Thursday, March 19
Notre Dame, Ind.
All Day
Columbia
vs
NCAA Women's Championships Day 1 (Hosted by Notre Dame)
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Stockton Photo, Inc.
Women's Fencing Holds Slim Lead After Day One of NCAA Championships
3/19/2026 5:49:00 PM | Fencing
The Lions hold one-bout edge over Notre Dame as five fencers sit in or near semifinal position entering final day
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Columbia women's fencing opened the NCAA Championships on Thursday and holds a one-bout lead heading into the final day of competition.
The Lions totaled 67 victories in round-robin play, edging host Notre Dame (66) atop the team standings.
Five of Columbia's six fencers are either in semifinal position or within two wins of the top four in their respective weapons.
"I'm really proud of how we competed from the first bout to the last," said head coach Michael Aufrichtig. "We stayed composed, trusted our preparation, and made the right adjustments when it mattered most. What stood out was how connected we were. Everyone contributed, everyone was invested, and we competed for something bigger than ourselves. That's the standard we've built, and we're going to keep leaning into that."
In epee, Nicole Xuan and Tierna Oxenreider paced the Lions. Xuan opened 6-1, with her lone loss coming to Oxenreider, and closed the day winning six of her final eight bouts to sit second at 12-3. Oxenreider surged late, going 4-0 in the final round to move into fifth place, two wins shy of a semifinal spot.
Columbia gained some separation in foil during the opening round against fencers from Notre Dame and Northwestern, the only other programs with six competitors in the field. Stuchbury went 6-1, while Rhodes posted a 5-2 mark. Both followed with 7-1 records over the final two rounds and currently occupy the final two semifinal positions.
In sabre, Tamar Gordon led the way with a 12-3 record, including wins in 10 of her first 11 bouts, to sit third overall. Janna Freedman added seven victories in her NCAA Championships debut and stands 11th.
Columbia concludes pool play Friday with two rounds beginning at 9 a.m. The team title is determined by total bout victories in round-robin competition. The top four finishers in each weapon advance to 15-touch semifinals, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
Team standings are based on the cumulative results of each program's individual competitors.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia's fencing programs, follow @CULionsFencing on X, Instagram and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
The Lions totaled 67 victories in round-robin play, edging host Notre Dame (66) atop the team standings.
Five of Columbia's six fencers are either in semifinal position or within two wins of the top four in their respective weapons.
"I'm really proud of how we competed from the first bout to the last," said head coach Michael Aufrichtig. "We stayed composed, trusted our preparation, and made the right adjustments when it mattered most. What stood out was how connected we were. Everyone contributed, everyone was invested, and we competed for something bigger than ourselves. That's the standard we've built, and we're going to keep leaning into that."
In epee, Nicole Xuan and Tierna Oxenreider paced the Lions. Xuan opened 6-1, with her lone loss coming to Oxenreider, and closed the day winning six of her final eight bouts to sit second at 12-3. Oxenreider surged late, going 4-0 in the final round to move into fifth place, two wins shy of a semifinal spot.
Columbia gained some separation in foil during the opening round against fencers from Notre Dame and Northwestern, the only other programs with six competitors in the field. Stuchbury went 6-1, while Rhodes posted a 5-2 mark. Both followed with 7-1 records over the final two rounds and currently occupy the final two semifinal positions.
In sabre, Tamar Gordon led the way with a 12-3 record, including wins in 10 of her first 11 bouts, to sit third overall. Janna Freedman added seven victories in her NCAA Championships debut and stands 11th.
Columbia concludes pool play Friday with two rounds beginning at 9 a.m. The team title is determined by total bout victories in round-robin competition. The top four finishers in each weapon advance to 15-touch semifinals, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
Team standings are based on the cumulative results of each program's individual competitors.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia's fencing programs, follow @CULionsFencing on X, Instagram and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Players Mentioned
SABRE
/ Fencing
SABRE
/ Fencing
EPEE
/ Fencing
EPEE
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