The Stevens fencing teams brought their usual focus and competitive edge to the Coach Nikki Franke Classic on October 25 and 26, with both the men’s and women’s squads showcasing strong performances against tough competition.
In women’s foil, senior Emily Zgombic, second-year Julia DiPaolo, and third-year Akemi Rodriguez each went 2–2 in pool play, putting up solid wins against top opponents. Zgombic earned victories over NJIT’s Teagan Lowerie and Wagner’s Alissa Cullen for a total of 13 touches, while DiPaolo notched wins against Rita Wang of Wagner and Grace Wong of Florida with 12. Rodriguez added 11 touches of her own, defeating FDU’s Gabrielle Como and Wagner’s Sierra Friday.
In the tableau, Zgombic fell 15–7 to Temple’s Jara Delcura, Rodriguez was edged out by Johns Hopkins’ Bethany Lee, and DiPaolo was stopped by North Carolina’s Zhiyan Qian.
In sabre, senior Anastasia Mose and sophomore Ashlyn Leung each had strong pool performances. Mose earned wins over NJIT’s Randa Shalabi and FDU’s Meya Colin, while Leung picked up a victory against Florida’s Echo Miller before being narrowly defeated by Wagner’s Fanny Straub in tableau play. Mose was later eliminated by Penn’s Lila Paul after a hard-fought bout.
The women’s epee squad put together a particularly impressive showing. Third-years Sofia Stoeckel and Grace Hicks each tallied three wins in pool play, with Stoeckel defeating opponents from Florida, FDU, and Drew. Hicks finished second in her group, boasting an +8 touch differential. First-years Katherine Mooney, Madyson Gavilanes, and Elyse Sato also contributed key victories across their pools.
In tableau play, Gavilanes and Mooney both earned opening-round wins before being eliminated in the next round, while Hicks and Stoeckel advanced automatically before falling 15–10 to fencers from UNC and Rutgers.
On Sunday, the men’s fencing team entered competition at Temple with 18 fencers ready to take on a challenging field.
In sabre, second-year Spencer Depew led the way with a 4–1 record, collecting 23 touches and wins over opponents from Haverford, Yeshiva, Florida, and UNC. Third-year Tyler Kometani and first-year Sean Haritonides each tallied two wins, while Mark Liu added one. All four were eventually eliminated in tableau play by top-ranked fencers from Penn and Duke.
In foil, sophomores David Trubetski, Dev Badlani, and senior Nick Reznick each went 2–2. Reznick advanced to the Round of 32 after defeating Haverford’s Oliver Po 15–12 before being bested by Penn’s Conrad Lo.
In epee, senior Andrew Yurovchak stood out with a 4–1 record, earning wins over fencers from Swarthmore, Drexel, MIT, and NYU. First-year Donovan Aggeler and senior Esat Adiloglu each added two victories, while first-year Skanda Krishnan pulled off one of the day’s biggest upsets, defeating Duke’s Kyran Lin before being edged out in the quarterfinals.
The Ducks will return to action on November 2 for the Drew Invitational, looking to build on their strong performances and keep their momentum going into the heart of the season.
