NEW YORK, NY - No. 1 Columbia Fencing will fence in two invitationals this weekend featuring some of the top teams in the nation. On Saturday, the Lions will head to Queens for the St. Johns Super Cup where they will take on St. Johns, Penn State, Ohio State, Harvard and Notre Dame. Columbia will be back in competition on Sunday for the NYU invitational at home in the Dodge Fitness Center. The Lions will meet the Johnnies and the Fighting Irish for a second day in a row and also face Wayne State. NYU and Columbia will not fence, but NYU will face the other three schools. 

LAST TIME OUT

In their first NCAA action of 2017, the Columbia men's and women's fencing teams impressed at the Penn State Invitational. While the women went a perfect 6-0 on the day, the men finished with five wins and a one-point loss to the Nittany Lions (14-13). 

TOP OF THE RANKS

When the first college fencing coaches poll of the year was released on Friday, the stakes for this weekend's invitationals grew. Saturday and Sunday's matches will feature some of the top ranked teams in the nation. On the men's side, No.1 Columbia will be facing No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Penn State, No. 4 Notre Dame, and No. 7 Harvard. The women will go up against No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 4 Ohio Stae, No. 5 Penn State, No. 7 Harvard and No. 10 St. John's. 

WOMEN'S FOIL EN FUEGO 

The women's foil team has been on fire as of late, and has clearly become the heartbeat of the team. The squad is 14-2 on the season, which is the best record (men or women) of any Lion weapon. The only two losses came at the Penn Elite invitational against Ohio State and Northwestern in November, when Columbia's top foil fencers were competing in the Senior Women's World Cup in St. Maur, France. They have shut out opponents a team high three times this season, including twice last weekend against North Carolina and Yale. 

HERE COMES MARGARET LU 

After taking last season off to prepare for the Olympics, Margaret Lu is back with Columbia and better than ever...literally. Lu has not dropped a match all season and sits at a perfect 13-0. The foil fencer even went 3-0 when she competed with the sabre squad against NYU! Not only is she winning, but she is winning BIG. Lu has shut out her opponent seven times this season.  

LOOKING FOR REVENGE

The men's team will be out for some revenge on Saturday when it faces Penn State. After dropping the match to the Nittany Lions, 14-13, last weekend, a match in which the Lions led the entire time until the final score, Columbia fencers have had their eye on this match since they left State College.

CHAMPIONSHIP VIBES

They meet again! Columbia will face Ohio State for the first time this season since the Lions edged out the Buckeyes to capture their second straight NCAA Championship last season. While Columbia qualified the maximum of 12 fencers in the championship, Ohio State managed to come in second place with only 11.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Lions will be in action in the friendly confines of the Blue Gym at Dodge Fitness Center on Sunday starting at 9 a.m. for the NYU Invitational. Men's and women's fencing are both 3-0 this season at home.
Follow the action all weekend long on Twitter @ColumbiaFencing.