BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – Harvard fencing wrapped up action at the 2024 NCAA Northeast Regional Championships, as the Crimson will send a full team of twelve to the 2024 NCAA Division I Fencing Championships for the first time since 2019 and only the 5th time in program history. It marks the first time under head coach Daria Schneider that Harvard will qualify 12 student-athletes for the NCAA Championships.  Coach Schneider, and assistant coaches Adam Maczik and Dagmara Wozniak head to their 3^rd NCAA Championships together. Assistant coaches Jed Dupree, Jason Pryor, and Alberto Linaldi are joining them for the first time at the NCAA championships. In the two years Coaches Schneider, Maczik and Wozniak have competed at NCAA's they boast a 2^nd place and a 4^th place team finish and four individual champions.

The results were somewhat improbable. While five of the necessary six positions for qualification on the women's team were well positioned for qualification entering the regional qualifying event only two out of the necessary six positions earned solid rankings throughout the season on the men's side. Harvard would have needed outstanding and outlying performances to qualify even ten individuals for NCAA's but through the combined unity and effort of the entire team, qualified an improbable twelve.  Tp perform this feat, Harvard would need an almost perfect set of performances across the board including men's sabre individuals performing 15 and 24 places above their season ranking respectively, a women's sabre performance 24 places above their season ranking, a men's epeeist finishing at least ten places higher than his season ranking. In addition, the team would need all their top 8 ranked fencers in the region to turn in solid performances. An underperformance from any one member of the team would preclude them from qualifying the maximum number. 

The team came together, pushed each other, and managed to edge each of the improbable pieces into place.

First-Year Jessica Zi Jia Guo captured the NCAA Northeast Region women's foil title, posting a stellar 10-1 mark in the final pool with a staggering +31 indicator in the final round. In addition to Guo's first place performance, three other Crimson fencers medaled, Chloe Williams and Matt Linsky both earned silver medals, catapulting them from 26^th and 27^th place rankings respectively in the region into qualification for NCAA championships.  In addition Isabella Chin won bronze in a highly competitive women's epee final pool which included her teammates who both entered the day ranked ahead of her. 

Defending NCAA women's foil national champion Lauren Scruggs orchestrated a second-place finish, going 8-3 with a +13 indicator. Senior and team captain Annora Lee placed tenth after earning four wins in the final pool. Heading into regionals, Guo and Scruggs were ranked first and second respectively, as the duo maintained their rankings in the tournament.  All three women qualified to the NCAA's but only two will be able to compete per NCAA rules.

In women's epee, three Harvard student-athletes earned a spot in the top-10. First-Year Isabella Chin captured third place, posting an 8-3 record in the final pool with a +7 indicator. Sophomore Faith Park finished right behind Chin in fourth, going 7-4 with a +9 indicator. Junior and team captain Emily Vermeule finished in seventh place, producing a 6-5 record with a +7 indicator. Chin opened the tournament at 12^th, impressing with her bronze medal showing.  As in foil, all three women qualified for the event though only two will be able to compete at the championships. 

Sophomores Chloe Williams and Zoe Kim each finished in the top five in women's saber action. Williams took second place with an 8-3 record in final round, boasting a pool-high +18 indicator. Kim finished in fourth place after going 7-4 with a +14 indicator. Williams dazzled with her performance, as the sophomore started regionals ranked 26^th and finished in second place in her NCAA Regionals debut. Kim held the top-ranking in the standings before the tournament started.
In epee action, first-year Henry Lawson captured fifth place, going 6-5 in the final pool with a +6 indicator. Junior Mihir Kumashi secured the best regional finish in his career, as the Houston, Texas native took sixth place. Kumashi matched Lawson's record in the final pool, recording a 6-5 mark. Lawson started the NCAA Northeast Regionals in ninth, while Kumashi began in 13^th.

First-Year Daniel Zhang garnered sixth place in men's foil competition, going 7-4 in the final pool with a +6 indicator. Junior and team captain James Chen recorded a top-10 finish, placing ninth after tallying three wins in the final pool.
In his first NCAA Northeast Regional Championships appearance, sophomore Matthew Linsky impressed, earning silver medal honors with a 7-4 record in the final round with a +9 indicator, the second highest among all fencers in the final men's saber pool. Also making his NCAA Northeast Regional Championships debut, first-year Kevin Sohn slotted in sixth place, posting a 6-5 record and a +2 indicator. Sohn came to LIU ranked 20^th before the meet, while Linsky opened at 27^th.

HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS:

• Harvard will send a full roster to the NCAA Fencing Championships for the first time since 2019 and for the fifth time in program history.
• In her NCAA Northeast Regional Championships debut, Guo won the women's foil regional championship.
• Nine Harvard student-athletes advanced to the final pool.
• Guo, Scruggs, Chin, Linsky and Williams all placed in the top-three.
• Nine of the ten women who competed at regionals qualified for the final round and for NCAA Championships.

UP NEXT:

Select Harvard student-athletes will travel to Columbus, Ohio from Thursday, Mar. 21 – Sunday, Mar. 24, looking secure some hardware at the 2024 NCAA Division I Fencing Championships.
 
RESULTS

Women's Epee:
Isabella Chin – Third Place (NCAA Selection)
Faith Park – Fourth Place
Emily Vermeule – Seventh Place (NCAA Selection)

Women's Foil:
Jessica Zi Jia Guo – First Place (NCAA Selection)
Lauren Scruggs – Second Place (NCAA Selection)
Annora Lee – Tenth Place
Linda He – 16th Place

Women's Saber:
Chloe Williams – Second Place (NCAA Selection)
Zoe Kim – Fourth Place (NCAA Selection)

Men's Epee:
Henry Lawson – Fifth Place (NCAA Selection)
Mihir Kumashi – Sixth Place (NCAA Selection)
Anthony Malysz – 13^th Place

Men's Foil:
Daniel Zhang – Sixth Place (NCAA Selection)
James Chen – Ninth Place (NCAA Selection)
Andrew Chung – T-15^th Place

Men's Saber:
Matthew Linsky – Second Place (NCAA Selection)
Kevin Sohn – Sixth Place (NCAA Selection)
Tommy Choi  – 17^th Place
Prash Subbiah – 25^th Place