DURHAM, NC. – Notre Dame Fencing made history when they claimed their 13th national title at the 2023 NCAA Fencing National Championship on Sunday afternoon in Durham, NC. With this win, the program takes a school record 13th title in program history and becomes the first team on campus to three-peat.
🏆𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝘼𝙇 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙈𝙋𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎🏆
This title’s one for the record books — our school record 13th title in program history and the first team on campus to three-peat!#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/n2OAv2hVq8
— Notre Dame Fencing (@NDFencing) March 26, 2023
Notre Dame finished thirteen points ahead of second-place Princeton (175) and thirty two points ahead of third-place Columbia (156).
With the win, Kvaratskhelia earns his fifth national title with Notre Dame, having previously led the Irish to the team crown in 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022.
The Irish competed with the maximum allotted 12 fencers and brought home two individual national championships in Luke Linder (sabre) and Eszter Muhari (epee).
WOMEN’S EPEE
Eszter Muhari finished round robin competition seeded first for the semifinals. Muhari dominated her semifinal in a 15-7 victory. In the finals, Muhari took a 15-10 victory for her first NCAA National Champion title.
Muhari’s Moment.
In a moment she’ll never forget, freshman Eszter Muhari won her épée bout to clinch our 13th national title, more than any other program in @NotreDame history.#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/030HdAjhjX
— Notre Dame Fencing (@NDFencing) March 26, 2023
Kaylin Hsieh finished the weekend taking fifth place in the weapon group with fifteen wins and a +27 indicator. Hsieh collected second-team All-American honors with the finish.
WOMEN’S FOIL
Amita Berthier finished round robin competition headed into semifinals seeded first for her weapon class. She ultimately fell in the semifinals and finished in third place, earning first-team All-American honors.
Rebeca Candescu finished in ninth place with thirteen wins and secured herself honorable mention All-American honors.
WOMEN’S SABRE
Kara Linder led the women’s sabre squad with a fifth place finish. She collected sixteen wins in the two day competition with a +23 indicator. This finish earns her second team All-American honors.
Atara Greenbaum finished the weekend with eleven wins for a thirteenth place finish.
Friday afternoon, Luke Linder won the men’s sabre crown. His individual title became his second national crown, and the program’s sixth in the weapon class. The victory earned him a first-team All-America honor from the U.S. Fencing Coaches Association.
In men’s foil, Chase Emmer and Marcello Olivares, finished with bronze medals. Emmer and Marcello each earned first team All-American honors. In men’s epee, Maruan Osman-Touson and Jonathan Hamilton-Meikle finished to earn honorable mention All-American honors.