Duke fencing experiences mixed results in Elite Invitational, last meet of fall season

After a mixed bag of a competition, Duke fencing came out of the annual Elite Invitational with some notable victories — and some areas of growth for its 2025 season.

At Penn’s Tse Center in Philadelphia, the Blue Devils fought courageously in their final meet of the calendar year. The No. 6 women’s team went 3-2 in its matches against No. 3 Columbia, No. 4 Princeton, No. 10 Ohio State, No. 14 Stanford and Air Force. The No. 10 men’s team finished the day going 2-3 in its matches against No. 3 Columbia, No. 4 Princeton, No. 6 Ohio State, Air Force and Stanford.

“We had some bumps during the competition,” head coach Omar Elgeziry said. “Overall, it was a tough meet. We fenced well and we gained experience, so I think it was a successful event for us.”

In women’s epee, senior Rachel Kowalsky pulled off the win of the day against Princeton. Kowalsky was in the final match against the Tigers with the score even at 13-13 — the 2024 NCAA qualifier’s performance dictated the day’s outcome. Showing poise in a high-pressure environment, Kowalsky stepped off the strip with a decisive victory, tipping the scales in favor of the Blue Devils for an upset against a top team.

Despite the men’s team’s narrow 14-13 loss to Air Force, freshman epee Peyton Young delivered a notable performance against the academy, going undefeated in his three matches. Young secured seven total wins during the meet, matching fellow freshman Ethan Boroditsky. However, the men’s highest scorer was freshman saber fencer William Holz, who went 9-5.

One consideration in the men’s losses this weekend is that the season is young — and so is the team. A big concern going into the season was the age of the team — 11 of the men’s fencers are freshman — and there remains a question of how the fresh faces are settling in. While this was the third event of the year, it was the first NCAA meet where Duke was facing off against several other teams in one day. The stamina element of such an endeavor is crucial, and the schedule was a bit overwhelming to some of the team’s numerous new members.

“The competition was a very long day, and we had a lot of strong matches to play,” said Elgeziry. “So when you fence a lot of matches throughout eight to nine hours it can be draining, and I think it was a little bit exhausting.”

Looking to the future, the Blue Devils will aim to make some adjustments and march ahead for a competitive 2025 season. The men’s team, who entered the Elite Invitational confident after a recent victory against North Carolina, will have the fire of redemption as it prepares for its next meet. The women, who after a narrow loss against the Tar Heels entered competition less sure of themselves, will have the momentum from its wins to push forward for a successful season.