Men’s and women’s fencing fell short of clinching the Ivy League championship this weekend, finishing in second place.

Both teams had undefeated performances the first day, but both lost a match on day two, losing them the championship. Each team fell by just one bout in each of their deciding matches, with the men losing 14-13 to Princeton and the women facing defeat from Harvard, 14-13.

On Saturday, both the men’s and women’s teams conquered the Quakers. The men’s team won 17-10 despite a 4-5 sabre loss, with épée team making up lost ground with a 6-3 record. The foil team cemented the team’s win with a 7-2 victory, partially thanks to an undefeated performance from sophomore foil fencer Sam Kumbla.

The women’s team had an even more impressive 23-4 win over the Quakers and a win from all three weapons. Sabre had a strong 6-3 performance, and the épée squad’s 8-1 victory was punctuated by senior épéeist Mina Yamanaka’s undefeated performance. The foil squad particularly stood out, with an undefeated 9-0 run helping seal the dominant victory.

Both teams also prevailed against Yale, with a decisive 21-6 win for the men’s squad. This time, each weapon won their bout, starting with the sabre squad’s improvement to a 6-3 record. Foil improved to an 8-1 record, with Kumbla having another undefeated performance. The victory was rounded out by épée, also with an improved record, earning a 7-2 triumph over the Bulldogs.

The women’s squad had a 19-8 victory over the Bulldogs with wins in all three weapons. Both sabre and épée had strong 6-3 victories to put the Lions ahead, with Yamanaka having another undefeated outing. Foil seized the win, putting the Lions at the top of the rankings with a 7-2 record.

In the third round of the championship, the women’s team faced Brown. The Bears challenged the sabre squad, with both teams closely battling for control of the match; ultimately, the Light Blue failed to secure the victory, ending in a close 5-4 loss. The foil squad faced similar difficulty against the Bears, but still a final score of 6-3. Despite early pressure from Brown, the women’s épée squad secured a 7-2 win. The Lions defeated the Bears with an overall 17-10 record, taking the third round.

The men’s team ended their first day of competition with multiple standout individual performances. Kumbla had a team-best 6-0 record for foil, while first-year sabre fencer Will Morrill had a standout 5-1 performance. Senior épéeist Justin Haddad gave an equally strong 5-1 performance.

The women’s team also ended day one with multiple strong performances. Yamanaka had a perfect 7-0 showing for épée. Junior foil fencer Zander Rhodes had a standout 6-1 performance, while junior sabre fencer Tamar Gordon had an excellent 4-1 run.

In the Lions’ opening match on Sunday, the men’s team took to the strip for the third round against Harvard. The men’s sabre squad achieved a respectable 6-3 victory against the Crimson, but men’s foil faced early difficulties, with the match coming to a very close 5-4 victory for the Lions. The épée squad continued the Light Blue’s success, winning their match with another decisive 6-3 victory, securing the third round victory for the Lions, 17-10.

All three women’s squads delivered commanding performances in a 20-7 victory over Cornell for their fourth matchup of the invitational. The sabre squad set the tone on Sunday with a 6-3 win, while the foil trio dominated with a flawless 9-0 sweep. The épée squad capped off the effort with a hard-fought 5-4 victory.

The women’s team went up against Harvard in their fifth round. Sabre faced a difficult match against the Crimson, with both teams battling for control. Ultimately, the Lions were unable to bring about a win and lost the match in a heartbreaking 5-4 overall score. The women’s foil squad fell by the same margin, marking their second loss of the round. The women’s épée squad faced a similarly challenging matchup to their teammates, but they successfully executed a 5-4 win for the Lions, marking the team’s first and only victory of the round. Despite the efforts of the épée squad, the Lions’ previous losses were too much to overcome, resulting in the women’s team’s lone loss of the weekend with a cumulative score of 14-13.

In their fourth matchup of the invitational, the men’s team took on Princeton with the Ivy League title on the line. Both teams entered undefeated at 3-0, and despite a 5-4 edge in épée, Columbia fell short as Princeton secured key points in sabre and foil. The 14-13 loss left the Lions with a runner-up finish in the men’s 3-weapon division.

The women’s squad rebounded, securing a 17-10 victory over Princeton. Despite the sabre team falling 3-6, the foil squad dominated, limiting the Tigers to just 1 point while tallying eight bout victories. A strong 6-3 showing from the épée squad sealed the win, locking in an overall second-place finish in the women’s 3-weapon division.

While Columbia fell just short of the top prize, several Lions claimed individual honors. On the men’s side, the Lions dominated the individual weapon categories. Morril, Haddad, and Kumbla each posted a stellar 10-2 record, clinching first-place titles in men’s sabre, épée, and foil, respectively. The women’s squad delivered equally strong performances, with junior Tierna Oxenreider securing first in women’s épée with an 11-3 record and Yamanaka claiming bronze with a 12-4 finish.

The Lions will return to the strip on Wednesday for the George Kolombatovich Historical Meet. Hosted in Dodge Fitness Center, competition begins at 5 p.m. as the Lions take on Vassar College.