CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard fencing embarks on its 2023-24 season at the Western Invitational at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. The meet will take place between Saturday, Nov. 4 and Sunday, Nov. 5.
 
The men's team kicks-off the competition against Ohio State at 10 a.m. EST on Saturday, Nov. 4. The Crimson take on Incarnate Word before facing off against three-time defending NCAA national champion Notre Dame. After a break, the men conclude day one against UC San Diego and Stanford.
 
The women's team takes on six teams on day one of the Western Invitational, starting with matchups against the Buckeyes and Incarnate Word. The Crimson take on the Fighting Irish and Northwestern before finishing the day against Stanford.
 
On Sunday, the men's team take on two new opponents. Harvard begins the day against Air Force, taking on North Carolina in the second match.
 
The women's team finishes their time at the Western Invitational with two matchups, also facing off against Air Force and the Tar Heels.
 
WHAT TO KNOW:

• The Crimson return two individual national champions from the 2022-23 team. 2023 NCAA Women's Foil Champion Lauren Scruggs and 2023 NCAA Men's Epee National Champion Jonas Hansen look to defend their titles.
• Hansen tallied 51 victories last season, tied for the team lead. The Cambridge, Mass. native has 157 career victories in three seasons with the Crimson.
• Scruggs looks to continue her 57-mach collegiate winning streak this season. A junior from Queens, New York, Scruggs has a 57-2 career collegiate record and went a perfect 36-0 mark last season.
• The women's team went 6-2 against 2023 Western Invitational opponents last season. The Crimson beat Ohio State at the 2022 iteration of the Western Invitational, losing to the Buckeyes in a rematch at the St. John's Invitational. Notre Dame took the lone matchup against the Crimson last season at the St. John's Invitational.
• The men's team posted an identical record against 2023 Western Invitational attendees. The Crimson also split the season series against Ohio State and lost to Notre Dame in New York.
• Harvard fencing captains are Annora Lee, Emily Vermeule, James Chen and Justin Liu.
• Lee is the lone senior on the women's team. A foil fencer, Lee has a 62-30 record, leading the women's team in wins with 49 last season. Lee also earned Second Team All-Ivy honors in the 2022-23 season.
• Vermeule embarks on her third campaign in Cambridge. A 2023 NCAA Women's Epee Bronze medalist, Vermeule is 60-18 in her college career. A native of Cambridge, Mass., Vermeule is the two-time defending NCAA Women's Epee Northeast Regional Champion and two-time First Team All-American.
• A junior from New York, New York, Chen is the defending Ivy League Men's Foil champion with a 83-26 career record with the Crimson. Chen also earned First Team All-America recognition in 2022.
• Liu brings a 46-29 record to the 2023-24 campaign. A foil from Los Gatos, Calif., Liu earned Second Team All-Northeast Region last season and logged a 21-9 record.
• 10 first-year fencers will make their collegiate debuts at the Western Invitational.
• Isabella Chin, Jessica Zi Jia Guo, Linda He, Kaitlyn Pak, Tommy Choi, Owen Jin, Henry Lawson, Kevin Sohn, Prash Subbiah and Daniel Zhang will all don the Harvard H for the first time in Colorado this weekend.

 
Participating Teams:
 
Air Force (AF)
Brandeis (BU)
Columbia (COL)
Harvard (HAR)
Incarnate Word (UIW)
North Carolina (UNC)
Northwestern (NU)
Notre Dame (ND)
Ohio State (OSU)
Stanford (STAN)
UC San Diego (UCSD)
 
Western Invitational: Day One Schedule (Saturday, Nov. 4)
 
Round 1 (8:00-9:15 a.m. MST / 10:00-11:15 a.m. EST)
Pod A-AF vs. IUW
Pod B-HAR vs. OSU
Pod C-UCSD vs. UNC
Pod D-STAN vs. ND
Bye-COL, BU, NU
 
Round 2 (9:15-10:30 a.m. MST / 11:15-12:30 p.m. EST)
Pod A-AF vs. BU
Pod B-COL vs. UNC
Pod C-UCSD vs. ND
Pod D-UIW vs. NU (w) and UIW vs. OSU (m)
Bye-OSU (w), STAN, HAR
 
Round 3 (10:30-11:45 a.m. MST / 12:30 – 1:45 p.m. EST)
Pod A-AF vs. NU (w) and AF vs. UNC (m)
Pod B-COL vs. STAN
Pod C-BU vs. ND
Pod D-HAR vs. UIW
Bye-UNC (w), OSU, UCSD
 
Round 4 (11:45-1:00 MST / 1:45 – 3:00 p.m. EST)
Pod A-STAN vs. UNC
Pod B-COL vs. OSU
Pod C-HAR vs. ND
Pod D-NU vs. UCSD (w) and BU vs. UIW (w)
Bye-UIW (m), BU (m), UCSD (m), AF
 
Break - 1:00-1:30
 
Round 5 (1:30-2:45 p.m. MST / 3:30-4:45 p.m. EST)
Pod A-AF vs. ND
Pod B-COL vs. UCSD
Pod C-BU vs. STAN
Pod D-HAR vs. NU (w) and OSU vs. UIW (w)
Bye-HAR (m), UNC, OSU (m), UIW (m)
 
Round 6 (2:45-4:00 p.m. MST / 4:45-6:00 p.m. EST)
Pod A-AF vs. COL
Pod B-UIW vs. ND
Pod C-BU vs. OSU
Pod D-UNC vs. NU (w) and HAR vs. UCSD (m)
Bye-UCSD (w), UNC (m), HAR (w), STAN
 
Round 7 (4:00-5:15 p.m. MST / 6:00-7:15 p.m. EST)
Pod A-ND vs. UNC
Pod B-COL vs. UIW
Pod C-OSU vs. UCSD
Pod D-HAR vs. STAN
Bye-AF, BU, NU
 
Western Invitational: Day Two Schedule (Sunday, Nov. 5)
 
Round 1 (8:00-9:15 a.m. MST / 10-11:15 a.m. EST)
Pod A-AF vs. HAR
Pod B-OSU vs. STAN
Pod C-UCSD vs. UIW
Pod D-BU vs. NU (w) and BU vs. UNC (m)
Bye-UNC (w), COL
 
Round 2 (9:15-10:30 a.m. MST / 11:15-12:30 EST)
Pod A-AF vs. OSU
Pod B-STAN vs. UIW
Pod C-UCSD vs. BU
Pod D-HAR vs. UNC
Bye-UNC (w), COL
 
Round 3 (10:30-11:45 a.m. MST / 12:30 – 1:45 p.m. EST)
Pod A-AF vs. COL (m) and COL vs. NU (w)
Pod B-STAN vs. UCSD
Pod C-UNC vs. OSU (m)
Pod D-BU vs. UNC (w) and BU vs. UIW (m)
Bye-HAR, AF (w), UIW (w), OSU (w)
 
Round 4 (11:45-12:00 MST / 1:45-2:00 p.m. EST)
Pod A-AF vs. UCSD
Pod B-COL vs. BU
Pod C-UIW vs. UNC
Pod D-STAN vs. NU (w)
Bye-STAN (m)
 
UP NEXT:
 
Harvard returns to the strip on Wednesday, Nov. 15 for the Beanpot. The Beanpot will be hosted by Brandeis in Waltham, Mass.