CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Daria Schneider, Harvard's head coach for men's and women's fencing, has announced the Crimson's incoming class of 2025.

The class includes 11 student-athletes, including four who deferred admission and will be joining the Crimson this year. Those individuals who deferred admission on the women's side are Claire Beddingfield (epee), Ever Marinellie (foil), Emily Vermeule (epee), as well as one men's fencer, James Liao (foil). Bio information on these four student-athletes can be seen here.

In addition, Schneider welcomes seven other student-athletes, five men and two women. Christina Gong (foil) and Lauren Scruggs (foil) are the women student-athletes, while James Chen (foil), Andrew Chung (foil), Mihir Kumashi (epee), Justin Liu (foil), and Anthony Malysz (epee) are the men newcomers.

The Class of 2025: 

Men
James Chen
Foil
New York, N.Y./Stuyvesant
Before Harvard: Member of the Fencers Club … 2019 and 2020 USA Cadet World Team member … Currently ranked fourth in juniors and 10th in seniors … Math Team member … Brother, Earnest Chen, is a member of the Yale fencing team.
 
 
Andrew Chung
Foil
Yorba Linda, Calif./Yorba Linda
Before Harvard: 2019 and 2020 Cadet World Team Alternate … Was 2020 US Olympic hopeful … Member of the USA International designated U20 foil team and the U17 foil team … 2019 Bangkok Junior World Cup Team bronze medalist … 2019 Cadet Summer Nationals bronze medalist … Placed sixth at the 2019 Division 1 North American Cup … Was fifth at the 2019 Cadet World Cup in Austria … 2020 Rome Cadet World Cup bronze medalist … Board Member of RAISE Humane Foundation … PSAT Merit Commended Finalist in 2019.
 
 
Mihir Kumashi
Epee
Houston, Texas/The Awty International School
Before Harvard: Competed for the Alliance Fencing Academy … Junior World Team member … Spirit of Sport Champion in 2020 … Silver medalist in teams, Junior World Championships in Egypt in 2021 … Reached the round of 16 at the 2020 Junior World Cup in Switzerland … Quarterfinalist at the 2019 Division 1 North American Cup in Utah … Quarterfinalist at the 2019 Junior July Challenge at the North American Cup in Ohio … Silver medalist at the 2018 Cadet North American Cup in Missouri … National Honor Society … National Spanish Exam medalist.
 
 
Justin Liu
Foil
Los Gatos, Calif./Leigh
Before Harvard: Competed for the Massialas Foundation … USA Fencing First Team All-American in 2019 and 2020 … U20 Junior Olympics bronze medalist … Won two gold medals for the U17 international circuit … North American Cup U17 bronze medalist … National Merit Commended Scholar … AP Scholar with Distinction … National Honor Society … Science National Honor Society … US Fencing All-Academic First Team in 2019 and 2020 … Volunteer at Friends of Children with Special Needs and STEM Enrichment Youth.
 
Anthony Malysz
Epee
Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg
Before Harvard: Competed for the Advance Fencing Academy … Finished 32nd in National Cadet Points Standings … Placed ninth at 2020 Junior Olympics (Cadet) and sixth at 2019 December SJCC (Junior) … Was first at the 2019 Arnold Fencing Classic (Cadet and Junior) … Earned the 2021 Carl Sandberg High School World Languages Departmental Award … 2020 Questbridge National College Match Finalist and National College Prep Scholar … AP Scholar with Distinction.
 
 
Women
Christina Gong
Foil
Belmont, Mass./The Winsor School
Before Harvard: Competed for the Marx Fencing Academy … United States Fencing Association High School All-America First Team in 2017-18 … Placed sixth at the Junior World Cup in Guatemala in 2018 … Was seven at the Junior Pan American Fencing Championships in March 2018 … Earned a second-place finish at the National Championship & July Challenge in 2019 … Took the silver medal in the North American Cup in March 2016 … Two-time team captain at the New England Division USFA Pomme De Terre in 2018 and 2019, winning first place both times … Maureen O'Donnell Oxford Classical Dictionary Award … Presidential Scholar nominee … National AP Scholar Award … AP Scholar with Distinction … National Merit Scholarship Winner … Won third place at the American Protégé International Piano & Strings Competition in 2018.
 
 
Lauren Scruggs
Foil
Queens, N.Y./Packer Collegiate Institute
Before Harvard: Youngest U.S. foil fencer to win Junior World Championship … One of two African-Americans to win an individual world title (male or female) … 2019 Junior Cadet World Champion … 2018 Bronze Junior World medalist .. Won the gold medal at the 2020 Junior World Cup in Germany … Captured the gold at the 2018 Cadet World Cup … Took home the gold at the 2021 and 2019 Junior Team World Championships … Earned the silver at the 2019 Junior World Cup in Croatia … Won the silver at the 2018 Cadet World Cup in Italy … Gold medalist at the 2019 Division 1 North American Cup … Brother, Nolen Scruggs, fenced at Columbia.