STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford fencing is back in action for the final weekend of the 2025-26 season's fall slate. The Card heads to Colorado Springs, Colo. for the Air Force-hosted Western Invitational.
Last week 11 members of the Cardinal were at the November NAC, going a combined 42-32 with Grace Ker and Robert Wang advancing to the round of 32 in the womenss and men's saber competitions, respectively.
Last year at the Western Invitational, the Cardinal women went 6-2 while the men went 4-2. Both teams took down then-No. 1 Harvard, and the women added a win over No. 5 Northwestern.
RETURNING CHAMPION » Arianna Cao took home a National Championship in Women's Foil, the Cardinal's 15th individual champion in program history and first since 2015.
Cao is the Cardinal’s fourth women’s foil champion in program history, and first since Iris Zimmerman in 2001. The last member of the Cardinal women’s team to take home an NCAA Championship was Vivian Kong, winning epee in 2014.
ALL-AMERICANS ARE BACK » The Cardinal saw three fencers earn All-America honors in 2025, led by Cao's First Team Selection. Freshman Renzo Fukuda earned Second Team honors with an 8th-place finish in men's foil, while Crystal Qian picked up an Honorable Mention with and 11th-place finish in Women's Foil.
FRESHMAN DEBUT » Grace Ker was sharp in her Stanford debut, going 7-2 in individual bouts last weekend at the November NAC. The freshman advanced to the round of 32 in the women's saber competition, which started with a field of over 200 competitors.
STUDENT, OLYMPIAN, COACH » Massialas is back on The Farm for his second season as head coach of his alma mater. Massialas boasts one of the most successful fencing careers in Cardinal history, as a two time individual NCAA Champion in the men's foil (2013, 2015), and a three-time Olympic medalist in four trips to the Olympic Games.