Fencing Goes Combined 8-2 at St. John’s Super Cup
Story Links QUEENS, NY – Against one of the strongest fields they faced all season, Columbia Fencing went 8-2 on Saturday in the St. John’s Super Cup. The men’s team won against St. John’s, Ohio State, Penn State and Notre Dame and fell against Harvard. In the women’s tournament, the Lions beat the Red Storm, Crimson, Buckeyes and Nittany Lions before losing the final to the Fighting Irish.
Yana Botvinnik competed in all five rounds and went 9-4 to lead the women’s epee. Delphine DeVore also showed an outstanding performance and went in foil with 8:2. In the men’s competition, Bogdan Hamilton left the competition with a 7:2 mark in the foil.
“I’m so proud of our performance today in one of the strongest games of the season,” said head coach Michael Aufecht. “Smart fencing, great teamwork and fighting for every touch. I feel like we’re emerging from this competition hungry and ready for what’s next.”
The day started with two wins over hosts Red Storm. The women capitalized on a 9-0 win thanks to flawless goals from the trio of Yana Botvinnik, Karolina Nixon and Audrey Chu to secure a 19-8 victory. Foil was the difference in the men’s competition, with St. John’s on their way to a 15-12 decision. Joon Paik and Hamilton went 3-0 in the opening contest.
In round two, the women defeated the Crimson 18-9. Delphine DeVore swept through her Harvard counterparts to propel Folie to a 7-2 triumph with her weapon and a 6-3 advantage with Degen to provide enough separation to claim the win.
Columbia’s men responded 15-12 to top Ohio State after their loss to Harvard. Andrew Zheng (foil) and Robert Vidovszky (saber) remained undefeated in the duel and carried their weapons to victory. In the women’s game, the Lions got their third win in a row with 19:8. Nora Burke’s 3-0 lead led Saber to a convincing 7-2 win.
The afternoon session started with both teams beating Penn State. The men’s team, bolstered by 3-0 performances from Ethan Kushnerik (epee) and Nick Harvey (sabre), gave the Lions a 17-10 lead over the Nittany Lions. Women’s foil dominated against Penn State, with Rachel Zhang and DeVore crushing each of their opponents. Chloe Gouhin also sabered 3-0 as Columbia earned a 20-7 triumph.
Columbia’s men ended the day with a rousing win over Notre Dame, 15-12. The epee and saber each took 6-3 wins, that was the difference. The women traded 5-4 decisions in saber and foil, but the Fighting Irish doubled the Lions in epee to deny Columbia a perfect day.
Columbia’s women will take the stage on Sunday, January 22 at the Philadelphia Invitational co-hosted by Penn and Temple. The Lions will face off against Temple, NYU, Notre Dame, Northwestern and Wayne State at the event.
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