February 2, 2025, Evanston, IL: Northwestern fencing hosts the Schiller Duals at Ryan Fieldhouse in Evanston, IL on Sunday, February 2, 2025. (Photo by Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics)February 2, 2025, Evanston, IL: Northwestern fencing hosts the Schiller Duals at Ryan Fieldhouse in Evanston, IL on Sunday, February 2, 2025. (Photo by Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics)
Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics

No. 5 Northwestern Downs Trio Of Ranked Foes At Schiller Duals

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EVANSTON, Ill. (February 4, 2025) – No. 5 Northwestern fencing totaled eight wins, three of which came over ranked foes, as it hosted the Schiller Duals this past weekend inside the friendly confines of Ryan Fieldhouse.
 
Northwestern got off to a fast start on Saturday morning, defeating No. 11 Temple, 15-12, ahead of a 19-8 win over No. 8 Cornell that saw the 'Cats sweep all three weapons. 
 
Following setbacks to UC San Diego, 16-11, and No. 2 Notre Dame, 20-7, the Wildcats closed out the day in strong fashion, cruising past Fairleigh Dickinson, 26-1, and Wheaton, 27-0, respectively.
 
Saturday's full slate of action also included a special recognition for former Northwestern head coach Laurie Schiller, for whom Northwestern's home winter dual meet will be named after moving forward.  During his 38 seasons leading the program, Schiller, a 2022 inductee into the Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame, led the 'Cats to 1,261 dual meet wins, four Midwest Fencing Conference titles, and 17 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships.  He also aided in the development of 33 All-Americans.
 
 
In similar fashion to how it began the opening day of competition, Northwestern started Sunday with another ranked triumph. Propelled by a spotless 9-0 mark from its epee squad, the Wildcats rolled to an 18-9 win over No. 14 Stanford.
 
After dispatching Incarnate Word, 20-7, and Air Force, 22-5, the 'Cats honored their senior class in an emotional ceremony prior to a second tilt with Fairleigh Dickinson.  Northwestern closed the weekend in style, with its foil and sabre teams posting 9-0 scorelines en route to a 24-3 victory.
 
Northwestern's epee squad led the way throughout the weekend, finishing with an impressive 9-1 record across 10 duals.  On the individual front, the pairing of Anna Damratoski and Athina Kwon each tallied eight victories to lead the attack in the weapon.  Ophelia Tong (9-0), Brianna Ho (6-0), and Yejine Lee (6-0) all finished with unblemished records in the foil, while sabreist Megumi Oishi piled up 11 wins, the most by any Wildcat.
 
Gallery: (2-1-2025) Fencing vs. Schiller Duals

COMPLETE RESULTS
Opponent Epee Foil Sabre Overall V-D
#11 Temple 6-3 5-4 4-5 15-12 V
#8 Cornell 6-3 7-2 6-3 19-8 V
UC San Diego 5-4 4-5 2-7 11-16 D
#2 Notre Dame 3-6 1-8 3-6 7-20 D
FDU 8-1 9-0 9-0 26-1 V
Wheaton 9-0 9-0 9-0 27-0 V
#14 Stanford 9-0 4-5 5-4 18-9 V
Incarnate Word 5-4 8-1 7-2 20-7 V
Air Force 5-4 9-0 8-1 22-5 V
FDU 6-3 9-0 9-0 24-3 V
 
UP NEXT
Prior to beginning postseason competition, Northwestern will send select student-athletes to USA Fencing's Junior Olympics, February 14-17, in Charlotte, N.C.