Notre Dame has never been shy about doing things big, and this spring, the Fighting Irish fencing program added another chapter to one of college sports’ quietest dynasties. By claiming both the men’s and women’s NCAA Fencing Championships in March 2026, Notre Dame notched its 15th and 16th national titles, vaulting the program into rarefied air. Only Alabama football (18 titles) and North Carolina soccer (23) have won more among modern-era college sports dynasties.
A New Era for the Sport
The 2026 championships marked a historic shift: for the first time since 1989, the NCAA split fencing into separate men’s and women’s championships. Fittingly, Notre Dame, fresh off a combined title in 2025, got to christen the new format by winning both editions outright, and did so on home turf at the Joyce Center and Purcell Pavilion.
Building a Dynasty, One Touch at a Time
Under head coach Gia Kvaratskhelia, who’s led the program since 2014, Notre Dame has now won 8 of the last 10 national championships, with the only misses coming in 2019 and 2024. The 2024 miss was partly a product of key fencers training for the Olympics that year.
The 2026 roster delivered across the board:
- Ahmed Hesham (sophomore) won individual gold in men’s saber, becoming just the fifth Irishman in program history to do so.
- Eszter Muhari (senior) claimed women’s épée gold for the second consecutive year, and has now won the individual title in all three seasons she’s competed, having missed one year for Olympic training.
- Chase Emmer (junior) and Kruz Schembri (freshman) each finished runner-up individually on the men’s side.
- Magda Skarbonkiewicz (sophomore) took silver in women’s saber.
- Siobhan Sullivan (sophomore) tied for third in saber, helping push the team closer to the title.
Closing It Out
The women’s team edged Columbia for the crown, with Muhari delivering a pivotal pool-play win at a critical moment. The men followed with a more decisive 10-point win over second-place Columbia (91-81).
As sophomore Magda Skarbonkiewicz put it, winning the women’s title as a standalone event felt different, a chance for the team to earn the trophy on its own terms, rather than sharing the spotlight with the men’s side as in years past.
With Kvaratskhelia’s program-building and a roster stacked with returning talent like Muhari, Hesham, and Skarbonkiewicz, don’t expect Notre Dame fencing to slow down anytime soon. The numbers make the case better than any hype ever could.
2026-27 Preview: Can the Irish Three-Peat?
With the confetti long since swept up, attention turns to whether Notre Dame can keep the streak alive heading into the 2026-27 season. The roster suggests the Irish aren’t slowing down.
Who’s back: The bulk of Notre Dame’s title-winning core returns. Ahmed Hesham (now a junior) heads into the season as the reigning men’s saber national champion. Chase Emmer (senior) and Kruz Schembri (sophomore) both return after individual runner-up finishes, hungry to close the gap. On the women’s side, Magda Skarbonkiewicz (junior) and Siobhan Sullivan (junior) give the Irish a proven sabre duo to build around.
Who’s gone: The program’s most decorated recent fencer, Eszter Muhari, wrapped up her senior season with a third individual national title in three years of eligibility. It’s a run that will be tough to replace, but one that leaves a standard for the next generation to chase.
Who’s coming in: Head coach Gia Kvaratskhelia added six signees for 2026-27, giving the Irish fresh firepower across all three weapons:
- Eliott Loiseau (épée), Granger, IN
- Chok Weng “Agatha” Wat (épée), Las Vegas, NV, a multi-time NAC medalist and 2024 Singapore Senior Trials champion
- Adeline Senic (foil), Royal Oak, MI, a 2025 Junior World Cup individual gold medalist
- Gabriel Carrier (épée), Ogden, UT, a two-time Junior World Cup top-6 finisher
- Carina Festa (sabre), Wayne, NJ, a 2025 Junior Olympics silver medalist
- Jeidus DeSeranno (foil), Grosse Pointe, MI
Where it’s headed: The 2027 NCAA Fencing Championships are set for March 25-28 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC, meaning the Irish will try to defend their titles away from the Joyce Center for the first time since claiming them. With a deep returning core, a decorated incoming class, and a coach who’s delivered 8 titles in 10 years, Notre Dame enters 2026-27 as the team to beat in both men’s and women’s fencing.
The Contenders: Who’s Chasing Notre Dame in 2026-27
Notre Dame didn’t win either title in a vacuum. A deep field pushed the Irish all the way, and several of those programs are reloading rather than rebuilding heading into 2026-27.
Columbia/Barnard was the closest thing to a rival in 2026, finishing runner-up in both the women’s (99 points) and men’s (81 points) competitions, the only program to podium on both sides. The Lions brought full 12-fencer squads to South Bend, eight of whom already carry All-America honors, and they’ve since added 13 newcomers for 2026-27, arguably the most aggressive reload of any program in the field.
Duke sent eight fencers to the 2026 championships and finished 6th in men’s and 11th in women’s team scoring. The Blue Devils return foil standout Charlotte Koenig (a three-time NCAA qualifier and 2024 All-American), sabre’s Natalie Olsen, and épée grad student Yeva Mazur, while newcomers Zach Shoman and Abdelrahman Tolba were named USFCA Men’s Newcomers of the Year. Duke has already released its 2026-27 schedule.
Harvard won a share of the 2026 Ivy League men’s title and placed 4th in the men’s team standings at NCAAs, its best finish since winning it all in 2024. The Crimson are led by two 2024 Paris Olympians, sabre’s Colin Heathcock and épée’s Nicholas Zhang, plus two-time Olympian Jessica Guo on the women’s side. Harvard added six more signees in its “Class of 2030” this June.
Ohio State brought seven qualifiers to South Bend and returns two proven point-scorers: sabre’s Natalia Botello, a First Team All-American after tying for third in 2025, and épée’s Gloria Klughardt. Foil’s Solin Li, an Honorable Mention All-American, also comes back for the Buckeyes.
With that much returning talent across the bracket, Notre Dame’s path to a third straight title in Durham won’t be a formality. But the Irish have the depth, the coaching, and the recent history to be the favorite again.
Want to see how fans are supporting fencers like these directly? Check out our guide to Fencing NIL: How Fans Support College Fencers.
