PHILADELPHIA — Columbia fencing took care of business, going undefeated through five combined rounds on day one of the Ivy League Championships, hosted by Penn at the Palestra.
 
The men went 2-0 on the day and have two more contests tomorrow against Harvard (9 a.m.) and Princeton (10:15 a.m.). The Lions can clinch the Ivy League title outright with a sweep of their two rivals tomorrow, but can earn at least a share of the crown if they get through the top-seeded Tigers (3-0) in the final round.
 
The women's 3-0 mark put them in first place headed into the final day of competition. The Lions are tied with Princeton and Harvard for first place. Columbia faces Cornell at 12:15 p.m., before closing things out against the Crimson (1:30 p.m.) and Tigers (2:45 p.m.).
 
"I couldn't be prouder of the team's effort today," said head coach Michael Aufrichtig. "They fought hard and showed incredible heart. We received strong contributions from the entire lineup, which was amazing to see. Tomorrow, if we continue to push ourselves, the rest will take care of itself."
 
The day started with the men's competition, with the Lions earning a 17-10 victory over Penn. The Quakers hung around until the middle stages of the matchup, where the Lions pulled away. After a bye in round two, Columbia dispatched Yale, 21-6, with all three weapons earning convincing wins.
 
Sam Kumbla went a perfect 6-0 to sit atop the individual standings in foil. Will Morrill posted a 5-1 mark, tied for the best in sabre. In epee, Justin Haddad led Columbia with a 5-1 mark and is in third place.
 
In the afternoon, the women dominated their first matchup from start to finish against Yale in a 19-8 triumph. The Lions continued to dominate in round two, clinching the contest against Penn before the third turns in each weapon in a 23-4 win. Brown put up a fight in the early part of its matchup with Columbia, but the Lions buckled down and used a 7-2 edge in epee to close the day with an 18-9 victory.
 
Mina Yamanaka was a perfect 7-0 in epee, which puts her second for the individual title. Zander Rhodes is 6-1 to lead the Lions' foilists, while Tamar Gordon's 4-1 record in sabre was a team-best.
 
For the latest on Columbia's fencing programs, follow @CULionsFencing on Twitter and Instagram and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
 
COLUMBIA IVY LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM RESULTS
Saturday, February 8
 
Men
Columbia 17, Penn 10
Columbia 21, Yale 6
 
Women
Columbia 19, Yale 8
Columbia 23, Penn 4
Columbia 18, Brown 9