PHILADELPHIA, Penn. – UC San Diego fencing is set to return to action this weekend for the first time as a team in 2024 as they make their way east to compete at the Philadelphia Invitational hosted by both the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University. 
 
Competing alongside the Tritons this weekend in the City of Brotherly Love will be teams from across the nation, including: Cornell, Duke, Farleigh Dickinson, Haverford, Johns Hopkins, North Carolina, NYU, Seton Hall and Wagner. 

UC San Diego is seeking to get off to a strong start to the spring season, which will feature the team competing at the Northwestern Invitational as well as hosting the NCAA Regionals at home in La Jolla. 

In the early portions of the spring calendar, the Tritons have received strong individual contributions from a variety of scholar-athletes to begin 2024. Last weekend at the January North American Cup in San Jose as seven Tritons finished in the top 30 of their events. Roger Wu led the way by coming in 17th place in the men's saber, while Renee Zuhars placed 23rd in a field of over 200 competitors. 

TRITON PARTICIPANTS
Men:
Andrew Graber, Epee
Daniel Wong, Epee
Derek Rong, Epee
Nolan Yumiaco, Epee
Sunny Sharma, Epee
Larry Song, Foil
Brandon Kim, Foil
Scott Lao, Foil
Lucas Zeng, Foil
Jason Chin, Foil
Phileas Auray, Saber
Arnav Raja, Saber
Daniel Noble, Saber
Hananiah So, Saber

Women:
Tean Brooks, Epee
Samantha Sayson, Epee
Renee Zuhars, Epee
Bella Balogh, Epee
Natalie Brooke Gebala, Epee
Kyra Wu, Foil
Rafaella Gomes, Foil
Neta Korol, Foil
Zehra Anbarlilar, Foil
Roxane Cayrat, Saber
Janna Aboudaher, Saber
Zara Fearns, Saber
Sasha Slobodsky, Saber
Julia Hill, Saber

SCHEDULE
Saturday:

Round/Strip

1, 2, 4

4, 5, 7

8, 10, 11

11, 13, 14

15, 16, 17

17, 18, 19,

20, 21, 22

22, 23, 24

ABC

CDE

Bye

Bye

Bye

Round 1

SHU M

SHU W

Penn W

Penn M

Duke M

Duke W

Lafayette W

Lafayette M

Haverford M

Haverford W

NYU M&W

8:30am

UNC M

UNC W

FDU W

UCSD M

NJIT M

NJIT W

JHU W

JHU M

Wagner M

Wagner W

UCSD W

Cornell W

Round 2

NYU M

NYU W

Penn W

Penn M

Duke M

Duke W

Cornell W

SHU W

Haverford M

Haverford W

UCSD M&W

9:45am

UNC M

UNC W

Wagner  W

Wagner M

JHU M

JHU M

Lafayette W

FDU W

NJIT M

NJIT W

Lafayette M

SHU M

Round 3

UCSD M

UCSD W

Penn W

Penn M

Wgner M

Wagner W

SHU W

SHU M

UNC M

UNC W

Haver M&W

Cornell W

11:00am

NYU M

NYU W

Duke W

Duke M

JHU M

JHU W

Lafayette W

Lafayette M

NJIT M

NJIT W

FDSU W

JHU M

12:15

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Round 4

UCSD M

UCSD W

Penn W

Penn M

Duke M

Duke W

FDU W

UNC M

UNC W

NJIT M

JHU M&W

1:00pm

Lafayette M

Lafayette W

Cornell W

SHU M

NYU M

NYU W

NJIT W

Haverford M

Haverford W

Wagner M&W

SHU W

Round 5

Duke M

Duke W

Penn W

Penn M

JHU W

JHU M

FDU W

UNC M

UNC W

Haver M&W

SHU M&W

2:15pm

Wagner M

Wagner W

NYU W

NYU M

Cornell W

UCSD M

UCSD W

Lafayette M

Lafayette W

NJIT M&W

Round 6

JHU M

JHU W

Penn W

Penn M

Duke W

FDU W

SHUM

SHU W

Haverford M

Haverford W

UNC M&W

Wagner M

3:30pm

NYU M

NYU W

NJIT W

NJIT M

Cornell W

Wagner W

UCSD M

UCSD W

Lafayette M

Lafayette W

Duke M

Round 7

Cornell W

Penn W

Penn M

Duke M

Duke W

Wagner M

Wagner W

NJIT M

NJIT W

UNC M&W

NYU M&W

4:45pm

FDU W

Haverford W

Haverford M

SHU M

SHU W

UCSD M

UCSD w

Lafayette M

Lafayette W

JHU M&W

# of Bouts

Men

Women

Rnd. 1

Rnd. 2

Rnd. 3

Rnd. 4

Rnd. 5

Rnd. 6

Rnd.7

Penn

7

7

UCSD/FDU

Wagner

Duke

SHU/Corn

NYU

NJIT

Haverford

UNC

5

5

SHU

NYU

NJIT

Haverford

Lafayette

Bye

Bye

Duke

6

7

NJIT

JHU

Penn

NYU

Wagner

Cornell W

SHU

SHU

5

5

UNC

FDU W

Lafayette

Penn M

Bye

UCSD

Duke

NYU

5

5

Bye

UNC

UCSD

Duke

Penn

JHU

Bye

NJIT

5

6

Duke

Haverford

UNC

FDU W

Bye

Penn

Lafayette

Lafayette

6

6

JHU

Cornel W

SHU

UCSD

UNC

Haverford

NJIT

JHU

5

5

Lafayette

Duke

Wagner

Bye

UCSD/Corn

NYU

Bye

Haverford

5

5

Wagner

NJIT

Bye

UNC

Bye

Lafayette

Penn

UCSD

6

6

Penn M

Bye

NYU

Lafayette

JHU/FDU

SHU

Wagner

Wagner

5

6

Haverford

Penn

JHU

Bye

Duke

FDU W

UCSD

FDU W

6

Penn W

SHU W

Bye

NJIT W

UCSD W

Wagner W

Cornell W

Cornell W

5

Bye

Lafayette W

Bye

Penn W

JHU W

Duke W

FDU W

20

20

20

18

18

20

18

***Strips

4, 11, 17, 22

C are shared

Saber Strips

***

Sunday:

Round/Strip

1, 2, 4

4, 5, 7

8, 10, 11

11, 13, 14

15, 16, 17

17, 18, 19

20, 21, 22

22, 23, 24

ABC

CDE

Bye

Bye

Bye

Bye

Round 1

Princeton M

Princeton W

NW W

OSU W

OSU M

ND M

ND W

NJIT M

NJIT W

St John M&W

Penn M&W

8:30am

Drew M

Drew W

Duke W

NYU W

NYU M

Yale M

Temple W

PSU M

PSU W

Col M&W

Yale W

Duke M

Round 2

NJIT M

NJIT W

Penn W

Penn M

OSU W

OSU M

ND M

ND W

Duke M

Duke W

St Johns M&W

NYU W

9:45am

NYU M

Temple W

NW W

Drew M

Yale W

Yale M

Princeton M

Princeton W

PSU M

PSU W

Col M&W

Drew W

Round 3

Columbia M

Columbia W

Penn W

Penn M

Duke M

Duke W

ND M

ND W

Yale M

Yale W

Drew M&W

NJIT W

11:00am

NJIT M

Temple W

OSU W

OSU M

Princeton M

Princeton W

St Johns M

St Johns W

PSU M

PSU W

NYU M&W

NW W

12:15pm

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

12:45pm

Senior

Recognition

Round 4

PSU M

NW W

Penn W

Penn M

OSU M

OSU W

Columbia W

Columbia M

Yale M

Yale W

Princ M&W

NJIT M&W

1:00pm

Drew M

Drew W

ND W

ND M

St. Johns M

St. Johns W

NYU W

NYU M

Duke M

Duke W

PSU W

Temple W

Round 5

Temple W

NW W

Penn W

Penn M

OSU M

OSU W

Columbia W

Columbia M

Drew W

Drew M

NYU M&W

Yale M

2:15pm

Yale W

NJIT W

St Johns W

St. Johns M

Princeton M

Princeton W

ND W

ND M

Duke W

Duke M

PSU M&W

NJIT W

Round 6

PSU M

PSU W

Penn W

NJIT M

NW W

NYU W

NYU M

Drew M

Drew W

OSU M&W

Duke M&W

NJIT W

3:30pm

Princeton M

Princeton W

Temple W

Yale M

Yale W

St. Johns W

St Johns M

Columbia M

Columbia W

ND M&W

Penn M

Round 7

Yale M

Yale W

NJIT W

NJIT M

Tear

Tear

Tear

Tear

Drew M

Drew W

OSU M&W

ND M&W

Col M&W

4:45pm

Princeton M

Princeton W

St Johns W

St Johns M

Down

Down

Down

Down

NYU M

NYU W

Penn M&W

Duke M&W

Temple W

NW W

# of Bouts

Men

Women

Rnd. 1

Rnd. 2

Rnd. 3

Rnd. 4

Rnd. 5

Rnd. 6

Rnd. 7

Penn

4

5

Bye

Drew/NW

OSU

Notre Dame

St. Johns

Temple W

Bye

OSU

5

5

NYU

Yale

Penn

St. Johns

Princeton

Bye

Bye

Notre Dame

5

5

Yale/Temp

Princeton

St. Johns

Penn

Columbia

Bye

Bye

Yale

6

6

ND M

OSU

Penn St.

Duke

Temple W

NJIT/NW

Princeton

NYU

5

4

OSU

NJIT M

Bye

Columbia

Bye

St. Johns

Drew

Drew

6

5

Princeton

Penn M

Bye

PSU/NW

Duke

Columbia

NYU

St. John's

5

5

Bye

Bye

Notre Dame

OSU

Penn

NYU

NJIT

Princeton

6

6

Drew

Notre Dame

Duke

Bye

OSU

Penn St

Yale

Duke

4

5

NW W

PSU

Princeton

Yale

Drew

Bye

Bye

NJIT

5

4

Penn St.

NYU/Temp

Columbia M

Bye

NW W

Yale M

St. Johns

Columbia

4

4

Bye

Bye

NJIT/Temp

NYU

Notre Dame

Drew

Bye

Penn State

5

4

NJIT

Duke

Yale

Drew M

Bye

Princeton

Bye

NW W

5

Duke W

Penn W

Bye

Drew W

NJIT W

Yale W

Bye

Temple W

5

ND W

NJIT W

Columbia W

Bye

Yale W

Penn W

Bye

18

20

20

20

20

18

12

2023-24 CAPTAINS
 
Team Captains
Larry Song – Men's Foil
Janna Aboudaher – Women's Saber
 
Academic Captain
Jason Chin – Men's Foil
 
Squad Captains
Saber:
Phileas Auray – Men's Saber
Zara Fearns – Women's Saber
 
Epee:
Sunny Sharma – Men's Epee
Renee Zuhars – Women's Epee
 
Foil:
Jacob Levy – Men's Foil
Kyra Wu – Women's Foil

THE WEAPONS
• Epee
Epee is the heaviest of the weapons. The target to score points is the entire body. It is the only weapon where points can be awarded to both sides if there is a double touch.
• Foil
Foil is the lightest of the three weapons and enacts a rule called right-of-way. Whoever is coming forward with the attack gets the point unless their opponent takes the right-of-way from them by parrying (deflecting/blocking) their blade. The target area for scoring points is the chest and the torso, marked by a light metallic vest called a lamé. 
• Sabre
Sabre also employs the right-of-way rule, but sabreurs and sabreuses slash instead of stab. Sabre touches happen so quickly that the referees won't even start the three-minute clock used to time the bout.

FENCING GLOSSARY
• Advance: Take a step towards one's opponent.
• Attack: Movement or series of movements by which a fencer tries to score a point. In foil and saber, the fencer who attacks first acquires the "right-of-way." In order to execute an attack properly (i.e. one that the referee will acknowledge), the fencer's hand must be clearly extending towards their opponent's valid target in a threatening manner.
• Beat: Sharp tap on the opponent's blade to initiate an attack or provoke a reaction.
• En Garde: Position taken before fencing commences.
• Feint: A false attack intended to get a defensive reaction from the opposing fencer, thus creating the opportunity for a genuine attack ("feint-disengage attack").
• Fleche: Explosive, running attack (foil and epee only).
• Flunge: Action unique to sabre – a combination of a lunge and a fleche. Evolved recently after the FIE modified sabre rules in 1992 to prohibit running attacks.
• Lunge: Most common attacking technique, in which the fencer launches themselves at their opponent by pushing off from the back leg (which generally remains stationary).
• Parry: Defensive action in which a fencer blocks his opponent's blade.
• Point-in-Line: Action in which the fencer, who is generally out of attacking range, points their weapon at their opponent with their arm fully extended. A fencer who establishes a point in line has right-of-way, and their opponent cannot attack until they remove the blade from line by executing a beat.
• Recover: The return to the en guarde position after lunging.
• Riposte: Defender's offensive action immediately after parrying their opponent's attack.
• Second Intention: A tactic in which a fencer executes a convincing, yet false, action in hopes of drawing a true, committed reaction from their opponent.
• Stop Hit, Stop Cut (sabre only): A counter-action made at the moment of an opponent's hesitation, feint, or poorly executed attack. To be awarded the point, the fencer attempting to stop hit must clearly catch their opponent's tempo. Hence, if their Stop Hit is not "in time," the referee may award the touch to their attacker.
• Strip: Fencing area, 14 meters long by 2 meters wide.
• Touch: Score a point.
 
BE SOCIAL
The UC San Diego Fencing Team can be found on Facebook, Instagram (@ucsdfencing), and Twitter (@ucsdfencing). 
 
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 has begun a new era 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 garnered 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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.