Wednesday, February 15
New York, N.Y.
5:15 P.M.
Columbia University
vs
NYU
Columbia Fencing Wraps Up Regular Season At Home With Kolombatovich Meet Wednesday
2/14/2023 3:00:00 PM | Fencing
The Lions will honor the Class of 2023 prior to its home finale
NEW YORK - The Columbia Fencing program will host the fourth annual George Kolombatovich Historical Meet on Wednesday evening at the Dodge Fitness Center University Gymnasium "Blue Gym". The Lions will host NYU, Sacred Heart, and Vassar in a three-way meet beginning at 5:15 p.m.
Columbia will fence NYU at 5:15 p.m., take on Sacred Heart at 6:30 p.m., then matches up against Vassar at 7:45 p.m. Columbia's matchup against NYU is for the rivalry's annual trophies.
Each year, team winners of the annual Columbia-NYU fencing matchup earn the right to two respective trophies: Irving Martin Preschel men's fencing trophy and the Katy Bilodeau '87CC women's trophy. The Preschel Trophy dates back to 1945-46 and is named in honor of Preschel, a former manager and member of the NYU fencing team who was killed in action at Heidelberg, Germany, on March 30, 1945. A Columbia superstar, Bilodeau was a four-time All-American, two-time NCAA foil champion (1985 and 1987), two-time Olympian (1988 and 1992), and was named the NCAA Athlete of the Decade for the 1980s. The Bilodeau Trophy was introduced in 1990-91, but the Columbia-NYU women's series began in 1982-83.
The meet will not only be Columbia's final scheduled competition before NCAA Regionals on March 12, but the program will also celebrate the senior fencers on the team.
Previously known as Columbia's Historical Meet, the event's name was changed to the George Kolombatovich Historical Meet beginning in the 2018-19 season to honor the former Columbia fencing coach after his passing in September 2018.
Kolombatovich served as Columbia's head fencing coach for 33 seasons, starting in 1979. His Columbia teams won five national championships (two combined and three men's titles), 17 Ivy League men's fencing titles and eight Ivy League women's fencing titles over 33 years.
The Lions return home after spending the weekend competing at the Ivy League Championships. The men's and women's team both finished in second place at the event. Nora Burke captured the women's sabre individual title after going 16-1 in bouts over the weekend.
Columbia's next scheduled competition after Wednesday's matches is at NCAA Regionals on Sunday, March 12, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard will host the event.
Columbia will fence NYU at 5:15 p.m., take on Sacred Heart at 6:30 p.m., then matches up against Vassar at 7:45 p.m. Columbia's matchup against NYU is for the rivalry's annual trophies.
Each year, team winners of the annual Columbia-NYU fencing matchup earn the right to two respective trophies: Irving Martin Preschel men's fencing trophy and the Katy Bilodeau '87CC women's trophy. The Preschel Trophy dates back to 1945-46 and is named in honor of Preschel, a former manager and member of the NYU fencing team who was killed in action at Heidelberg, Germany, on March 30, 1945. A Columbia superstar, Bilodeau was a four-time All-American, two-time NCAA foil champion (1985 and 1987), two-time Olympian (1988 and 1992), and was named the NCAA Athlete of the Decade for the 1980s. The Bilodeau Trophy was introduced in 1990-91, but the Columbia-NYU women's series began in 1982-83.
The meet will not only be Columbia's final scheduled competition before NCAA Regionals on March 12, but the program will also celebrate the senior fencers on the team.
Previously known as Columbia's Historical Meet, the event's name was changed to the George Kolombatovich Historical Meet beginning in the 2018-19 season to honor the former Columbia fencing coach after his passing in September 2018.
Kolombatovich served as Columbia's head fencing coach for 33 seasons, starting in 1979. His Columbia teams won five national championships (two combined and three men's titles), 17 Ivy League men's fencing titles and eight Ivy League women's fencing titles over 33 years.
The Lions return home after spending the weekend competing at the Ivy League Championships. The men's and women's team both finished in second place at the event. Nora Burke captured the women's sabre individual title after going 16-1 in bouts over the weekend.
Columbia's next scheduled competition after Wednesday's matches is at NCAA Regionals on Sunday, March 12, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard will host the event.
Players Mentioned
SABRE
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