LA JOLLA, Calif. — The second and final day of UC San Diego fencing's annual BladeRunner tournament featured the Tritons in men's foil and men's saber. Three medals were won by those Triton fencers, led by
Arnav Raja's second place finish in men's saber.
Raja was joined on the saber medal stand by
Sam Zubatiy, who finished eighth.
Jacob Levy was the Tritons' lone medalist in men's foil after he placed sixth.
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 was the 29th edition of the tournament and served as the Tritons' season opener.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Levy entered Sunday's competition looking to defend his BladeRunner title from last year. The senior was eliminated in the quarterfinal round after a 15-13 loss to eventual runner-up Martin Nguyen.
Raja and Zubatiy led a strong showing from the men's saber squad, with the two Triton teammates facing off in the quarterfinal round. Raja was victorious in that bout and won his semifinal contest 15-13 before falling in the final.
The men's saber event also saw
Ryan Kim-Cogan finish in the top 10 and freshman
Arthur Bonifield finish 11th in his first event with the Tritons.
FULL RESULTS
Men's Foil
6th –
Jacob Levy
17th –
Zander Vazquez
26th –
Aditya Jain
34th –
Scott Lao
44th –
Lucas Zeng
Men's Saber
2nd –
Arnav Raja
8th –
Sam Zubatiy
10th –
Ryan Kim-Cogan
11th –
Arthur Bonifield
24th –
Hananiah So
37th –
Diego Barrios
48th –
Daniel Noble
QUOTABLE
"This was one of our strongest BladeRunner performances ever, and it shows the depth and potential of this year's team," head coach
Juan Ignacio Calderon said. "Bringing home two golds, two silvers and five bronze medals is not just a testament to individual talent, but also to the collective effort and preparation the athletes have put in. Building on last season's success, this result proves that UC San Diego fencing is ready to deliver again and push even further this year."
UP NEXT
The Tritons have two months before their next competition, when they travel to Colorado for the West Invitational Nov. 22-23. The event will be hosted by Air Force.
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.
