LA JOLLA, Calif. — The 2025-26 Triton fencing season started off with a bang on Saturday as Zara Fearns captured the women's saber crown and Pia Huber won the women' epee title at UC San Diego's BladeRunner tournament.
 
Fearns and Huber were two of 10 Tritons to earn medalist honors on the tournament's first day. Freshman Nurzhan Abzhanov was the top male finisher, placing second in men's epee.
 
The annual tournament brings nearly 900 fencers in Division IA and junior division to LionTree Arena for two days of action. Every Triton fencer competed in Division IA. The event begins with pool play followed by a single-elimination bracket. This year's BladeRunner is the 29th edition of the tournament.
 
Sunday's action kicks off at 8:00 a.m. with men's foil. The afternoon session begins at 2:00 p.m. and features men's saber. The junior division schedule can be viewed here.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Freshman Bonnie Davis and sophomore Katherine Kim both reached the semifinal round in women's foil. The duo lost their respective matches to finish tied for third. Kim also finished third last year as a freshman.
 
The Tritons' two medalists in men's epee were Abzhanov, who reached the final, and senior Sunny Sharma, who made it to the semifinals. Sharma lost his bout by just two touches, with both Tritons ultimately defeated by the champion Daniel Chirashnya.
 
Fearns raced through the women's saber competition, going undefeated in pool play and winning her first two knockout bouts by a combined score of 30-2. The senior's closest knockout score en route to the title was 15-11.
 
Five Tritons medaled in women's epee, and all seven participating in the competition finished in the top 15. Huber won the title by one touch after a back-and-forth final bout. The sophomore was joined on the medal stand by Bella Balogh (third), Natalie Brooke Gebala (third), Yasmine Daher (fifth) and Alice Lan (seventh).
 
FULL RESULTS
Women's Foil
3rd – Bonnie Davis
3rd – Katherine Kim
12th – Neta Korol
14th – Alexis Chew
22nd – Piper Randolph
43rd – Ella Tang
 
Men's Epee
2nd – Nurzhan Abzhanov
3rd – Sunny Sharma
21st – Ben Kim
33rd – Dayus Gohel
41st – Kevin Kim
 
Women's Saber
1st – Zara Fearns
19th – Maya Golovitser
31st – Emily Naka
33rd – Erenei Ligh
 
Women's Epee
1st – Pia Huber
3rd – Bella Balogh
3rd – Natalie Brooke Gebala
5th – Yasmine Daher
7th – Alice Lan
12th – Lily Nelson-Love
14th – Hania Hafeez
 
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 in NCAA Division I. The 24-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 39 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 NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.