EVANSTON, Ill. — UC San Diego fencing enjoyed a strong end to the regular season at this weekend's Schiller Duals, hosted by Northwestern. The Triton women went 7-4, while the men were 6-3.
 
Both squads saw all of their defeats come to ranked teams. The women picked up a ranked win, topping No. 11 Stanford 18-9. The men's side nearly beat the No. 12 Cardinal as well, falling by a point. UC San Diego is ranked No. 15 nationally on the men's side.
 
Senior Scott Lao was the top performer on the men's side, going 14-1. Junior Natalie Brooke Gebala was the top female performer at 13-4.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams faced a daunting schedule on day one. The women squared off with ranked teams in four of their six matches, while the men did so in three of their four matches. The first day was highlighted by the women's team beating Stanford and both programs securing victories over fellow MPSF side Incarnate Word.
 
A packed day two saw both teams in action five times. The only match against a ranked opponent was the first match of the day as the women faced the hosts, No. 6 Northwestern. That was also the Tritons' only loss on Sunday as the men went a perfect 5-0 and the women went 4-1.
 
FULL RESULTS
Women's Team

• No. 7 Ohio State – L, 10-17
• Denison – W, 16-11
• Incarnate Word – W, 22-5
• No. 2 Notre Dame – L, 6-21
• No. 11 Stanford – W, 18-9
• No. 14 Temple – L, 10-17
• No. 6 Northwestern – L, 10-17
• Wayne State – W, 19-8
• Cleveland State – W, 21-6
• Lawrence – W, 24-3
• Detroit Mercy – W, 25-2

Men's Team

• No. 5 Ohio State – L, 11-16
• Incarnate Word – W, 14-13
• No. 1 Notre Dame – L, 5-22
• No. 12 Stanford – L, 13-14
• Wheaton – W, 18-9
• Wayne State – W, 19-8
• Cleveland State – W, 23-4
• Lawrence – W, 20-7
• Detroit Mercy – W, 23-4

TRITON TIDBITS

• Gebala and Lao both reached 100 career victories.
• The women's team won 17 matches this season, their second-most in eight seasons under head coach Juan Ignacio Calderon.
• Lao's .933 winning percentage is the best by a Triton male fencer at an event in the last two seasons.

QUOTABLE
"This was a great way to close out the regular season," Calderon said. "We finished with winning records for both the men's and women's teams, as well as every squad. The women's decisive 18–9 victory over No. 11 Stanford marks our third win against a ranked opponent this season and reflects just how much progress this program has made over the past few years. On the men's side, we came up just short in a 13–14 thriller against Stanford in a match that could have gone either way, often coming down to the smallest details beyond our control. Now our focus shifts fully to postseason preparation as we head into Regionals and Conference Championships, with the goal of qualifying once again for the NCAA Championships during our own March Stabness."
 
UP NEXT
The Incarnate Word campus in San Antonio, Texas, is the site of this year's postseason action. The NCAA West Regional will be on Mar. 7, followed by the MPSF Championships on Mar. 8.
 
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.