This past weekend's second leg of the Ivy Championships saw the Columbia fencing team reclaim both the men's and women's titles after overcoming one of the most common pitfalls in the sport.
"They put a lot of pressure on themselves that they shouldn't have," head coach George Kolombatovich said specifically of the men's match against Harvard. "Harvard was really up for that match and frankly, our guys were a little tight trying to win the championship as opposed to competing each individual match."
Despite the added pressure, the dual victories on Sunday highlighted the Lions' ability to use their depth against their opponents on both the men's and women's sides.
"One of Columbia's strengths is that our third and fourth person is a seriously talented competitor with a lot of experience," Kolombatovich said. "Unlike other teams, our third person isn't just some also-ran, they are a serious competitor and that gives us an advantage over the competition. All 18 of our starters could be the number ones at almost any other school in the country."
The highlighted matchup between the Lions and Harvard did not disappoint, and while the women continued to shine, the men fell 14-13. That loss, however, may serve as a benefit as Columbia continues to progress through the post-Ivy season.
"I think the match on Sunday showed just how much better the women are than the other teams," Kolombatovich added. "One of John Wooden's sayings was 'I don't ever want to take an undefeated team into the NCAA tournament.' The men's loss to Harvard, which was as close as it could be, might be a kick in the butt and, hopefully, a spark for the future."
As the team now heads into the IFA Championships this weekend and later this month into the NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships, the format changes to a more individualized event. While fencers still compete for a team, they are seeded one-to-16 in a knockout tournament where one bad match can ruin both individual and team victories.
Given the fact that the Ivy League is notorious for being one of the most difficult fencing conferences in the nation, as the Ancient Eight usually sees three or four teams crack the top 10 in the rankings, having 11 fencers named to the all-Ivy teams demonstrates just how dominant Columbia was against top competition. With only 12 fencers able to qualify for the NCAA Championships at the end of the month, the success seen during the two Ivy weekends demonstrates that even in a more individual setting, NCAA qualifiers can make deep runs in their disciplines.
All three women's sabre starters-Emily Jacobson, Daria Schneider, and Dani Gordet-made first-team all-Ivy, making the statement that no matter which two qualify for the NCAAs, they will be tough to take down. Columbia also saw three freshmen earn first- and second-team accolades, while sophomore epeeist Dwight Smith and senior sabrist James Williams ended with the best records in their respective weapons.
Maturity and experience in knockout-style events will be crucial if the Lions are to make a run at the national title and this team has both qualities. Jacobson took first place at the NCAA Championships as a freshman, while senior foilist Scott Sugimoto and Smith earned third and seventh place finishes, respectively, at last season's NCAAs in their disciplines. Williams, senior sabrist Alex Krul, and freshman foilist Kurt Getz all compete for the United States as members of the senior and junior national teams and have succeeded on the international circuit.
Still, no matter how talented the Lions may look on paper, Kolombatovich knows that victory only comes with great concentration.
"I always tell the fencers, 'everything in the past is history,'" he said. "Everything you have done before really doesn't matter anymore. You have to be focused on the current bout if you are going to be successful."