Columbia Lions fencing

For information on all Columbia University sports, see Columbia Lions.

Columbia Lions fencing
First season	1898; 126 years ago (1898)
Athletic director	M. Dianne Murphy
Head coach	Michael Aufrichtig 2nd season, 21–16 (.568)
Home stadium	Blue Gym
Location	Manhattan, NY
League	NCAA Division I
Conference	Ivy League
All-time record	1068–503–9 (.679)
National Titles	21 (End of season 2016)
Conference titles	41[1]
Rivalries	Harvard Crimson fencing
All-Americans	213[2]
Fight song	Roar, Lion, Roar
Mascot	Roar-ee the Lion
Website	GoColumbiaLions.com

The Columbia Lions fencing team is the intercollegiate fencing team for Columbia University located in Manhattan, New York City. The team competes in the Ivy League within Division I of the NCAA. The university first fielded a team in 1898, under the leadership of coach James Murray. The team is currently coached by Michael Aufrichtig.

The Blue Gym (or University Gym) is home to the Columbia Lion fencing team, located within the Dodge Physical Fitness Center on campus.

History

The team was founded in 1898, and has had some noteworthy successes. It has captured the NCAA national title 16 times,^{[citation needed]} most recently in 2019. It also won Intercollegiate Fencing Association national championships in 1898, 1913, 1914, 1918, 1919, and 1934. The team has also won 52 Ivy League Championships, capturing both the Men's and Women's titles outright in 2019.

Fencing for the team, Norman C. Armitage won the Intercollegiate Fencing Association saber championship in 1928, Emily Jacobson won the NCAA women's saber championship in 2005, and Daria Schneider won the NCAA women's saber championship in 2007.^[3]

The team has produced a number of Olympians, including five in 2012.^[4] Columbia grad Alen Hadzic was named as an alternate to the 2021 Olympic team, but was suspended by the United States Center for SafeSport (SafeSport) due to findings of an investigation following allegations of rape and other sexual misconduct; an arbitrator later reduced his sanction, allowing him to go to Tokyo, though he did not fence.^[5][6][7][8] Hadzic had previously been suspended by Columbia University for a year for sexual misconduct, while he was a member of the Columbia team, as a result of the findings of a Title IX investigation.^[9][5] In June 2023, Hadzic was banned from fencing in the US for life by SafeSport, due to his sexual misconduct.^[10][11]

Notable former fencers

Nicole Ross

• Norman C. Armitage (born Norman Cohn; 1907-1972), 6-time Olympic fencer
• Robert Blum (born 1928), 2-time Olympic fencer
• Bob Cottingham (born 1966), Olympic fencer
• Jacqueline Dubrovich (born 1994), Olympic fencer
• Sherif Farrag (born 1987), Olympic fencer
• Joel Glucksman (born 1949), Olympic fencer
• Asher Grodman (born 1987), actor
• Jacob Hoyle (born 1994), Olympic fencer
• Emily Jacobson (born 1985), Olympic fencer
• Dan Kellner (born 1976), Olympic fencer
• Stephen Kovacs (1972–2022), fencer and coach, charged with sexual assault, died in prison
• James Margolis (born 1936), Olympic fencer
• James Melcher (born 1939), Olympic fencer
• Nzingha Prescod (born 1992), Olympic fencer
• Nicole Ross (born 1989), Olympic fencer
• Hal Scardino (born 1984), American-British actor
• Daria Schneider (born 1987), saber team bronze medalist in World Fencing Championships (2011 and 2012)
• Erinn Smart (born 1980), Olympic fencer
• Jeff Spear (born 1988), Olympic fencer
• Cornel Wilde (born Kornél Weisz; 1912–1989), Hungarian-American actor
• James Leighman Williams (born 1985), Olympic fencer

Year-by-year results

Men's fencing

Year	Wins	Losses	Pct.	Ivy Tournament	NCAA Tournament
2005–2006	12	5	.706	2nd	5th
2006–2007	11	2	.846	1st (Tie)	3rd
2007–2008	12	3	.800	1st	3rd
2008–2009	8	8	.500	2nd	4th
2009–2010	3	15	.167	6th	7th
2010–2011	2	13	.133	6th	7th
2011–2012	8	10	.444	3rd (Tie)	8th
2012–2013	16	8	.667	2nd (Tie)	7th[12]
2013–2014	27	3	.900	1st (Tie)	7th
2014–2015	17	6	.739	1st (Tie)	1st
2015–2016	19	6	.684	1st (Tie)	1st
2016–2017	25	6	.760	1st (Tie)	3rd
2017–2018	20	7	.650	1st (Tie)	2nd
2018–2019				1st	1st

Women's fencing

Year	Wins	Losses	Pct.	Ivy Tournament	NCAA Tournament
2005–2006	17	3	.850	2nd	5th
2006–2007	14	0	1.000	1st	3rd
2007–2008	13	1	.929	1st	3rd
2008–2009	14	3	.824	2nd	4th
2009–2010	14	5	.737	2nd	7th
2010–2011	10	5	.667	2nd	7th
2011–2012	13	6	.684	2nd	8th
2012–2013	22	4	.846	2nd	7th[13]
2013–2014			.846	3rd	7th
2014–2015	25	1	.961	1st	1st
2015–2016	25	2	.920	1st (Tie)	1st
2016–2017	31	2	.935	2nd	3rd
2017–2018	26	3	.885	1st	2nd
2018–2019				1st	1st

References

1. All-Time Coaches, archived from the original on December 21, 2012, retrieved October 27, 2012
2. All-Time All-Americans, archived from the original on December 21, 2012, retrieved October 27, 2012
3. Ralph Hickok (April 1, 2010). "NCAA Fencing Champions". HickokSports.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2002. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
4. Sherif Farrag '09 to Join Columbia Fencing Contingent in London, June 26, 2012, retrieved October 27, 2012
5. Brianna Sacks and Melissa Segura (July 23, 2021). "A Fencer Made It To The Olympics In Spite Of Multiple Accusations Of Sexual Assault. His Teammates Say The System Is Broken". BuzzFeed News.
6. Wiener, Talia (June 9, 2021). "MHS grad on Olympic fencing team suspended for alleged misconduct". Montclair Local News.
7. Longman, Jeré (July 22, 2021). "U.S. Olympic Fencer, Accused of Sexual Misconduct, Kept Apart From Team; Alen Hadzic of New Jersey is an alternate on the U.S. fencing team but has not been allowed to stay in the Olympic Village". The New York Times.
8. Josh Peter and Christine Brennan (July 22, 2021). "US fencer accused of sexual misconduct unhappy with treatment at Tokyo Olympics". USA Today.
9. Dan Murphy (October 31, 2020). "Law gives Congress more oversight of USOPC". ESPN.
10. Nancy Armour (June 20, 2023). "Fencer Alen Hadzic, who went to Olympics despite sexual misconduct claims, has been banned". USA TODAY.
11. "Alen Hadzic; Centralized Disciplinary Database". U.S. Center for SafeSport. June 20, 2023.
12. 2012-13 Men's Fencing Standings, archived from the original on September 7, 2015, retrieved July 19, 2013
13. 2012-13 Women's Fencing Standings, archived from the original on September 8, 2015, retrieved July 19, 2013

External links

• Official website