Categories
Recaps

Victory at Virginia Cup!

4.12.2025

William & Mary has successfully pulled off another win at the annual Virginia Cup! Earning 1st in Men’s & Women’s Epee, Men’s & Women’s Foil, and Men’s Saber (2nd only in Women’s Saber), W&M had a good showing of competition. The team had a great time hosting UVA, JMU, and UMW and fencing throughout the day!

Men’s Epee

Men’s Epee came to VA cup with a strong squad, the heavy favorites to win. Although two members of the A squad were missing due to injury and a devastating illness, Luke Miller ‘27, Lorenzo So ‘28, and Patrick Pane ‘27 won VA Cup handily, dominating Mary Washington and JMU to help the team to yet another win. Two other members of the squad, Foster Covington ‘27 and JT Matusiak ‘28, fenced for the UVA squad and took 3rd in the competition. The future of epee squad is in good hands with these underclassmen, and Men’s Epee expects more wins and more good times next year

Men’s Foil

Men’s foil enjoyed great success during the Virginia Cup. Dale DeVinney ‘27, Jeffrey Gu ‘25, and Kevin Sae-Tung ‘26 took on JMU in the final round of the cup. It was neck and neck until the final bouts, where William and Mary surged ahead to win 45-37. It was a fantastic send off for Jeffrey Gu, who led our squad to victory at SIFA and will be missed by his teammates who wish him all the best.

Women’s Foil

This year’s VA Cup was a huge success for our women’s foil program, with two squads competing and both placing in the top three. Squad A—Kate Ingle ’27, Brooke Drozdowski ’27, and Fiona Dampsy ’27—fenced with focus and consistency throughout the day, ultimately taking home first place after an undefeated run. Kate led with experience, while Brooke and Fiona made impressive competitive debuts, each delivering key victories under pressure.

Squad B—Ella Forlin ’27, Olivia Jordan ’28, and Haley Crispin ’28—also turned heads. In their first tournament together, they fenced well, pacing third and only narrowly missing a spot in the finals after a close match against JMU. Olivia and Ella, both fencing in their debut events, held their own with poise and promise, and Haley anchored the squad with confident, well-timed touches throughout the day.

Men’s Saber

This past weekend, the William & Mary Men’s Saber squad wrapped up their season in style, taking home gold at the Virginia Cup. Facing off against UVA, JMU, and UMW in a direct elimination team bracket of 45-touch relays, the Tribe’s A-squad—Connor “Lancelot” Cassidy ’25, Evan “Duke” Jackson ’25, and Ryan “Chronos” Rauscher ’27—fenced their way to the top. After a strong semifinal win over JMU, they secured the title with a 45–40 victory over UVA. Cassidy anchored the team with consistent control and clutch finishing, Jackson brought sharp tactical awareness and steady pressure, and Rauscher, the youngest of the three, impressed with his speed and confidence under fire.

The B-squad—Ryan Michael “Scorpion” Silk ’28, Hayden “Leif” Chon-Baker ’28, and Samuel “Geode” Heaney ’28—also made a strong showing, defeating UVA’s B-team in a solid performance that highlighted the talent of this year’s freshman class. Silk’s aggressive style and “smooth as milk” bladework kept opponents guessing, Chon-Baker fenced with relentless energy and reach, and Heaney showed composure and timing beyond his years. Overall, the event was not only a competitive success but a great way to end the season—bringing home medals, building experience, and enjoying time with fellow Virginia fencers.

Women’s Saber

Elizabeth Lawless ‘27, Abby Borgeson ‘28, Isabelle Neely ‘28, and Sophia Lee ‘27 all competed in the Virginia Cup year. Sophia joined the UVA team to make a full squad, creating a more relaxed environment for all fencers. Every single W&M Fencer scored touches on highly competitive opponents, making for an event full of smiles and laughs. UVA pulled off the victory 45-18, but W&M Women’s Saber got priceless experience and silver medals to wrap up a highly competitive season.

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USACFC

USACFCS 2025

4.5.2025-4.6.2025

Men’s Epee

Nolan Coughlin ‘25, Eric Montesi ‘26, and Lorenzo So ‘28 gave it their all at USACFCs. Eric finished 14th in the individual event, losing to the eventual winner in the round of 16, while both Nolan and Lorenzo were taken out in the round of 64. The boys were joined by alumnus Doug “X” Tableman ‘13 on Saturday, and he gave brilliant coaching throughout the individual competition. Thank you Coach Doug! On Sunday, Nolan led the charge, going an impressive 9-4 as men’s epee finished 14th in the team event, leaving it all on the strip against strong club teams. With this being his senior CFCs and having been to every Nationals in his career, “Titan” will be dearly missed by Epee squad and the team at large.

Women’s Epee

Sarah Gresham ’25, Rebekah Gresham ’25, Charlotte Follenus ’28, and Kata Kovari ’28 were defending champs at CFCs, and finished 5th place in the team event, a strong result given that half the squad had less than a year of fencing experience. In the individual competition, Coach Doug and the squad watched as Sarah and Rebekah tragically had to fence each other in the round of 16, with Sarah taking the 15-14 win. In the end. Sarah took 7th place and Rebekah took 9th place out of 125 competitors. With the Greshams graduating this year, women’s epee will look to retool and build up new talent to carry on their winning ways.

Men’s Foil

CFC’s was a difficult outing for Men’s Foil. Dale DeVinney ‘27, Kevin Sae-Tung ‘26, and Conrad Burton ‘26 fought hard in the individuals, with Kevin performing best winning an even 3-3. Unfortunately, the team fell to UC San Diego in the first round. Men’s foil will be back stronger than ever next time around. 

Women’s Foil

The women’s foil team—Kate Ingle ’27, Sarah Terpening ’27, and Angela Liu 25—brought intensity and resilience to the strip this weekend. On the first day of competition, Kate advanced to her second direct elimination bout, showing sharp timing and control in her early matches. Though Sarah and Angela didn’t make it past pools that day, both picked up strong wins that kept team morale high and the energy focused.

Day two proved to be a much tighter field, and the team rose to the occasion. In one of the most competitive matches of the day, the women’s foil squad narrowly fell to Smith College, holding them to a close 5-4 score. Angela fenced with precision and confidence, securing critical touches, while Sarah showed great adaptability and continued to build on her footwork and strategy. The entire squad showed tremendous growth over the course of the weekend, and they’re already looking ahead to their next chance to prove themselves on the strip.

Men’s Saber

The William & Mary Men’s Saber A-squad traveled to Penn State last weekend to compete at the Club Fencing National Championships (CFCs), facing off against top club programs from across the country. Representing the Tribe were Connor “Lancelot” Cassidy ’25, Evan “Duke” Jackson ’25, and Ryan “Chronos” Rauscher ’27, who each fenced individual pools and direct elimination rounds on day one before teaming up for the squad event on day two. Individually, the trio held their own in a strong national field—Cassidy brought his usual calm under pressure, Jackson maintained sharp tactical discipline, and Rauscher’s aggressive tempo earned him a few standout wins.

On day two, the team rallied for the team event, facing UMass Amherst in a tight elimination match. Despite a strong showing, they came up just short, falling 4–5 in a well-fought battle. While they didn’t walk away with medals this time, the squad gained valuable experience and proved they could go toe-to-toe with some of the best club programs in the country. It was a weekend of tough fencing, great sportsmanship, and a solid step forward for the program on the national stage.

Women’s Saber

Abby Borgeson ’28, Sophia Lee ’27, and Isabelle Neely ’28 took on a full day of six individual pools each, winning multiple bouts and scoring 48 touches collectively. The next day proved more challenging—the team was matched against Georgetown University, the third seed of the championships after individuals, and suffered a 5-0 loss during the team bout. This was the first CFC all three fencers competed in together; the squad strives to improve their sabre skills within the next year and continue building upon their competitive experiences.

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NIWFA

NIWFA Championships 2025

3.1.2025

Women’s Epee

Team Women’s Epee was comprised of Sarah ‘Tarot’ Gresham ‘25, Charlotte ‘Ember’ Follenus ‘28, and Kata ‘Circe’ Kovari ‘28. The team’s last member, Rebekah ‘Opal’ Gresham, flew in half way through the tournament from Wisconsin to coach and fence with the team. Throughout the day both Circe and Ember grew into their own techniques and developed moves that were effective against opponents. Ember used aggressive feints and arm touches to get points on her opponents. Circe utilized smart parries and long flèche attacks to get her points. Tarot utilized lunges and counterattacks to get her points against opponents. Opal showed up half way through, and helped coach everyone to win even more bouts against many teams, and was substituted in for a couple bouts where she used strong parries and quick attacks to disarm her opponents. Overall women’s epee worked together to coach eachother and rack up points, also taking home many wins against different schools.

Women’s Foil

The women’s foil squad featured captain Kate ‘Lilith QOH’ Ingle ‘27, Delia ‘Nightshade’ Figlozzi ‘27, and Haley ‘Requiem’ Crispin ’28. This was Haley’s first collegiate tournament and they demonstrated grit and determination, winning three consecutive bouts after a dry spell. Newly promoted to B strip, Delia fenced well and improved her wins after a year away from foil competition. In Kate’s first NIFWA appearance, she finished 10th in the A group, one win away from individuals.

Women’s Saber

William & Mary’s Women Saber included Elizabeth “Horizon” Lawless (‘27), Abby “Indigo” Borgeson (‘28), and Isabel “The Regulator” Tusing (‘27). Bringing much energy and gusto to NIWFA, they pulled off wins against Rutgers, Hunter, The City College of New York, and Bryn Mawr. This was Indigo’s first collegiate competition, and with only 4 months of experience under her belt, she demonstrated perfect form in every bout she fenced. The Regulator, now back in the groove of collegiate competitions, secured the most wins for William & Mary Women’s Saber as C strip. The day was full of cheers and happiness, because despite not winning every bout, the team consistently scored points and put up a good fight against many varsity and club schools.

Categories
MACFA

MACFA Championships 2025

3.2.2025

Men’s Epee

Men’s Epee goes to tournaments and wins bouts. Nolan Coughlin ‘24, Eric Montesi ‘26, and Lorenzo So ‘28 finished 7th place at MACFA Championships. In his last Champs, Nolan fenced incredibly well, going 8-4 on the day and taking home clutch wins against NJIT and Haverford. Fencing through injuries, Eric finished 7-4, never losing by more than one point in any of his bouts and finishing with the most touches scored in the B group. Lorenzo finished a strong 6-5 in his first Champs, upsetting several NCAA fencers to cap off a strong freshman season in MACFA. Nolan and Eric both qualified for individuals, finishing 9th and 11th, respectively. The boys maintained their form from the last few years, going toe to toe with every team they fenced, and they are looking forward to Nationals at Penn State.

Men’s Foil

Men’s foil concluded a challenging season at MACFA Champs. Dale DeVinney ‘27, Kevin Sae-Tung ‘26, and Conrad Burton ‘26 pushed hard, winning several bouts throughout the day and taking down Yeshiva 2-1. This was the first MACFA Champs appearance from Conrad and Kevin, and both had exceptional performances for their first Champs outing.

Men’s Saber

Men’s saber delivered a strong performance at MACFA Champs held at Drew University. The team was composed of Connor “Lancelot” Cassidy ‘25, Ryan “Chronos” Rauscher ‘27 and Evan “Duke” Jackson. Lancelot showed off his skills with his quick footwork and creative lockouts. Chronos continued to showcase his ability with his powerful box actions and lightning quick reflexes. Evan Jackson also competed well, using his tricky box actions and crafty bladework to take some victories. The squad fought hard throughout the day, taking victories against varsity schools and improving their skills. Ryan managed to score well in team bouts and managed to secure a position to compete in the individual tournament. Overall, the team put on a good performance, beating varsity teams and making William and Mary fencing known.

Categories
Recaps

Conomikes-Gutenberg Open 2025

2.22.25-2.23.25

Over thirty of our teammates competed in our annual Spring Open, Conomikes-Gutenberg Open! It was a great experience for all of our fencers, and some of our fencers competed in their first open.
Special congrats to: 
  • Senior Mixed Foil
    • Jeffrey Gu: 2nd
  • Div III Epee
    • Luke Miller: 5th
  • Senior Mixed Epee
    • Eric Montesi: 2nd (Earning B25)
    • Alumni Armin Bagha: 5th
    • Lorenzo So: 7th (Renewing C25)
    • Nolan Coughlin: 8th (Renewing C25) 
  • Div III Foil
    • Sam Ferguson: 8th (Renewing E25)
  • Div III Sabre
    • Evan Jackson: 2nd (Renewing D25) 
    • Sam Heaney: 6th (Earning E25)
Categories
MACFA

MACFA BvC 2025

2.16.2025

Men’s Epee

Eric Montesi ‘26, Luke Miller ‘27, and Patrick Feagin ’27 dominated at BvC, going a combined 27-12, beating both Army, and Yeshiva 8-1 and sweeping Hunter 9-0, with two 4-5 losses to tough NCAA opponents in NJIT and Stevens. All three fencers went positive on the day, with Eric dropping only three bouts throughout the competition, while Luke lost only four and finished with a +26 indicator. With MACFA Championships right around the corner, men’s epee hopes to bring a strong end to the season.

Men’s Foil

Men’s foil, consisting of Dale “Sandman” DeVinney ‘27, Kevin “Scythe” Sae-Tung ‘26, and Conrad “Xeno” Burton ‘26 put up a very solid performance at Macfa BvC. The squad came up decisively in a 6-3 bout against Yeshiva and another narrow 5-4 bout against Hunter. In defeat, men’s foil still put up a fight, falling just short of victory against Army and Stevens. 

Men’s Saber

The William and Mary men’s saber squad for MACFA B vs. C consisted of Squad Captain Evan “Duke” Jackson (Class of ‘25), Ryan “Chronos” Rauscher (Class of ‘27), and James “Ajax” Gosnell (Class of ‘28). The team went head to head against five other collegiate teams, picking up wins against Yeshiva University and Hunter College, while taking nail-biting losses to the saber teams from New Jersey Institute of Technology, Stevens Institute of Technology, and the U.S. Naval Academy. Many of the incredible highlights from these bouts included the W&M Saber A-squad’s members Duke and Chronos; with Duke’s lighting-fast counters and Chronos’ breathtaking pulls showing off their top-tier tip control and distance. Overall, the men’s saber squad have taken up a solid position for the upcoming MACFA Championships held at Drew University on March 2, 2025.

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SIFA

SIFA 2025

2.8.2025-2.9.2025

Men’s Epee

Men’s epee dominated SIFA yet again, winning the team event for the third consecutive year, and taking individual gold for the fourth year in a row. The trio of Eric Montesi ‘26, Lorenzo So ‘28, and two-time individual champion Nolan Coughlin ‘25 won the team event handily, dropping only three bouts overall and sweeping their semifinal and final opponents. In the individual competition, Nolan narrowly fell to the eventual silver medalist, while Lorenzo took down Eric in the semifinals to take the individual title. With another dominant SIFA result, men’s epee looks to carry their strong performances into MACFA Champs and USACFCs.

Women’s Epee

 The women’s epee team consisted of Sarah ‘Tarot’ Gresham, Rebekah ‘Opal’ Gresham, and Kata ‘Circe’ Kovari, with this being Circe’s first collegiate tournament. Tarot utilized amazing distance and arm touches to get an advantage over her opponents while Opal disarmed her opponents with perfectly timed parries and long attacks. Circe put her training into action with fantastically timed attacks and was able to evade her opponent’s blades with quick disengages to make more points. Both Tarot and Opal made it into the individual competition to take both gold and silver medals. In the subsequent teams event, women’s epee utilized amazing teamwork and coaching to crush the competition and take home gold. This was another amazing tournament for women’s epee, with lots of great fencing and fantastic results.

Men’s Foil

Men’s foil left absolutely everything on the strip at SIFA 2025. The squad consisted of Jeffrey “Ragnarok” Gu ‘25, Dale “Sandman” DeVinney ‘27, and Sam “Caiman” Ferguson ‘28. Jeffery and Sam qualified for the individual round, where Sam placed in 6th and Jeffrey stormed to a dominating 1st place finish. For the team event, William and Mary foil was seeded first by a significant margin. From there, the team steamrolled the competition to a decisive victory over Clemson to take home the gold. Combined, the squad only lost 2 bouts in their march to the podium, capping off an incredible performance for the weekend. 

Women’s Foil

The women’s foil squad, featuring the women’s foil captain Kate ‘Lilith QOH’ Ingle ‘27, Sarah ‘Medusa’ Terpenning ‘27, and Debbie ‘Prism’ Ho ’26, brought heat and enthusiasm to the strip in the individual and team event. Medusa and Lilith blazed through DEs and received 3rd and 2nd respectively. In the team event, woil got a BYE for the first round and went on to fence FSU in the semifinals, whom they swiftly defeated. With Medusa’s strong remises, Lilith’s swift attacks, and Prism’s strong parry ripostes, they were guaranteed a seat on the podium. With fire in their eyes they moved onto the finals to fence UVA. They put up a strong fight and ultimately placed second, but they loved fencing with UVA and look forward to seeing them in future tournaments!

Men’s Saber

The William and Mary men’s saber fencing squad delivered an extraordinary performance at the Southern Intercollegiate Fencing Association (SIFA) tournament, showcasing their dominance over a competitive field of southern division schools, including Clemson, UGA, Georgia Tech, UVA, Emory, and the University of Florida. The team, featuring the seasoned leadership of seniors Connor “Lancelot” Cassidy and Evan “Duke” Jackson, along with the rising star sophomore Ryan “Chronos” Rauscher, proved to be an unstoppable force, claiming first place overall in the team competition. Their precision, strategy, and teamwork were on full display, as they outclassed their rivals in every bout. On the individual front, Ryan’s performance was nothing short of spectacular. He not only went undefeated throughout the weekend but also claimed first place overall in individuals! His consistency and skill were unmatched. Meanwhile, Connor and Evan showed their own remarkable prowess, both finishing in a tie for third place, adding to the team’s exceptional results and an astonishing 2.3 indicator for team seeding. Together, the trio demonstrated not only their personal excellence but also the strength and depth of their team, solidifying William and Mary’s place as a powerhouse in collegiate fencing.

Women’s Saber

The 2025 SIFA women’s sabre squad featured Delia “Nightshade” Figlozzi, Isabelle “Finch” Neely, and Isabel “The Regulator” Tusing. As a freshman with only a month of experience under her belt, Finch absolutely crushed it, winning a bout 5-0 in pools and securing victory in the very last bout of the team event. While usually a foilist, Nightshade swept the competition off their feet, winning every single pool bout. She placed second overall in the individual event, after making it to finals with a close 15-14 victory in semifinals! After a long break from fencing, The Regulator was thrilled to once again compete in a collegiate setting, winning many bouts throughout the day and helping carry the team to victory. The team was elated to medal in both individual and team events, with a 2nd place victory in Individual Women’s Sabre and a 3rd place victory in Team Women’s Sabre and – two historic wins for an underrepresented squad! The team hopes these will be the first in a long line of wabre victories.

Categories
MACFA

MACFA AvC 2025

2.2.2025

Men’s Epee

Men’s Epee, featuring Nolan Coughlin ‘25, Eric Montesi ‘26, and Lorenzo So ‘28 with Luke Miller ‘27 as alt, brought good vibes and good fencing to MACFA A vs C, going 2-2 on the day. Mepee defeated Rutgers and Cornell, the reigning USACFC champs. While the team struggled overall against a revamped Drew team and a strong Lafayette squad, each fencer took home several individual wins against NCAA and other highly rated opponents. With their next tournament in SIFA, men’s epee hopes to continue their championship streak before returning to the MACFA scene for B vs C and MACFA Champs.

Men’s Foil

Men’s foil, featuring captain Dale “Sandman” DeVinney, Fabian “Atlas” Shelton, and Conrad “Xeno” Burton, made a solid effort at MACFA A vs C. For Fabian, it was his first ever collegiate tournament, and he scored many decisive touches throughout the tournament. Conrad also showed incredible improvement, taking home a close bout against Rutgers. Dale had his best collegiate performance of his career, winning several bouts throughout the day and coming up positive against a dominant Drew foil squad. The team is looking sharp heading into MACFA Champs and BvC. 

Men’s Saber

The W&M AvC men’s saber squad consisted of Evan “Duke” Jackson, Connor “Lancelot” Cassidy, James “Ajax” Gosnell, and Ryan Michael “Scorpion” Silk. Over the four series’ of the day, the team achieved several wins. Some highlights included their overall win against Drew University, and their nail biting 4-5 loss to Rutgers. Additionally, this tournament was the first collegiate tournament attended by Ajax and Ryan Michael “Scorpion” Silk, with both of them scoring exciting touches against varsity opponents. Overall, men’s saber is in a good position for the rest of MACFA season, especially as they move on to BvC, and the championship later this month.

Categories
MACFA

MACFA C Round Robin 2024

11.17.2024

Men’s Foil

This competition’s Men’s Foil team was composed of Kevin Sae-Tung ‘26, Vinton Bruton ‘26, and Sam Ferguson ‘28. This would mark the first collegiate appearances of Kevin and Sam, while being Vinton’s first collegiate after returning from the JDP program in Scotland. Sam kept his opponents on their toes with his split-second parries and counterattacks, often leaving them confused as to how their attacks missed. Vinton showcased exceptional usage of his height and distance, hitting his opponents just out of their reach. Kevin used clean disengages and parries to effect. Despite not winning any matches, they managed to take bouts off of every school other than Hopkins, a good showing for a relatively new team.

Men’s Épée

Men’s Épée, featuring the dynamic trio of Nolan Coughlin ’25, Eric Montesi ’26, and Lorenzo So ‘28, delivered an unforgettable performance at Navy. Nolan stunned opponents with his lightning-fast foot touches and devastating in-fights, often striking before they could even react. Eric showcased perfect distance control and executed textbook fleches, slicing through defenses with precision. Lorenzo was a force to be reckoned with, unleashing blazing-fast attacks and delivering high-precision strikes to the hand, leaving adversaries in awe. The team secured impressive victories against the University of Maryland and the United States Naval Academy. In fiercely contested matches, they fell to Haverford with a close 4-5 score and finished 3-6 against Johns Hopkins at, netting a total of 7 wins against varsity programs. Men’s Épée ended the day 19-17, energized and eager to prove themselves as a competitive force in MACFA.

Men’s Sabre

Men’s saber delivered a strong performance at MACFA CRR held at the United States Naval Academy, demonstrating their developing skills and determination against some of the top schools in the division. At the helm was team captain Connor “Lancelot” Cassidy ‘25, followed by sophomores Ryan “Chronos” Rauscher ‘27 and Ni “Vulcan” Hao. Making his debut in the collegiate fencing scene was freshman Hayden “Leif” Chon-Baker ‘28 who showed great promise while supporting the squad as their alternate. Lancelot, with his expert lockouts and strategic prowess, shook the competition and warranted plenty of oohs and ahhs from the audience. Chronos impressed with his lightning-fast reflexes and flawless blade work, constantly outmaneuvering his opponents with the precision of a seasoned veteran. Ni Hao rocked the strip with his rapid-fire attacks and razor-sharp timing, leaving opponents scrambling to keep up. Meanwhile, Leif demonstrated impressive composure for a freshman, showing flashes of brilliance that will undoubtedly lead to further success. The squad fought hard throughout the day, through decisive victories and fiercely contested matchups the team proved that they are a formidable presence on the strip and in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Categories
USACFC

USACFC Championships 2024

4.13.24 – 4.14.24

Women’s Foil

After a stunning win at SIFA earlier this year, women’s foil arrived at CFCs ready to win some bouts. The TC Trio of Lucy  “Gecko” Kasper ‘24, Angela “Luna” Liu ‘25, and Karino “Jasmine” Gibson ‘24 all came eager to fence and kick butt. Women’s foil took 25th place in the team event, with all three fencers doing a great job. In the individual event, Gecko placed 29th out of 106 fencers, using her unbreakable defense to parry any attack and beat up her opponents. Luna fenced with patience and grace, winning many bouts. Karino looked to have cast hexes upon her opponents, defeating one unwitting fencer 5-0 in a team bout. Women’s foil delivered a gutsy performance at CFCs, and has a bright future ahead. We will miss Karino’s fearless leadership as president and Gecko’s infinite wisdom as co-captain, but even as they graduate, a new generation of women’s foil talent is ready to be unleashed on the competition, carefully trained up by our seniors and ready to put the hurt on all the schools they face.

Women’s Epee

Going into the Collegiate Fencing Championship tournament, Women’s epee had an incredibly strong team made up of Rebekah “Opal” Gresham ‘25, Sarah “Tarot” Gresham ‘25, and Anna “Lotus” Saal ‘27. On Saturday they showcased their speed and strength to the competition when all three won all bouts in their pools, with many overwhelming victories. All three went into direct eliminations with very good seedings and out of a tableau of 128, all three made it to the top 16 bracket. In the bracket of 16, Lotus fenced very hard against an opponent and showcased her dynamic parries and quick lunges. Although she ended up losing and placing 10th, the bout was very hard fought and Lotus displayed amazing fortitude and never-ending determination. Tarot advanced to the bracket of 8, in which she lost to an incredibly difficult opponent by only a couple of touches, ultimately placing 5th. Opal continued to sweep through the competition collecting wins until she was in the finals bout. She ended up having to fence an opponent that she had lost to last year in direct eliminations, but she refused to back down. In a bout that was neck-in-neck until the last period, Opal focused very hard, making multiple beautiful arm touches and perfectly timed parries. Despite the opponents best efforts to fleche and make touches, Opal won the bout by being even quicker and stronger, taking home the first place medal. On Sunday, despite all members being very tired and sore, women’s epee refused to lose. Similar to the first day, Opal used her speed and agility to land many arm touches and contentious in-fights, Tarot used her directional changes to bait and counterattack effectively against opponents, and Lotus used her patience to land perfectly timed parries and immaculate lunges against her opponents. They fenced Michigan State University and then Dartmouth College, winning both 5-0 and 5-1 respectively. In the semi-finals, they fenced the University of California Santa Barbara winning with an impressive 5-2 victory. The finals bout was against the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a tough opponent, but women’s epee fought and coached each other to an astounding 5-1 win. Lotus, Tarot, and Opal all fenced using their unique styles, extreme speed, and determination to bring home a first place team medal and trophy.

Women’s Saber

Elizabeth “Horizon” Lawless, Sophia “Barracuda” Lee, and Delia “Nightshade” Figlozzi came to the Collegiate Fencing Championships ready to do their very best! Barracuda and Nightshade, although drafted from foil, trained diligently and performed well in a new weapon environment. Nightshade, struck by illness, still stood her ground on the strip, scoring consistently and challenging any opponent that crossed her path. Barracuda’s speed and aggression consistently stunned foes. The two foilists learned much about the ways of saber in such a short time, and their skill and knowledge of the weapon dramatically increased over the course of the two day tournament! It was Horizon’s first experience at a collegiate tournament– her speed and phenomenal parries placed her in the top 32 for the individual event! Together, the three did very well and strengthened their friendship along the way.

Men’s Foil

In a break from last year’s tradition, Men’s Foil arrived at CFCs with a team of mens foilists. Arriving Saturday still tired from setup the night before, the trio of Jack ‘ Yeti’ Bratton ‘24, Nick ‘Osiris’ Reeder ‘24, and Thomas ‘Vice’ Mahnken ‘24 suited up so they could begin waiting for their flighted pools to begin as quickly as possible. Several hours later, they emerged from pools seeded 5th, 42nd, and 61st respectively. Vice would fall in the first round, Osiris would progress to the second round before being eliminated by #23, and Yeti would relentlessly plow through the bracket, only being stopped in the semi-finals. Sunday began just as Saturday had: with about 5 hours of sleep and confusion over strip assignments. Beginning the day seeded 11th, the squad’s first opponent was -BYE-, seeded 54th. After -BYE- failed to appear at the strip, the round was given the W&M. Their second opponent, University of Massachusetts Amherst (henceforth referred to as UMass) put up a valiant struggle which fencing historians have since likened to the final stand of the Spartans at the battle of Thermopylae. After a 5-1 loss in the initial bout, W&M would win the next 5 bouts, securing both victory and progression to the next round. Their third second opponent, University of Florida posed an even tougher challenge. Facing a 4-2 disadvantage after the first 6 bouts, all three fenced valiantly. Yeti secured a decisive 5-1 win, bringing the overall score to 4-3. Vice fenced what he described as “the best I have ever fenced since beginning college” in a bout that sadly was not recorded, evening the score at 4-4. Osiris, bringing it home, secured the win for W&M by winning the 9th and final bout of the round. Progressing to the round of 8, the next opponent was Cornell. The trio fenced intrepidly, but through a combination of soreness and the Cornell team being seeded 3rd, they were forced to accept defeat. As disappointing a loss as it was, the W&M Foil Dream Team™ would end the day placed 8th, a marked improvement over last year’s result and a result that all three graduating seniors can be proud of.

Men’s Epee

Men’s epee rocked up to CFCs with their sights set on victory as Armin “D.O.W. Jones” Bagha ‘24, Jake “Merlin” Schapiro ‘24, Nolan “Titan” Coughlin ‘25, and Eric “Helios” Montesi ‘26 came to win bouts and have fun. Armin was all skill, cool and calculated as he dismantled his opponents. Jake’s counters and control of distance left his opponents befuddled. Nolan was powerful and precise as he dominated the competition. Eric used tempo and timing to break any defense. In the individual event, all of our boys dominated their pools, and everyone fenced hard in their DE bouts. Armin was finally unleashed upon CFCs, and kept up  the incredible form he has shown all season as he battled through injury to take 5th in the individual event. Going into the team event seeded sixth out of 37 schools, men’s epee carved their way through their first two opponents, dropping only two bouts. Tragically, they fell in a hard-fought series against Texas that went down to the wire, ending in a 4-5 loss. Hampered by injury and exhaustion, our boys left it all on the strip as they fenced off for placement, ultimately taking 8th in the team event. It was the last collegiate event for Armin and Jake, and our two seniors fenced brilliantly. Their great performances capped off the best season men’s epee has had in years. Armin’s words of wisdom and Jake’s angelic singing will be missed at future competitions, but their legacy of victory has the squad determined to continue winning at every event they go to. As a new era begins in men’s epee, the culture they established will continue to produce the hardest working, somewhat conditioned, most unselfish and stylish squad in Virginia.

Men’s Saber

Coming in hot off the heels of a strong performance at MACFA Champs, Men’s saber showed up and showed out, finishing in 14th place as a team. Evan “Duke” Jackson ‘25, Connor “Lancelot” Cassidy ‘25, and Ryan “Chronos” Rauscher ‘27 all fenced brilliantly at CFCs. Chronos used his massive frame and blinding speed on attack and defense to thrash his opponents, finishing 19th out of 142 fencers in the individual. Always calculating, Duke balanced aggression with clinical defense as he stayed one step ahead of his opponent’s tactics, knowing what they would do before they did it. Lancelot used his quickness in the box, strong parries, and the LanceLockout™ to befuddle his opponent, his unorthodox style proving too much for even experienced fencers to handle. Men’s saber finished the best season they’ve had in years by finishing 11 spots ahead of their CFCs result last year, showing vast improvement and promising great things to come, as everyone on the squad is returning, hungry for greater success. Vorp?