The Notre Dame fencing program will seek to expand upon its immensely successful history as it competes at the NCAA Fencing Championships this week in University Park, Pa. The men will compete on Thursday and Friday with women following over the weekend. After a historic three-peat from 2021-2023, the Irish fell short to Harvard University last year by a slim 8-point margin despite missing many of its key contributors due to Summer Olympic training.
The men’s team is fronted by freshman foil specialist Liam Bas and sophomore sabre specialist Radu Nitu. Bas has exploded onto the scene for the Irish in his debut season. The New Jersey native took home the ACC Individual Championship two weeks ago and followed upon that performance with a gold medal at NCAA Regionals last week. Meanwhile, Nitu has been consistently dominant all season long. Standing at 6'4", he has been able to effectively use his frame to outlast opponents. Similarly to Bas, Nitu picked up gold medals at both the ACC Championships and NCAA Regionals.
The team also benefits from remarkable depth. Freshman sabre specialist Ahmed Hesham finished just a place behind Nitu in the past two weeks. In the ACC Championships, Hesham was only beaten by a score of 15-13. In the epee competition, Maruan Osman-Touson leads the Irish charge. After not placing in Chapel Hill, Osman-Touson found his groove again at NCAA Regionals. The junior hailing from Hungary finished in first place, edging out teammate and last year's national runner-up junior Jonathan Hamilton-Meikle. Both Hungarians booked their ticket to the national championships with the result. The squad will be rounded out by sophomore foil specialist Chase Emmer, who is no stranger to the bright lights. He finished third place at nationals last year, earning him a spot on the All-American team.
The men are heavy favorites to win both the epee and sabre competitions but face a tall task in foil. Penn’s Bryce Louie won the individual foil championship last year and followed up his efforts with a silver medal at the Paris Olympics. It will take an extraordinary upset to knock Louie off his throne.
The women’s team is every bit as strong. Junior epee specialist Eszter Muhari — one of the several fencers who had to miss last season in order to train for the Olympics — and senior epee specialist Kaylin Hsieh have exchanged blows all season long. After Muhari won gold at the ACC Championships over Hsieh, the roles were reversed at NCAA Regionals. Both fencers have won national gold before, with Muhari claiming the crown in 2023 and Hsieh doing so in the year prior. Their biggest test will be against the reigning national champion, Emily Vermeule of Harvard.
Ariadna Tucker and Rebeca Candescu will represent the Irish in foil. Tucker is coming off a first-place finish at NCAA Regionals and a second-place finish at the ACC Championships, falling just short of Candescu. Just like Muhari and Hsieh, the two are widely seen as frontrunners but will also have to battle against a fellow Harvard superstar in Jessica Guo. Guo is the reigning national champion and a two-time Olympian for Canada. Her highest senior-level rank internationally has been fourth, posing a viable threat for Notre Dame’s mission of capturing gold.
In sabre, freshmen Magda Skarbonkiewicz and Siobhan Sullivan will feature for Notre Dame. Despite her age, Skarbonkiewicz has shown no signs of inexperience. She won the ACC Championship and has become known for exuding confidence on the strip. Her classmate Sullivan has been quieter throughout the season but made her presence felt at NCAA Regionals. She picked up a gold medal and showed she can compete with any fencer in the country.
As it stands, Notre Dame is currently the favorite to win national glory. Head Coach Gia Kvaratskhelia has prepared his young team all season long for this moment and his wealth of experience may prove to be a difference maker for the Irish. A national title would mark the program's sixth in eight seasons. The championship rounds on Friday and Sunday will air on ESPN+.
