The UC San Diego fencing team is off to Ohio State this week for the Elite Invitational. The tournament runs Saturday, December 4 and Sunday, December 5 at the Covelli Center.

Saturday, the Tritons face off against Northwestern (women only), Denison, Johns Hopkins, and Cleveland State. Sunday, they will take on Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins, Ohio State, and Wayne State.

UC San Diego is coming off the West Invitational, hosted by Air Force, November 13-14. On the men's side, junior Shawn Kim posted an incredible 19-5 record in saber. He was the lone saber fencer for UC San Diego due to recent injuries to the squad. Kim defeated all three rivals from Columbia, including Christopher Walker, a member of the United States National Team. For the Triton women, a pair of freshmen had impressive results in their collegiate debuts. Logan Daranouvong and Rafaella Gomes each went 15-11, Daranouvong in epee and Gomes in foil.

The UC San Diego women earned team victories against Air Force, Brandeis, Incarnate Word, and NJIT. The men, who began every match-up with six losses in saber due to having just one competitor instead of three, defeated Brandeis and Incarnate Word.

This is UC San Diego's first season competing as a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). The conference announced in early August that it will begin sponsoring the sport.

---

2021 ELITE INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE

Saturday, December 4, 2021 (all times EST)
Round 1 – 9 a.m.
Ohio State vs. Cleveland State
Northwestern vs. UC San Diego
Air Force vs. Johns Hopkins
 
Round 2 – 10:30 a.m.
Ohio State vs. Denison
Cleveland State vs. Air Force
Northwestern vs. Johns Hopkins
 
Round 3 – Noon
Ohio State vs. Air Force
Northwestern vs. Cleveland State
Denison vs. UC San Diego
 
Lunch Break
 
Round 4 – 2:30 p.m.
Ohio State vs. Cleveland State
UC San Diego vs. Johns Hopkins
Air Force vs. Denver
 
Round 5 – 4 p.m.
Northwestern vs. Air Force
Denison vs. Johns Hopkins
UC San Diego vs. Cleveland State

-
 
Sunday, December 5, 2021 (all times EST)
Round 1 – 9 a.m.
Ohio State vs. Johns Hopkins
Notre Dame vs. Wayne State
Air Force vs. UPenn
 
Round 2 – 10:30 a.m.
Ohio State vs. Notre Dame
UPenn vs. UC San Diego
Wayne State vs. Air Force
 
Round 3 – Noon
Ohio State vs. Wayne State
Air Force vs. Notre Dame
UC San Diego vs. Johns Hopkins
 
Lunch Break
 
Round 4 – 2:30 p.m.
Ohio State vs. UC San Diego
Notre Dame vs. UPenn
Wayne State vs. Johns Hopkins
 
Round 5 – 4 p.m.
Ohio State vs. UPenn
UC San Diego vs. Wayne State
Notre Dame vs. Johns Hopkins

------

UP NEXT
The Elite Invitational is UC San Diego's final competition in 2021. The Tritons pick back up again on January 20 when they host Wellesley College inside Main Gym.

------
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.