Coming off an eventful spring break, Notre Dame returns to action this weekend at the NCAA Championships, which will take place Thursday through Sunday in Indianapolis.
In order to prepare for this upcoming weekend’s NCAA Championships, the Irish welcomed competition from a group of fencers from the Shanghai Lixin University in Shanghai, China, over spring break. In addition to partaking in various recreational and educational ventures with the visitors, Notre Dame also participated in four days of competition.
For the the third consecutive year, Notre Dame had the maximum number of possible fencers qualify for the NCAA championships, sending 12 student-athletes to compete in Indianapolis this weekend. Qualifiers for the third-ranked women’s team include sophomores Madeline Antekeier and Amanda Sirico in epee, junior Francesca Russo and sophomore Tara Hassett in sabre, and sophomore Sabrina Massialas and world No. 1 senior Lee Kiefer in foil. The fourth-ranked men’s team contingent includes senior Kristjan Archer and sophomore Axel Kiefer in foil, juniors Jonathan Fitzgerald and Jonah Shainberg in sabre, and freshman Ariel Simmons and sophomore Dylan French in epee.
The Irish men are currently tied for No. 4 in the nation, and the women sit at No. 3 in the national rankings.
