STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford sophomore Noah Matricciani was awarded an at-large berth into the NCAA Fencing Championships, giving the Cardinal five competitors March 19-22 in Detroit.
Matricciani was third in the men's saber at the NCAA West Regional on Saturday at the Air Force Academy, missing automatic qualifying by one spot. He was among five Stanford men who placed high enough at regionals to be considered for NCAA spots in their weapons. However, Matricciani was the only one of them to go through.
He will join Stanford's four regional champions -- Robin Cheong in the men's epee, Lucas Orts in men's foil, Hanna Lee in women's epee, and Madeline Liao in women's foil – at nationals at Detroit's TCF Center.
Matricciani, who was born in London and graduated from high school in Greenville, South Carolina, has Stanford's best overall winning percentage, going 38-8 (.826) this season. At regionals, he went 8-3, including a 5-4 victory over eventual winner Shawn Kim of UC San Diego.
At the NCAA Championships, there will be 24 competitors in each division. Fencers will compete in a six-person round-robin format of five-touch bouts, with the top four finishers in each weapon advancing to the semifinals. The first two days of the NCAA schedule are devoted to the women and the final two to the men.
Orts, Lee, and Liao are returning to the NCAA Championships. This is the third appearance for Orts and Liao, and second for the sophomore Lee. This is the first appearance for Cheong and Matricciani.
Last year, Stanford advanced six fencers, who combined to help the Cardinal to a 12th-place team finish.
Sean Strong, now graduated, was Stanford's highest placer at sixth in men's epee. Orts was 10th in men's foil and is Stanford's top returning fencer at NCAA's. Lee was 20th in women's epee and Liao 21st in women's foil.
The top 12 earn All-America honors. First through fourth are named to the first team. Fifth through eighth are second team. And ninth through 12th are third team.
