Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM FEBRUARY 2025 71 BY TODD D. BURLAGE M any of the Notre Dame fencing team's top competitors took last season off to train for and compete in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, yet the Irish still finished runner-up to Har- vard at the 2024 NCAA Championships. That's clear evidence of just how deep and dominating the program has been over the last decade or so. Now that the 2024 Olympics are in the past, Notre Dame will not be short- handed this season. And there is no reason to expect the Irish won't be the frontrunners to claim their 10th co-ed championship overall, and their sixth in the last eight seasons. "We have a really deep and talented team," Irish assistant coach Christian Rascioni said. "I think we are definitely going to compete for a national title. I would say that our team and Harvard are the two best teams." Notre Dame has become the gold standard of college fencing. The pro- gram attracts top competitors from all over the world, and from every corner of the United States. From Korea to China to Canada to Hungary to Egypt to France to Brazil, just to name a few, the Notre Dame ros- ter includes student-athletes from 11 different countries and from states such as Florida and Oregon, and everywhere in between. This year's team also includes a robust group of 27 freshmen, which Rascioni said he can't wait to coach and develop. "The energy of this team excites me the most," he said. "Having so many freshmen, and they are so enthusiastic about everything. The energy aspect with this group is the biggest thing that has caught my attention." With so many talented student- athletes, it's difficult to list all of those expected to make significant contribu- tions this season. Here are a few of note. • Junior Eszter Muhari competed for Hungary in women's epee at the Paris Olympics and brought home a bronze medal. • Before arriving at Notre Dame, freshman Magda Skarbonkiewicz also competed at the Paris Olympics in sa- bre, though she did not medal. • Sophomore Radu Nitu spent much of his offseason competing internation- ally for Romania. • Steady senior Kaylin Sin Yan Hsieh returns as one of the top epee competi- tors in the country. The Hong Kong na- tive competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olym- pics and won the NCAA individual national championship in epee in 2022. • Junior James Chen was a second- team All-American in foil last year. • And local product junior Josephina Conway is from nearby Mishawaka, Ind. She competed at the NCAA Champion- ships last year as well as for the U.S. National Team in the World Cup. With a perfect blend of proven veterans and talented newcomers, Rascioni said he is looking forward to seeing this team develop between now and the ACC and NCAA Championships early next year. "Now it's just a matter of time to start getting ready for the NCAAs in March," Rascioni said. "It's all a process, and that process starts now." Notre Dame had only competed in one meet this season as of Jan. 10, the Elite Invitational Nov. 17 in Philadelphia, and both the Irish men's and women's squads swept their competition at the event and finished 5-0. "We are still a work in progress," Ras- cioni added. "Of course, we are compet- ing. Of course, our front-line starters are still traveling a lot. But still, now is the time of the year that we can work on technique, tactics, strategy. We are still in a learning process on this journey. "Results right now are not the prior- ity. Now is literally about understand- ing the necessary skills, so it's literally a work in progress." ✦ Fighting Irish Fencers Are Ready For Another Title Run N O T R E D A M E S P O R T S Junior Eszter Muhari, who competed for Hungary in women's epee at the Paris Olympics and brought home a bronze medal, is among the Irish fencers expected to make a significant contribution this year. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS