POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.- Columbia Fencing is headed up to Vassar College for the NCAA Fencing Northeast Regionals on Sunday.  The Lions are sending the maximum number of qualifiers, 20, to the strips to face off against the region's best during the one-day event. The regional features athletes from 18 schools and the bouts begin at 10 a.m. ET. 
 
This is the start of postseason fencing for the highly ranked Lion's squads. The Men are sitting in the No. 2 spot in the College Fencing 360 Coaches Poll, while the women are also tabbed at No. 2 in the nation. The Lions are the highest ranked Northeast region team in both the men's and women's competition.

Columbia is looking to build on regular season momentum as the Lions took home both Ivy League championship titles earlier in February, while Sylvie Binder captured the Ivy League Women's Foil Individual Champion.

Columbia fencers enter the weekend as high seeds in all three weapons. The Lions are No. 1 seeds in women's foil (Iman Blow), men's sabre (Andrew Doddo), men's foil (Sam Moelis) and men's epee (Teddy Lombardo). Columbia fencers are No. 2 seeds in women's sabre (Nora Burke), women's foil (Sylvie Binder), women's epee (Karolina Nixon) and men's foil (Sidarth Kumbla).
 
This regional helps determine the qualifying fencers for NCAA Nationals, which will take place on the campus of Cleveland State University on March 21-24. Columbia hopes to send 12 fencers to Cleveland.  Only Columbia's top two fencers for each weapon, men and women, can qualify for the National Championships. The qualifiers are determined by a formula based on 60 percent weight on regional bouts and 40 percent weight on regular season results.  
 
Last season, eight Lions took home medals during the regional competition. Senior Iman Blow took home the gold medal in women's foil competition, marking a 23-2 record for the day.  Sylvie Binder, also returning for Sunday's bout, stood tall next to Blow earning bronze.  Other returning Lion's who medaled last season at regionals include Calvin Liang and Violet Michel with silver, and Sidarth Kumbla with a bronze.
 
Follow along with the live results here. Seedings are also listed at that link.
 
COLUMBIA'S NCAA REGIONAL QUALIFIERS AND COMPETITORS FOR SUNDAY
 
Women's Sabre:
No. 2 seed Nora Burke
No. 6 seed Daniella Timofeyev
No. 7 seed Violet Michel 
 
Women's Foil:
No. 1 seed Iman Blow
No. 2 seed Sylvie Binder 
No. 4 seed Ester Schreiber
 
Women's Epee:
No. 2 seed Karolina Nixon
No. 3 seed Anne Cebula
No. 4 seed Gigi Vierheller
No. 10 seed LeeAnn Choy
 
Men's Sabre:
No. 1 seed Andrew Doddo
No. 6 seed Josef Cohen
No. 7 seed Calvin Liang
No. 10 seed Dawson Sieradzky
 
Men's Foil
No. 1 seed Sam Moelis
No. 2 seed Sidarth Kumbla
No. 4 seed Nolen Scruggs
 
Men's Epee
No. 1 seed Teddy Lombardo
No. 6 seed Cedric Mecke
No. 12 Mick Yamanaka