By Ashley Hefner, Photographer and Staff Writer, and Emily Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief
Three women on Yeshiva University’s fencing team qualified for and competed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regionals, which took place March 9 at Tufts University. This is the first time YU women fencers have qualified for this competition since the 2022-23 season.
The women’s fencing team plays at the division three level, but competes against division one athletes. There are nine women on the fencing team, and in order to qualify for NCAA regionals, players must have “a 25% victory rate in their respective weapon.”
“After every fencing match, you always wonder whether you put up a good enough fight and tried everything you could,” Nikki Blitman (SCW ‘26), one of the athletes who competed at regionals, told the YU Observer. “Qualifying for regionals allowed us to feel confident in what we had won and accomplished throughout the entire season.”
In fencing, there are three weapons: sabre, epée and foil. Racheli Jian (SCW ‘25) and Beth Glantz (SSSB ‘26) competed in the sabre pool while Blitman competed in the epée pool.
“Throughout the season we continuously supported and cheered for each other and were delighted that our teammates had the opportunity to compete at regionals,” Sarah Tobias (SCW ‘26), captain of the epée squad, told the YU Observer. “I felt a sense of pride that YU Stern students were representing our school and community at the regional competition.”
At NCAA regionals, athletes compete in three rounds. In the first round of the epée competition, the top five competitors, who have done the best throughout the season, are exempt and the remaining 60 fencers are split into 12 pools of five athletes to compete against each other. From those pools, 30 competitors are promoted to the next round. Similarly, in the first round of the sabre competition, the top 13 competitors are exempt, and the remaining 40 fencers are split into eight pools of five students to compete. The top 22 competitors from these pools are promoted to the next round.
“I think that fencing is a niche sport and it’s an amazing achievement for the YU women fencers to qualify and compete at regionals,” Leora Schramm, captain of the foil squad, told the YU Observer. “Each fencer has an Israeli patch they wear with pride, representing more than just our college. They make the whole team including the coaches extremely proud.”
While no YU students made it past the first round, they put up a strong fight against some of the top collegiate fencers in the U.S., such as those from Ivy League universities and Olympian medalists, including two-time Olympic medalist Lauren Scruggs and two other Olympic athletes.
Spencer Brasch (YC ‘19), coach of the women’s fencing team, told the YU Observer that YU students also competed against an Israeli national team member who played in the fencing World Cup.
“For all the athletes in YU, to do all of the classes, and to also do the double curriculum and then in fencing, to compete at the highest level offered in the country, it’s an incredible thing for me to see as a coach,” Brasch told the YU Observer.
Athletes felt that they were not only representing YU at regionals, but also the Jewish people. “Our coach davened Shacharit with tefillin and a tallit in the gymnasium while everyone warmed up,” Blitman said. “He then quoted the Rambam in his pep talk before each of us went off to our respective competitors.”
“We all came in ready to represent Am Yisrael in the best way possible,” she added.
Brasch also said of YU’s competitors, “Some of them are Jews, not Orthodox Jews, but they see how we treat the game coming from a completely different background, which is not having fenced in the top fencing academies since the age of six.”
While most YU students haven’t fenced competitively before joining the team, many have developed a love for the sport through their time with the team. “My girls don’t go to college specifically for fencing,” Brasch added, yet “they treat it seriously. They put in the work.”
YU athletes were grateful to compete in such a high-caliber competition. They came away feeling extremely accomplished, both individually and as a team, in their achievements that day.
“Win or lose, it doesn’t matter,” Brasch said. “You fence every single point. You fight your heart out, because that’s where avodat Hashem is.”
Photo Caption: (From left to right) Blitman, Brasch, Jian, Glantz at NCAA Regionals
Photo Credit: Racheli Jian