Sarah Merza

Sabre

Player profile

  • Year Senior
  • Hometown Wayne, N.J.
  • Last School Wayne Hills High School

Career Highlights

  • Earned bachelor’s degree in psychology in Spring 2020
  • Four-time Second Team All-American
  • Ninth Buckeye women’s fencer to earn All-America accolades four times
  • Three Top 7 NCAA Championships finishes
  • Four-time NCAA qualifier
  • Won three MFC individual titles (2017, ’18, ’19)
  • Four-time First Team All-MFC
  • Team won MFC titles each of her four years
  • Ohio State Scholar-Athlete
  • Three-time Academic All-Big Ten choice
  • B1G Distinguished Scholar as a senior

Senior Season (2019-20)

  • Overall team captain
  • Selected a Second Team All-American
  • NCAA Qualifier
  • Second Team Midwest All-Region
  • Finished third at NCAA Regionals
  • Runner-up at MFC Championships
  • Finished sixth at Penn State Open
  • 51-19 overall during the regular season
  • 14-6 mark at Penn State Open, with 12-3 record at Elite Invitational and 11-5 record at Northwestern Duals
  • Earned B1G Distinguished Scholar, Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-B1G accolades

Junior Season (2018-19)

  • Second Team All-American
  • Placed seventh at NCAA Championships
  • Finished first at Midwest Championships
  • Third-place finish at NCAA Regionals
  • Overall first place in team competition at Midwest Championships
  • Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten honoree

Sophomore Season (2017-18)

  • Finished sixth at NCAA Championships
  • Earned Second Team All-America accolades
  • Won MFC individual title
  • Placed seventh at NCAA Regionals
  • First at OSU Open
  • Went undefeated at OSU Duals
  • Earned 18 wins at the Elite Invitational Duals
  • Notched 18 victories for the Buckeyes at the Elite Invitational Duals
  • Led women’s sabre unit with nine victories in 12 bouts at the St. John’s Invitational
  • Finished 22-5 and undefeated in five rounds at Northwestern Duals
  • Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten selection

Freshman Season (2016-17)

  • Second Team All-American
  • Finished fifth with a record of 10-5 at NCAA Championships
  • Earned a second-place finish at NCAA Midwest Regionals
  • Claimed first at MFC Championships
  • Led women’s sabre unit with 21 points at OSU Duals
  • Earned a 9-6 record at both Elite Invitational Duals and St. John’s Invitational
  • Earned a season-high 12 wins at Northwestern Duals
  • Totaled 47 wins in regular-season competition
  • Helped sabre unit to a first place finish in team competition at conference championships

Prior to Ohio State

  • Fenced with Bergen Fencing Club for 7 years
  • Two-time Team USA World Team member
  • Two-time National Champion
  • Six-time North American Cup Champion

Personal

  • Daughter of Bassam and Blana Merza
  • One sister, Celina, who was an All-American fencer for the Buckeyes from 2012-15
  • Plans to pursue a masters in psychology post-graduation
  • Hobbies include working out, hanging out with friends and watching documentaries
  • Greatest sports thrill is competing with her teammates at every event