COLUMBUS, OHIO – Behind an incredible and inspiring performance from dedicated student-athletes and coaches, Harvard wins the NCAA Fencing National Championship for the second time in program history.

The Crimson tallied 169 points and a stellar +203 indicator as a team across the four-day competition, besting second place and previous national champion Notre Dame to bring the national title back to Cambridge for the first time since 2006.

Head coach Daria Schneider is a trailblazer in the fencing world, as she becomes the first female head coach to lift the NCAA Fencing National Championship trophy. Schneider is joined by assistant coaches Adam Maczik, Dagmara Wozniak, Jed Dupree, Jason Pryor, and Alberto Linaldi.

In their NCAA Championships debut, a pair of first-years advanced to the semifinals on Sunday in their respective weapons. First-Year men's foil fencer Daniel Zhang earns a tie for third place honors after impressing over five rounds of pool action. A native of Belmont, Mass., Zhang posted a 16-7 indicator with a +17 indicator, earning All-America First Team honors in the process.

First-Year epee fencer Henry Lawson impressed in his run in the five pool rounds. Lawson tallied a 17-6 record with a weapon-high indicator of +30. Hailing from Manhattan, N.Y., Lawson adds first team All-America honors to his list of accolades after finishing in a tie for third place at the 2024 NCAA Fencing Championships.

Along with Lawson's third place performance in men's epee, junior Mihir Kumashi took sixth place in his second trip to the NCAA Championships. Kumashi amassed a 16-7 record over two days, posting a +17 indicator. A native of Houston, Texas, Kumashi is now a two-time second team All-America honoree, as he placed seventh at the 2022 NCAA Fencing Championships.

Joining Zhang in the top-10 of the men's foil rankings was junior and team captain James Chen. An Ivy League First Team selection in February, Chen garners All-America Honorable Mention recognition after finishing in tenth place with a 13-10 record and a +19 indicator.

In men's saber action, sophomore Matthew Linsky takes All-America Honorable Mention status after finishing in ninth place with a 13-10 record and a +7 indicator. Along with Linsky, first-year Kevin Sohn finished in 20^th with a 7-16 record.

Across the four days of fencing in Columbus, Ohio, two Crimson student-athletes won individual NCAA National Championships. On Friday, junior and team captain Emily Vermeule became the 2024 NCAA Women's Epee National Champion after defeating Columbia's Tierna Oxenreider 15-10 in the final. In her NCAA Championships debut, first-year Jessica Zi Jia Guo won the 2024 NCAA Women's Foil National champion after enjoying a stellar weekend in Columbus.

Harvard alums also found success abroad, as a trio of former Crimson fencers took home hardware in Budapest, Hungary. Representing Team USA at the Men's Saber World Cup, Eli Dershwitz '19, Filip Dolegiewicz '23, and Mitchell Saron '23 all took home gold medals in the team portion of the event.

HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS:

• The Crimson win the NCAA Fencing National Championship for the second time in program history, with the first coming in 2006.
• Coach Schneider makes history in Columbus, becoming the first female head coach to lead their program to a NCAA Fencing National Championship.
• Schneider is also the fifth female head coach to lead their program to a NCAA Division I National Championship in a coed sport.
• Harvard is the first Ivy League program to win a NCAA Fencing national title since Columbia won the national championship in 2019.
• The Crimson boast 18 individual NCAA National Champions, with six of them arriving during Schneider's tenure.

RESULTS:

Women's Epee
Emily Vermeule – NCAA Women's Epee National Champion (16-7, +29 Indicator)
Isabella Chin –Sixth Place (14-9, +15 Indicator)

Women's Foil
Jessica Zi Jia Guo – NCAA Women's Foil National Champion (20-3, +62 Indicator)
Lauren Scruggs – Second Place (17-6, +41 Indicator)

Women's Saber
Zoe Kim – 12th Place (13-10, +4 Indicator)
Chloe Williams – 20th Place (7-16, -17 Indicator)

Men's Epee
Henry Lawson – T-Third Place (17-6, +30 Indicator)
Mihir Kumashi – Sixth Place (16-7, +17 Indicator)

Men's Foil
Daniel Zhang – T-Third Place (16-7, +17 Indicator)
James Chen – 10^th Place (13-10, +19 Indicator)

Men's Saber
Matthew Linsky – Ninth Place (13-10, +7 Indicator)
Kevin Sohn – 20^th Place (7-16, -21 Indicator)

All-Americans
Emily Vermeule – First Team All-America (Women's Epee)
Jessica Zi Jia Guo – First Team All-America (Women's Foil)
Lauren Scruggs – First Team All-America (Women's Foil)
Isabella Chin – Second Team All-America (Women's Epee)
Zoe Kim – All-America Honorable Mention (Women's Saber)
Henry Lawson – First Team All-America (Men's Epee)
Daniel Zhang – First Team All-America (Men's Foil)
Mihir Kumashi – Second Team All-America (Men's Epee)
James Chen – All-America Honorable Mention (Men's Foil)
Matthew Linsky – All-America Honorable Mention (Men's Saber)

For all the latest on Harvard Fencing, follow the team on Twitter (@HarvardFencing) and Instagram (@harvardfencing).