AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Three Stanford fencers had perfect records to help the No. 14 Cardinal pull out an impressive 18-9 victory over No. 5 Northwestern at the season-opening Western Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
Joy Yun at saber and Crystal Qian and Sofia Raso at foil each went 3-0 against Northwestern while helping the Cardinal to a 6-4 record in the two-day tournament at the Air Force Academy's Cadet Gym.
The 11-team women's field featured five top-five teams and seven ranked teams altogether. Yun went 9-1 against top-five opponents and 16-3 overall. The senior is the reigning Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Fencer of the Year.
Stanford went 3-6 in a 10-team men's field that included four ranked teams, including Nos. 1 and 2, and five top-10 teams altogether. The Cardinal earned its biggest victory in a 15-12 triumph over No. 10 UC San Diego, Stanford's MPSF rival.
Freshman Jared Hammerstrom, in saber, led the Cardinal men in victories, going 15-12 overall in his collegiate debut.
Another big Stanford debut came from graduate transfer Casey Chan, in women's saber. A three-time All-American at Brown, Chan went 13-7. Foil teammates Crystal Qian and Sofia Raso each went 15-8.
Against Northwestern, the Stanford foil team went 8-1 and the saber team 7-2 against the Wildcats. Yun, Chan, and Erika Yong each beat the Wildcats' Megumi Oishi, who was 10th in saber at the 2023 NCAA Championships.
In the women's 18-9 loss to No. 2 Notre Dame, Yun went 3-0 and Qian 2-1. In the men's 25-2 loss to No. 1 Notre Dame, Kai Rayle (epee) and freshman Max Scherer (saber) each won a bout. Rayle went on to go 3-0 against No. 3 Columbia and 13-8 for the weekend.
In the men's victory over UCSD, Luke Park went 3-0 in foil to lead the Cardinal, which closed the tournament on a three-match winning streak.
* * *
Western Invitational
At Air Force Academy, Cadet Gym
Men
Final team standings – Columbia 8-0, Notre Dame 7-0, Ohio State 7-1, Harvard 5-2, UC San Diego 4-5, Brandeis 3-5, Stanford 3-6, North Carolina 3-6, Air Force 2-8, Incarnate Word 0-9.
Stanford scores
Day 1
Notre Dame 25, Stanford 2
Columbia 18, Stanford 9
North Carolina 17, Stanford 10
Brandeis 15, Stanford 12
Harvard 19, Stanford 8
Day 2
Ohio State 19, Stanford 8
Stanford 17, Incarnate Word 10
Stanford 15, UC San Diego 12
Stanford 16, Air Force 11
Women
Final team standings – Notre Dame 7-0, Columbia 8-1, Harvard 6-1, Ohio State 6-1, Northwestern 5-3, Stanford 6-4, UC San Diego 4-6, Air Force 2-7, North Carolina 1-6, Brandeis 1-8, Incarnate Word 0-9.
Stanford scores
Day 1
Notre Dame 18, Stanford 9
Columbia 22, Stanford 7
Stanford 16, North Carolina 11
Stanford 19, Brandeis 8
Harvard 19, Stanford 8
Day 2
Ohio State 16, Stanford 11
Stanford 18, Incarnate Word 9
Stanford 15, UC San Diego 12
Stanford 18, Northwestern 9
Stanford 17, Air Force 10* * *
Other men's scores
Day 1
Air Force 18, Incarnate Word 9
Ohio State 18, Harvard 9
UC San Diego 19, North Carolina 8
Air Force 17, Brandeis 10
Columbia 21, North Carolina 6
Notre Dame 17, UC San Diego 10
Ohio State 20, Incarnate Word 7
North Carolina 16, Air Force 11
Notre Dame 16, Brandeis 11
Harvard 22, Incarnate Word 5
Columbia 17, Ohio State 10
Notre Dame 23, Air Force 4
Columbia 16, UC San Diego 11
Columbia 15, Air Force 12
Ohio State 20, Brandeis 7
Harvard 17, UC San Diego 10
Notre Dame 21, Incarnate Word 6
Columbia 24, Incarnate Word 3
Notre Dame 20, North Carolina 7
Ohio State 18, UC San Diego 9
Notre Dame 20, Harvard 7
Day 2
Harvard 22, Air Force 5
Brandeis 19, North Carolina 8
UC San Diego 22, Incarnate Word 5
Ohio State 20, Air Force 7
Harvard 20, North Carolina 7
UC San Diego 14, Brandeis 13
Columbia 22, Air Force 5
Brandeis 16, Incarnate Word 11
Ohio State 19, North Carolina 8
UC San Diego 21, Air Force 6
Columbia 17, Brandeis 10
North Carolina 20, Incarnate Word 7
Other women's scores
Day 1
Air Force 22, Incarnate Word 5
Harvard 15, Ohio State 12
UC San Diego 19, North Carolina 8
Air Force 14, Brandeis 13
Columbia 19, North Carolina 8
Notre Dame 20, UC San Diego 7
Northwestern 22, Incarnate Word 5
Northwestern 21, Air Force 6
Notre Dame 18, Brandeis 9
Harvard 16, Incarnate Word 10
Brandeis 15, Incarnate Word 12
Ohio State 17, Columbia 10
Northwestern 16, UC San Diego 11
Notre Dame 19, Air Force 8
Columbia 21, UC San Diego 6
Harvard 14, Northwestern 13
Ohio State 16, Incarnate Word 11
Columbia 20, Air Force 7
Ohio State 23, Brandeis 4
Notre Dame 20, Incarnate Word 7
Northwestern 21, North Carolina 6
Columbia 20, Incarnate Word 7
Notre Dame 16, North Carolina 11
Ohio State 15, UC San Diego 12
Notre Dame 16, Harvard 11
Day 2
Harvard 20, Air Force 7
Northwestern 19, Brandeis 8
UC San Diego 18, Incarnate Word 9
Ohio State 18, Air Force 9
Harvard 21, North Carolina 6
UC San Diego 23, Brandeis 4
North Carolina 18, Brandeis 9
Columbia 21, Northwestern 6
UC San Diego 18, Air Force 9
Columbia 21, Brandeis 6
Columbia 19, UC San Diego 8