Photo by: Columbia University Athletics
Fencing Announces Captains for 2024-25
9/25/2024 10:50:00 AM | Fencing
Binder, Chu, Gordon, Haddad, McBride and Zheng make up the Lions’ leadership group
NEW YORK - Columbia Fencing has selected six captains for the 2024-25 campaign, head coach Michael Aufrichtig announced today. Seniors Zach Binder, Audrey Chu, Justin Haddad, Jackson McBride and Vivian Zheng, along with junior Tamar Gordon comprise the Lions' leadership committee.
"Our captains have been managing our energy to the highest standards," Aufrichtig said. "We are focused on doing what we can control, being the best-practiced team in the country. I'm looking forward to the season ahead."
The group helped Columbia win both the men's and women's Ivy League Team Championships last season and features four All-Americans and two NCAA Regional medalists.
For the men, Binder has been a staple in the foil lineup throughout his career. As a junior, he placed fifth at the NCAA Championships and fifth at Regionals. Coming off a fifth-place finish at NCAAs in epee a year ago, Haddad will anchor the men's epee squad. Haddad is also a two-time silver medalist at the NCAA Northeast Regional. McBride is another key contributor to the success of the sabre unit. In 2023-24, he placed 12th at NCAAs and competed at Ivies and the NCAA Regionals in each of his three seasons with the Lions.
On the women's side, Chu is one of the most experienced women's epee fencers returning to the Lions, competing in the last three Ivy League Round Robins and NCAA Northeast Regionals. Gordon claimed sixth place at the 2024 NCAA Championships in sabre and posted top-10 finishes at NCAA Regionals the past two seasons. Zheng saw action in seven regular season meets in foil a year ago. She competed at the Ivy League Round Robins and NCAA Regionals.
For the latest on Columbia's fencing programs, follow @CULionsFencing on Twitter and Instagram and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
"Our captains have been managing our energy to the highest standards," Aufrichtig said. "We are focused on doing what we can control, being the best-practiced team in the country. I'm looking forward to the season ahead."
The group helped Columbia win both the men's and women's Ivy League Team Championships last season and features four All-Americans and two NCAA Regional medalists.
For the men, Binder has been a staple in the foil lineup throughout his career. As a junior, he placed fifth at the NCAA Championships and fifth at Regionals. Coming off a fifth-place finish at NCAAs in epee a year ago, Haddad will anchor the men's epee squad. Haddad is also a two-time silver medalist at the NCAA Northeast Regional. McBride is another key contributor to the success of the sabre unit. In 2023-24, he placed 12th at NCAAs and competed at Ivies and the NCAA Regionals in each of his three seasons with the Lions.
On the women's side, Chu is one of the most experienced women's epee fencers returning to the Lions, competing in the last three Ivy League Round Robins and NCAA Northeast Regionals. Gordon claimed sixth place at the 2024 NCAA Championships in sabre and posted top-10 finishes at NCAA Regionals the past two seasons. Zheng saw action in seven regular season meets in foil a year ago. She competed at the Ivy League Round Robins and NCAA Regionals.
For the latest on Columbia's fencing programs, follow @CULionsFencing on Twitter and Instagram and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Players Mentioned
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FOIL
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