The New York University men’s and women’s fencing teams both went undefeated at the Shark Showdown hosted by Long Island University in Brooklyn on February 22. The Violets competed against the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Wagner College, and LIU.
The men’s team started with a close 14–13 win over NJIT, then secured two more victories, defeating Wagner and LIU each by a score of 16–11.
On the women’s side, NYU opened with a decisive 23–4 win against NJIT. They followed this with a 15–12 victory over Wagner and ended the day beating LIU 22–5.
Individual performances contributed to the teams’ success. In foil, Farr Dickson achieved six wins, while Surya Mattoo recorded four victories in saber. William Lehr added four wins in epee for the men’s squad.
For the women’s team, Rosemarie Benciu led saber with seven wins. Aurora Aschettino topped foil with eight victories. In epee, Hiba Hafeez, Sophia Dondisch, and Azniv Basralian each won four bouts.
Head Coach Ben Bratton commented on the results: “I’m proud of the way both teams competed today. Going 3–0 against Wagner, LIU, and NJIT reflects the focus, energy, and discipline our student-athletes brought to every match. We’re building momentum at the right time, and now our attention shifts to Senior Night with Columbia, a special opportunity to honor our seniors and keep pushing as a program.”
NYU will next host George Kolombatovich Historical Meet during Tear It Up! Night on Senior Day scheduled for February 25.
