NEW YORK – Like many great programs in college sports, Columbia Fencing does not rebuild, it reloads.

Such is the case for the upcoming 2010-11 season, when the Lions return four All-Americans, including 2010 NCAA champion Nicole Ross.  The holdovers from last year's team, which finished seventh at the NCAA Championships will be joined by a group of 12 incoming fencers.

As a group, the incoming class of 2014 boasts outstanding credentials and will help bolster the Columbia squad looking to regain the Ivy League title and continue its success on the national level.

The incoming class follows, with a comment from George Kolombatovich, Columbia's Head Coach and Director of Fencing.

Rachel Arkebauer – W. Sabre – CC – Lincoln, Neb. – Lincoln Southwest
Kolombatovich: "Rachel is the Division III national sabre champion. She is the first fencer from Nebraska to be on the Columbia Fencing team."

Bo Charles – M. Foil – CC – White Plains, N.Y. – Ardsley
Kolombatovich: "Bo is a strong foilist with a national ranking.  He will have an immediate impact on our team.  Diane Reckling, mother of former captain Kathleen Reckling '07CC, was Bo's high school coach."

Katya English – W. Epee – CC – South Pasadena, Calif. – Blair
Kolombatovich: "Katya has trained at the prestigious Racing Club in Paris, France.  Nationally ranked, she was sixth in the FIE competition in Split, Croatia, in 2009."

Magnus Ferguson – M. Epee – CC – New York, N.Y. – Dwight School
Kolombatovich: "Magnus was in the top ten of Cadet fencers in the United States national rankings, and now that he has aged out, he is in the top ten of Junior fencers.  His family moved to New York City so Magnus could train with Aladar Kogler."

Camille Gallardo – W. Epee – BC – Los Angeles, Calif. – Le Lycee Francais de Los Angeles
Kolombatovich: "Camille comes from the Beverly Hills Fencers Club, the same club that brought us NCAA finalists Alexie Rubin '07BC and Oriana Isaacson '09CC. As were her predisesors, she is nationally ranked."

Alen Hadzic – M. Epee – CC – Montclair, N.J. – Montclair
Kolombatovich: "Alen finished the 2010 season as the top-ranked junior in the United States.  He was a bronze medalist at the World Cup in Montreal, Canada.  Alen was also member of the United States Junior National Team."

Alex Pensler – M. Foil – CC – Chicago, Ill. – Roycemore School
Kolombatovich: "Alex won the 2009 National Junior Olympic Championship.  He is also on the United States Senior point list. Although he is from Chicago, his coach, Mikhail Petin, teaches him in New York City at the Fencers Club."

Nzingha Prescod – W. Foil – CC – Brooklyn, N.Y. – Stuyvesant
Kolombatovich: "The top recruit in the entire country, Nzingha has accomplished so much already.  Her results include 2008 and 2009 Cadet World Champion, winner of three FIE Junior World Cups, multiple World Cup finalist, Pan American Senior champion, and she is currently ranked 17th in the FIE Senior World Rankings. In 2009, Nicole Ross '11CC was part of the U.S. National Team that won the Junior World Foil team championships; her teammate was Nzingha Prescod."

Mel Rodriguez – M. Sabre – CC – Bronx, N.Y. – Riverdale Country School
Kolombatovich: "Mel is nationally ranked and will have an immediate impact on our sabre squad.  He comes to us from Riverdale Country School where one of his coaches was Daria Schneider '10CC."

Adam Sands – M. Epee – CC – Alpine, N.J. – Riverdale Country School
Kolombatovich: "A New Jersey high school fencer, Adam has little high-level competitive experience.  He will certainly add some depth to our epee squad."

Lorraine Shub – W. Epee – BC – Douglaston, N.Y. – The Brearley School
Kolombatovich: "Lorraine has limited competitive experience.  Though an epee fencer, she fenced foil on The Brearley School's fencing team, coached by former Olympian and Columbia assistant coach Joel Glucksman '70CC."

Gaby Strass – W. Epee – BC – San Antonio, Texas – Winston Churchill
Kolombatovich: "Gaby, as was Neely Brandfield-Harvey '12CC, was a student of the late and great Paul Pesthy.  Gaby's father, John, was an All-American epee fencer at Notre Dame."