning all nine bouts in the epee. The women’s team likewise dominated their face-off, winning 20–7. 

Following Saturday’s victories, the Bulldogs then faced off at the Tri-State Shark Showcase in Brooklyn on Sunday in the final regular season meet of the season. The men’s team posted three victories, while the women’s squad finished their season on a high with a victory against Hunter College in their last regular season bout of the season.

“It was nice to see all of the senior’s friends spectating and cheering us on, even if some of them didn’t know what was going on [or] how to follow fencing,” foil Erica Hooshi ’25 wrote to the News. “We always spend so much time with just the fencing team, we forget that the seniors and all of us have such a supportive community here at Yale.”

The women’s fencing team finished the season with a 16–7 record. In a dominant outing against Sacred Heart, the Bulldogs swept nine foil bouts and dropped a solitary epee match-up, coming away with eight decisions in their favor. 

Aside from their victory against Hunter College at Shark Showcase, the Bulldogs dropped bouts against Ivy League rivals Princeton University (18–9), Columbia University (24–3) and the University of Pennsylvania (19–8), as well as against both St. John’s University and hosts Long Island University.

“It felt great to compete in front of my friends at the Yale Invitational,” foil fencer Olivia Ren ’26 told the News. “They had never seen me fence before, so I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to show them my sport. Also, everyone supporting and cheering made the meet super fun and exciting.”

The men’s squad came away from the Shark Showcase with three victories, including over Penn (15–12) and Long Island University (22–5). The highlight of the night was a clean sweep of Hunter, where the Bulldogs won every bout in each of epee, foil and saber.

At the Yale Invitational, the Bulldogs honored seven seniors, including Jonah Cho ’23, Allan Ding ’24, Andre Papasavas ’23 and Maxwell Yee ’23 from the men’s squad. Julia Balch ’23, Sydney Hirsch ’24 and Linda Liu ’23 were honored on the women’s squad. 

“It was a really good warmup before Ivies next weekend and really brought to light some things that we need to work on,” fencer Helen Tan ’25 told the News. “I’m super excited for Ivies because I know that we will take everything we’ve experienced this season and fence our best next weekend.”

Next up, the Bulldogs will compete at the Ivy League Round Robin at Cornell University from Feb. 11 to 12.

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Internationally-competing athletes such as Whelan, Tan and Pan have to manage constant long hours of travel in tandem with academic deadlines and collegiate-level practices. The fencing team at Yale has competed at two events so far this semester — the Penn State Invitational and Philadelphia Invitational — with the Yale Invitational on the horizon next weekend.

“I still compete internationally because I am proud to represent my country, and I have goals that reach beyond fencing in college,” Whelan said. “I have a shot at the Olympics down the road, and I am continuing to explore that option.”

Whelan competes on the national circuit at the North American Cup and on the world circuit in the 20-and-under category. Simultaneously, he is pursuing his education at Yale and preparing to represent the Bulldogs in NCAA fencing competition. 

Although a lot of hard work goes into preparing for the NCAAs, Whelan finds himself putting in extra hours of training to “stay sharp” for the international competitions as well. Balancing his time at an Ivy League university has not been easy. 

As an architecture major, Whelan told the News that he finds himself with “very little free time.”

“Last semester, I was at a World Cup in Greece during finals and had to ABX them,” he recalled. 

Because the collegiate fencing season is ramping up, Whelan is unsure if he will be able to make it to the two fencing World Cups in February. In November 2022, he helped lead Team USA to a gold medal at the World Cup in Riga, Latvia. Whelan had a prominent influence on the gold medal win over Estonia because he had the highest point differential on the team. This was the first time the Junior Men’s Epee Team had won a World Cup since 2019. 

Nevertheless, Whelan loves the support from his collegiate team because “everyone is focused on having a positive impact and helping each other improve,” he said. 

On the women’s side, Tan, a Texas native, has competed in many national competitions and World Cups in the past couple of years. This year, however, she is focusing her time on collegiate fencing. 

“Being an international fencer, athlete for Yale and student is a lot to juggle at the same time, but just as rewarding,” she said. “I was able to travel to so many cities, so I was really having fun while I was competing.”

Tan attributes time management and organization as the skills that keep her going as an internationally competitive student-athlete. 

Last year, when she competed internationally, she had trouble with the sheer amount of travel needed for these meets. Most of her events took place in Europe, so the jet lag disrupted her daily schedule upon returning to Yale, she explained. 

Tan was a 2019 USA Cadet World Team alternate and a USA Designated Cadet and Junior International Foil team member. In addition, she took the silver medal in the Junior event at the 2021 May North American Cup and at the 2020 Junior Olympics. On top of this, she was a gold medalist for the Junior team at the 2019 Pan American Championships. 

“Last year I competed internationally because I wanted to continue to fence on the national and international circuit, something that I’ve been doing ever since middle school,” she said. 

Jack Pan ’26 has also flown abroad multiple times to represent the Canadian national team. He has competed at the North American Champions, the Junior World Cup in Dormagen, Germany, and the Senior World Cup in Madrid.

“For me, traveling and competing has become a core part of my lifestyle,” Pan said. “Ever since picking up the sport of fencing, I’ve always looked forward to the next destination where I would challenge myself and others.”

He still competes internationally because it has become an “essential” part of his life, he said. “I want to compare my skill set to competitors that are at the top of their country. Not just other schools domestically.”

Both Whelan and Tan will be competing for Yale at the Yale Invitational this weekend and later at the Ivy League Round Robin event in Ithaca.

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The women’s fencing team shined at the meet, securing a victory against defending NCAA champions the University of Notre Dame. Their wins against New York University, Temple University and Wayne State University, and a solitary blemish versus Northwestern University in the last bout of the day, rounded out the team’s 4–1 record. On the other hand, the men’s team faced tough competition at the meet, but still came away with an impressive victory in their bout against Wayne State.

“This was the most ‘hype’ we’ve been for a meet, and bringing that energy onto the strip really allowed us to fight for our wins,” saber Stephanie Cao ’25 told the News. “I’m really proud of all of us and how much we can support and depend on each other.”

The women’s fencing team now holds a 14–2 overall record for the season. Barring two close bouts, the Bulldogs dominated their competition, defeating NYU 23–4, Temple 16–11 and Wayne State 24–3. Northwestern and Notre Dame provided tough competition, with both bouts being decided by a singular point. While Yale edged out Notre Dame, they came up short against Northwestern.

Fencers Emme Zhou ’23 and Cao went undefeated throughout the meet, winning each of their three bouts in foil and saber respectively. Zhou earned All-American last year at the NCAA Championships.

The weekend before, the Bulldogs posted a 4–1 record at the Penn State Invitational, with victories over Penn State University, Haverford College, the University of North Carolina and Temple University.

“We had just come out of winter training so everyone was really excited to fence on the strip [at the Penn State Invitational],” Helen Tan ’25 wrote to the News. “We have more competitions these next few weekends before heading into Ivies so I think everyone is doing a great job at preparing for Championships.”

Rookie foil fencer Olivia Ren ’26 underlined the continued support she has received from her teammates, explaining that she now had “a bunch of sisters” she could rely on. 

She is one of three new members on the women’s team this year, alongside saber Nithya Guthikonda ’26 and epee Amanda O’Donnell ’26. 

“I am so proud of our team! Everyone brought so much energy both on and off the strip, and we fought for every touch,” Ren wrote to the News. “We’ve been training so hard for this, and I think it really paid off, especially when we defeated Notre Dame!”

The men’s squad was unlucky in two competitive bouts with NYU and Ohio State University, losing both by 16–11. A highlight from the weekend was their 17–10 victory against Wayne State, in which the team won each weapon. 

Next weekend, the Bulldogs will host Sacred Heart University and Vassar College in New Haven in the Yale Invitational.

“[The Yale Invitational] is really exciting,” Cao told the News. “I can’t wait for our friends to be able to come and watch.”

The Yale Invitational will take place at the Payne Whitney Gymnasium.

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The Bulldogs competed at their first team competition of the season at the Brandeis Invitational last Sunday. The women’s fencing team finished with a perfect record, convincingly winning each of their six matchups by an average margin of 15. Ranked No. 11 in the nation, the men’s fencing team also impressed in their four bouts, winning against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, St. John’s University and host Brandeis University.

“Honestly I think we all did really amazing,” saber Stephanie Cao ’25 told the News. “We were all giving 110 percent on the strip and it paid off, plus it was really wholesome to see us get so hype together.”

The women’s fencing team displayed their NCAA Tournament ambitions for the season with a dominant performance in Boston. The Blue and White hope to better last season’s ninth place finish at the NCAA Championship. 

Entering the meet ranked 11 nationally, the Bulldogs posted some big wins, beating both No. 13 St. John’s and beating the meet’s host Brandeis on their home pitch.

“It was so nice to see all of our hard work pay off … [and to] hear so many cheers from my teammates when I was fencing,” said Helen Tan ’25. “We’re continuing to keep [our effort] up as the season progresses. I’m looking forward to competing and can’t wait to travel with this amazing group of people!”

The women’s fencing team also made use of the occasion of the season’s first team competition to introduce the rookies to the team cheer. 

The three debutantes across all three weapons were saber Nithya Guthikonda ’26, epee Amanda O’Donnell ’26 and foil Olivia Ren ’26. 

“I’m so proud of our first years,” said Tan. “They did so well and are easily some of the people that are most ready for the season ahead of us.”

The men’s fencing team saw similar success in their four bouts, with their sole defeat coming at the hands of Boston College.

Each bout at the meet consisted of three rounds, with nine match-ups in each of sabre, foil and epee.

The Bulldogs won three close bouts against MIT, Brandeis and St. John’s. Each bout was separated by a score less than five. The team entered the third and final round of each bout with a deficit but still managed to come away with come-from-behind victories.

“The major highlight was the men’s victory against St. John’s, the strongest opposition there,” said Cameron Greene ’24. “Down 13-10 with 4 bouts to go, we won all 4 on demand, with Ted [Vinnitchouk ’24] securing the 14-13 victory. Everyone went crazy.”

The Bulldogs are now off from competition until the Penn State Invitational on Jan. 15.

Following the Penn State Invitational, they will be squaring off again in Pennsylvania at the Philadelphia Invitational at Penn, before hosting the Yale Invitational on Jan. 28.

“We definitely have established a strong beginning for our season,” said Cao. “We just have to keep working hard and bring the same if not more energy to the next meet.”

The women’s team was ranked No. 12 in the end-of-season coaches’ poll in 2022.

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The women’s team secured six top-five finishes, with at least one in each of the three weapons. On the other hand, six members of the men’s squad finished in the top ten. Sydney Hirsch ’24 was the best finisher for the women’s team with second place in saber while Vinni Yu ’26 earned the men’s squad’s best result with fifth place in foil. 

The women’s team filled three of the top five spots in foil. The meet took place over two days, with the women’s team competing on Saturday and the men’s team competing on Sunday. 

“The meet went really well — it definitely showed that we were prepared and ready through our preseason and in season training leading up to the meet,” Stephanie Cao ’25 wrote to the News. “It was really great seeing everyone so supportive, mens and womens team, and cheering and helping each other, and now we definitely know what to work on and improve on before our next meet.”

Foil fencer Erica Hooshi ’25 underlined the effort the team has been putting in throughout the lead-up to the season, both individually and together. She added that she was confident in their ability to improve from last season when they finished ninth at the NCAA Championship.

Although hosts Penn State swept the first positions for all weapons in the women’s competition, the Bulldogs followed closely behind by joining them on the podium in each event. 

Along with Hirsch, Linda Liu ’23 secured third place in epee, while Emme Zhou ’23 and Helen Tan ’25 shared third in foil. Olivia Ren ’26 missed the podium but followed her two squadmates in fifth place.

“I’m really thrilled about this result — I think it was a great way to enter the season and a great start for establishing a competition mentality for our meets to come,” wrote Hirsch to the News. “Preseason training definitely paid off! I felt physically strong coming into this meet and I felt as if the team was already really tight-knit and supporting each other, which is invaluable.”

The epee fencers on the men’s team  secured three spots in the top ten of the event. Ted Vinnitchouk ’24 and Tony Whelan ’26 finished neck and neck in seventh and eighth place respectively, while Sartaj Rajpal ’25 rounded out the Bulldogs’ excellent display with tenth place.  

In men’s foil, Allan Ding ’24 closely followed top finisher Yu with a sixth place finish. Men’s team captain Victor Osoliniec ’24 finished tenth in saber.

“It was a pre-season meet so the team had an opportunity to see if what they have been working on … was working and what they had to improve on,” said Vinnitchouk. “This is the first real season since the pandemic so everybody is excited to pick up where they left off in 2020.”

Members from both the men’s and women’s fencing teams emphasized the camaraderie on display between the two teams over the weekend.

Hooshi explained that although only the women’s teams competed on Saturday, the men’s team showed up to cheer for them at 7:30 a.m. The women’s team returned the gesture on Sunday when the men’s competition took place.

“We’re definitely very tightly knit — everyone is friends with everyone,” said Rajpal. “We always support each other, whether that be at practice or at meets … The team is coming together really nicely.”

The Bulldogs begin their competitive season on Dec. 4 at the Brandeis Invitational.

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