CAMBRIDGE, Mass.- Harvard women's fencing coach Daria Schneider announced juniors Cindy Gao and Saanchi Kukadia will serve as the 2020-21 captains. As all captains at Harvard, the leadership posts were determined based on an election by the student-athletes on the team.

Cindy Gao recorded a 63-41 record with a plus-51 touch differential during her 2019-20 campaign. The junior went 12-11 at NCAA Northeast Regionals in Ithaca, N.Y. and finished among the top-10 in epee. Gao capped off her season qualifying for the NCAA Championships in Detroit, Mich.

She joins co-captain Saanchi Kukadia, who went 54-38 on the year with a plus-59 touch differential. The junior epeeist finished third overall at the Ivy Championships and tabbed first team All-Ivy League honors. Kukadia found success at Northeast Regionals finishing among the top 10 in epee and qualifying for the NCAA Championships.

The two will captain a Crimson team that went 16-11 throughout the 2019-20 season and placed fourth at the Ivy League Round Robins. The team returns eight fencers for fall 2020 and will add a number of talented first-years to the roster.