2019-20 Schedule | 2019-20 Roster
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 5-ranked Ohio State men’s and women’s fencing teams trekked to New York to compete in the annual St. John’s Invitational. All teams in attendance are ranked in the Top 10 of CollegeFencing360’s first coaches poll of the season. The both squads went 4-1 putting them both in first; the men tied with St. John’s and Penn State, so they trophy was awarded to the Red Storm.
Round 1
The men’s squad kicked off the day with a tight win over the second-ranked Notre Dame side. Sabre and epee wins carried the team to a narrow 14-13 victory. Roscoe Swartz and Henry Lange both picked up three wins apiece.
The women’s side opened its tournament to a tough 16-11 loss against No. 1 ranked Notre Dame. Julieta Toledo was the only Buckeye to pick up three wins against the Fighting Irish.
Round 2
Domenik Koch’s three sabre wins and epee’s dominant showing led Ohio State to victory over St. John’s in round 2. Henry Lange posted up his second clean slate of the day and Bence Bende picked up his first. Ohio State won 17-10 over the Red Storm.
Sarah Merza and Alexa Laskaris each picked up three wins against the St. John’s women. It was evenly matched as St. John’s took epee and Ohio State took foil. Buckeye sabre, however, led by senior captain Sarah Merza, won 7-2, which tipped the Buckeyes to a win over the Red Storm, 16-11.
Round 3
The top-ranked and reigning NCAA Champion Columbia men’s squad suffered a loss at the hands of the No. 5 ranked Buckeyes. The epee squad, again, was the difference maker. The Lange-Comes-Bende combination is strong and consistent. Lange marked his third clean slate of the dual and Bende picked up his second. Their commanding 8-1 win allowed a 17-10 victory over Columbia.
The women also knocked off the defending national champions with a 16-11 victory. The Toledo-Merza-Kolmykova sabre trio helped guide Ohio State to a win. Gabriela Cecchini picked up three foil wins and Alexanne Verret notched three epee wins.
Round 4
The Buckeye men’s squad pulled out a narrow 14-13 win over third-ranked Harvard. Roscoe Swartz and Bence Bende both went 3-0 and sabre had a commanding 7-2 win.
The women took down Harvard’s fourth-ranked women’s side. Strong showings from all three squads helped a convincing 17-10 Ohio State win.
Round 5
Despite a solid 6-3 sabre win, the Ohio State men fell to No. 4 Penn State. Swartz picked up three more victories and epee was able to pull out a narrow 5-4 win, but a 7-2 loss in foil pushed Penn State over the threshold.
The women’s side, however, outperformed the Nittany Lions in demanding fashion, winning 18-9. Julieta Toledo, Gabriela Cecchini, Camilla Rivano and Alexanne Verret all went 3-0. This team win secured their first-place finish and title as best women’s team at the duals.
Ohio State Men
Round 1: Ohio State def. Notre Dame 14-13 (F: 2-7 E: 7-2 S: 5-4)
Round 2: Ohio State def. St. John’s 17-10 (F: 2-7 E: 8-1 S: 7-2)
Round 3: Ohio State def. Columbia 17-10 (F: 3-6 E: 8-1 S: 6-3)
Round 4: Ohio State def. Harvard 14-13 (F: 2-7 E: 5-4 S: 7-2)
Round 5: Penn State def. Ohio State 14-13 (F: 7-2 E: 4-5 S: 3-6)
Ohio State Women
Round 1: Notre Dame def. Ohio State 16-11 (F: 6-3 E: 6-3 S: 4-5)
Round 2: Ohio State def. St. John’s 16-11 (F: 5-4 E: 5-4 S: 7-2)
Round 3: Ohio State def. Columbia 16-11 (F: 5-4 E: 5-4 S: 6-3)
Round 4: Ohio State def. Harvard 17-10 (F: 6-3 E: 6-3 S: 5-4)
Round 5: Ohio State def. Penn State 18-9 (F: 7-2 E: 6-3 S: 5-4)
What’s Next
The Buckeyes will compete in day two of the Philadelphia Invitational Sunday. Fencing starts at 8:30 a.m. at the TSE Center.
