Since Michael Aufrichtig took over as head coach in 2011, Columbia fencing has defined itself as a program on the rise. And when the Light Blue took home both the conference and national titles this spring, it looked as if the team may have finally reached its peak.

But as is true for any champion, the glory of victory fades upon the horizon of a new season. By the end of last season, the Light Blue had both demolished the long-held program record and topped the world’s toughest talent. But once the reigning national champions take to the piste this season, Columbia fencing will be tested on a new factor—its sustainability.

Top-ranked recruits

A roster of 46 fencers are poised to defend the Light Blue’s championships this season. This includes a crop of 10 rookies, all of which have made the competitive cut to join the country’s premier program.

Aufrichtig said he’s had more inquiry emails from prospective fencers this past year than any other season, making recruiting an enormous but delicate task.

“Being here for four years, I’ve gotten to see four years of different student athletes spend their time at Columbia or Barnard, and so I even feel like I know what the better fit is for our program,” he said. “We’re trying to find those individuals that embrace what we do here, which is very different than most other fencing programs, if not all other fencing programs in the country.”

Selected recruits include foilists Iman Blow, a 2015 Pan American Junior Championship gold medalist, and Quinn Crum, a gold medalist in the 2013 Junior Olympics. The list of the first-years’ accolades is vast, and the Lions will look to add collegiate success to their accomplishments.

“They hit the ground running. They’re practicing really hard, and they’re obviously incredibly dedicated,” senior co-captain Jake Hoyle said of the rookies.

Hoyle is one of six captains that will lead the first-years and the rest of the team this season.

The reigning NCAA epee champion, Hoyle joins fellow seniors saberist Geoffrey Loss and foilist Harry Bergman at the helm. From the women’s squad, junior saberist Brittin Boenning, junior foilist Sara Taffel, and senior foilist Jackie Dubrovich will lead.

Training and team building

Columbia fencing’s unique approach is what has set it apart from other teams in the past. With a coach who hails from the world of business and technology, the team is accustomed to unorthodox training methods.

This offseason was no exception to that rule. Because NCAA regulations prevented the team from holding full practices, Aufrichtig implemented his own methods of preparing his squad during the summer months.

At the end of last semester, each fencer was required to complete a training statement that held them accountable for areas on which they were to improve over the summer.

“For some people, it was their general conditioning. Some people, it was focusing on their technique. For other people it was rehab, just to make sure an injury that was there before has some rest time and rehab,” Aufrichtig said. “So, if anything, we’re probably the most prepared coming into September than we’ve ever been, with everyone focusing on what they thought they needed to be ready before the season.”

But that wasn’t the end of the assignment. Aufrichtig also issued a list of movies for each fencer to watch before the beginning of practice in the fall. The films, all sports-related, included “Miracle, “Hoosiers,” “Million Dollar Baby,” and “Chariots of Fire.”

For junior saberist Brittin Boenning, the assignment brought her closer to her teammates.

“We were actually hugely in contact,” she said. “A lot of people were living in New York City for the summer, so they got together and watched these movies together. It wasn’t necessarily fencing, but it was a team-building activity.”

During the summer months, several members of the team also participated in individual competitions such as the Absolute USA-China Elite Fencing Individual, where six members of the team competed.

En garde

With practices underway and their first tournament in just over a month, the Lions are in full swing. Though conditioning and training has a larger emphasis in the offseason, the team still dedicates time twice a week to work on physical strength.

Aufrichtig brought back the Verb Fitness instructors from last season to train with the team as its fitness advisers, working on agility, speed, and control-enhancing exercises.

Aside from the athletes’ individual physical goals, the Lions’ overall goal has been made very clear: Columbia wants to repeat last season’s success.

“We definitely don’t want to get complacent and act like we’ll be right back to last season,” Hoyle said. “We’re not focusing on any one individual, and really working as a team, supporting each other even while we’re off the strip That kind of great teamwork atmosphere is while we’re actually competing—not only at practice—and I think that that is really key at helping us beat some of these schools that we’ll meet.”

And Aufrichtig hopes these will be the ingredients for long-term success.

“We’re not focused on being the champions. Yes, that’s the goal, but we’re focused on becoming the best fencers we can be, the best teammates we can be, and the best people we can be,” Aufrichtig said. “And that combination will get great results.”