STANFORD, Calif. – The Stanford fencing team completed another solid season by finishing 10th at the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis. It marked the 11th time in the last 12 years the Cardinal has placed 10th or higher.
The men's squad was led by fifth-year senior Alexander Massialas of San Francisco, who concluded a brilliant career by tying for third in foil. He earned first team All-American honors for the fourth time, winning NCAA foil titles in 2013 and 2015, and took third in 2014.
Ranked No. 1 in the world and a two-time Olympian, Massialas won a silver medal in foil at the 2016 Rio Olympics, securing the first medal by a United States fencer since 1984. He also captured a bronze in team foil.
"Alex may be our most decorated student-athlete, however his true value is not measured by the number of Olympic medals won," said Cardinal co-head coach Lisa Posthumus. "His dedication to his teammates, devotion to his school and drive to succeed makes him a great role model. He is a champion to future generations and our champion."
Massialas claimed 16 of 23 bouts at the NCAA Championships. In the semifinals, he lost a tough 15-13 decision to eventual winner Andras Nemeth of St. John's.
The Cardinal also received good performances from sophomore Sean Strong, sophomore Tristan Krueger, freshman Samuel Kwong, sophomore Jeffrey Dalli, and junior Darren Mei.
In epee, Strong won 11 of 23 bouts to finish 15th, while Krueger won nine of 23 to earn 21st. In sabre, Kwong prevailed in seven of 23 bouts to take 18th, and Dalli won six bouts to claim 23rd. In foil, Mei finished 24th.
The women were led by sophomore Carly Weber-Levine, freshman Amanda Han and senior Eliza Klyce. Weber-Levine recorded a 12-11 record in sabre to place 11th, while Han went 10-13 to finish 17th in epee, and Klyce won six of 23 bouts to take 20th in foil.
For the first time since 2012, Stanford hosted the NCAA Western Regionals in March in front of an appreciative crowd at the Erickson Courts at the Arrillaga Center for Sports and Recreation. The Cardinal produced three individual winners and four runner-ups while capturing the team title for the 12th consecutive year against Air Force, Caltech, the University of Incarnate Word and UC San Diego.
Strong repeated his crown in epee, while Kwong and Massialas also earned titles. Han, Krueger, Weber-Levine, and sophomore Jose Recinto (sabre) collected silver medals. Sophomore Valerie Garcia (sabre) and Mei collected third-place finishes.
"It was pretty fun and cool," Massialas said of his final home competition.
Stanford also competed in the Western Invitational in Pasadena, California, and the Northwestern Duals in South Bend, Indiana. In the two-day season opener in Pasadena, the ninth-ranked Cardinal men compiled a 5-0 mark to successfully defend its title, while the women went 4-2 and tied for first. Both were crowned Western Fencing Conference champions.
Kwong made a sizzling college debut by forging a 12-0 record, while freshman Rose Adams went 8-1 in sabre.
In South Bend, the men posted a 6-5 mark against 11 opponents. Massialas led the charge by going 20-4. Mei won 18 off 22 bouts, followed by Dalli (19-12) and Strong (16-10).
The women went 6-5 behind a 13-8 showing by Klyce. Han was 18-14 and sophomore Chantel Yang was 17-15.
