Notre Dame edges Columbia 102-99 to win NCAA women's fencing national title

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NOTRE DAME, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame senior Eszter Muhari won her third career individual national title in epee and the Fighting Irish fencing team won the inaugural women's three-weapon national championship on Friday after edging Columbia 102-99.

It was the 15th national championship for the Irish after winning 14 co-ed titles, including six of the last eight. Notre Dame won the national championship last year in the final year of the combined women’s and men’s team championship.

Muhari also won epee in 2023 and 2025 to finish her Notre Dame career as the sixth woman in NCAA history to win three or more individual titles.

Harvard junior Jessica Guo won the foil for her second NCAA championship, adding to the title she earned in 2024. Guo rallied to go ahead 7-5 after the second period and secured the title with a 15-6 victory over Columbia’s Carolina Stutchbury, who earned first-team honors for the second consecutive year.

Natalia Botello became the first Ohio State Buckeye to win the NCAA women’s saber crown and the fourth individual national champion in program history, joining Katarzyna Dabrowa (epee, 2012), Eleanor Harvey (foil, 2016) and Yelena Kalkina (epee, 1997).

The men’s championships begin on Saturday with three rounds in each weapon.

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