The Fencing team’s Women travelled to Brown University in Providence, RI. There, the Women’s Fencing Team qualified for their 12th consecutive Collegiate Fencing Nationals Champion-ships. CDT Laura Pleake led her women’s squad to a total shut out of Navy, defeating them in two out of three weapons, earning them their Navy Star; most of the head to head combative bouts were not even close in score. CDT Bethany Forte along with CDT Taylor Sharpsten and CDT Callie Peace advanced to the semi-finals at Nationals before being stopped by Michigan State; their squad garnered a 4th place National Ranking and finish. In the weapon of Women’s Foil, Army had another National Championship win. The powerhouse squad consisted of CDT Samantha Verduzco, CDT Rachel Pennington, CDT Haley Holli-man, and foil squad captain CDT Claudia Sun. Both CDT Sun and CDT Pennington advanced to the Individual Finals; CDT Pennington finished 9th for the day, ranking in the top 4% of all athletes in the nation. CDT Sun moved through the direct elimination bracket to the final gold medal bout versus Dartmouth College, and she handedly defeated her opponent, clinching the National Championship Title; she is only the second woman at West Point to do so, and is currently ranked #1 in the Nation for Collegiate Fencing.
During this time, the Men’s Fencing team also qualified for their 12th consecutive Collegiate Fencing National Championship, also held at Brown University. In the weapon of Men’s Epee, CDT Aaron Mellstrom qualified for the Individual Finals and finished 9th, put-ting him in the top 5% in the nation of all collegiate fencers in that weapon. The Men also blew Navy out of the water by defeating them in two out of three weapons with their Individual Head bouts having lopsided scores in Army’s favor; this earned them their Navy Star as well. CDT Blake Gordon once again repeated another National Championship Win in the cavalry weapon of Sabre. He and his weapon squad went on to not only defeat Navy in the Direct Elimination early part of the bracket, but also defeated nationally ranked Michigan State in a very hard fought close combative score with all team mates participating as competitors in this victory. The National Champion Sabre Squad consisted of CDTs Gus Williams, Noah Kambili, Josh Pleake, and David Oh. For CDT Pleake and CDT Oh, this was their first Nationals and first year of fencing on the team with no prior experience in the sport. CDT Williams qualified for the Individual Finals and finished 7th, placing him in the Top 3% of all athletes in the Nation.