Harvard fencing team well represented in NCAA Championship, sending 10 fencers to New Haven

The selection committee released the names of the participants for the NCAA Championship in fencing yesterday, with 10 Harvard fencers making the list out of a possible 12. The tournament will be held March 13-16 in New Haven, Conn.

Nine Crimson fencers qualified based on their performances at regionals last weekend, while sophomore Long Ouyang received an at-large bid, beating out seven of the other top foil fencers in the country.

For the men the participants include: in foil, Ouyang and junior co-captain Kai Itameri-Kinter, in epee, senior Teddy Sherrill and sophomore Billy Stallings—who won the gold at regionals—and in sabre, senior Steve Ahn.

The women’s side also earned five bids, with junior co-captain Maria Larsson in epee, sophomores Arielle Pensler and Anna Podolsky in foil, and freshman Allie Sneider and senior Alexa Weingarden qualifying in sabre.

Columbia, St. John, Notre Dame, and Ohio State all qualified the maximum 12 fencers, with reigning national champions Penn State falling one behind at 11.

With fewer fencers than five other squads heading into the competition, it will be incredibly difficult for Harvard to regain its championship glory of 2005.

In last year’s competition the Crimson finished sixth, with four women and three men notching All-America honors, including then-senior Tim Hagamen who took first in sabre for Harvard’s fourth gold medal in school history.