CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard fencing, the defending NCAA national champion, makes its return to collegiate action this weekend, traveling to Queens, New York on Sunday, Jan. 19 for the highly anticipated St. John's Invitational, as the Crimson will face some of the top programs in the nation.
WHAT TO KNOW:
- Both Crimson programs enter the St. John's Invitational with 7-2 records, as Harvard swept the Beanpot for a 15th straight year in its last collegiate tournament in November.
- The Harvard fencing roster is filled with top-level talent across all three weapons, headlined by three 2024 Paris Olympians.
- A two-time Olympic medalist and the 2023 NCAA Women's Foil National Champion, senior and team captain Lauren Scruggs is enjoying a sensational start to the 2024-25 season.
- Hailing from Queens, N.Y., Scruggs brings a stellar 29-1 record in collegiate competition to the St. John's Invitational and currently ranks fifth in the International Fencing Federation's World Rankings.
- The reigning NCAA Women's Foil National Champion, sophomore Jessica Zi Jia Guo heads to the Big Apple after a strong showing at the Women's Foil World Cup in Tunis, as she took home 10th place at the tournament.
- A two-time Olympian for Team Canada, Guo holds the No. 8 in the FIE's World Rankings.
- Head coach Daria Schneider is in her sixth season as the head coach of the Crimson fencing program. Last season saw Schneider send the NCAA trophy back to Cambridge for the first time since 2006, as she also became the first woman to win an NCAA fencing title.
UP NEXT:
Harvard heads home on Saturday, Feb. 1, as Crimson fans will get an opportunity see the defending NCAA champions live and in-person as Harvard hosts dual meets against Duke and New York University.
For all the latest on Harvard Fencing, follow the team on Twitter (@HarvardFencing) and Instagram (@harvardfencing).
