The Northwestern fencing team’s defense of its Midwest Fencing Conference Championship starts in earnest this weekend as the team travels to Columbus, Ohio, to compete in the Ohio State Open. Perennial power Ohio State, Cleveland State, Case Western Reserve and Michigan will all compete.

The first day of the event will feature individual bouts, but on Sunday fencers will compete in their first NCAA-sanctioned matchups of the season. The Wildcats hope to fence well against Ohio State this weekend, setting the tone for the rest of the season, which continues in January. The team also wants to improve upon last year, a season in which the Cats amassed a 27-4 record, sent four fencers to the NCAA Championships and won their third straight conference title.

“Ohio State will be our chief competition,” NU coach Laurie Schiller said. “They’ve strengthened their team quite a bit.”

The Buckeyes have some new faces this year, but they still have reason to expect success.

“They are always strong,” said sabreist Kate Frambach, the only returner on the sabre squad. “They lost a couple of girls, but they’ve got some new people, so we’re looking to feel out what they’ve got going this year.”

Ohio State has strengthened its roster this year with foreign recruits hailing from Israel, Great Britain and Poland.

The Cats’ own international recruit, freshman Julia Foldi of Hungary, will compete in her first NCAA event after finishing an impressive second in the foil at last week’s Remenyik Open.

Also among those competing in their first-ever NCAA bouts will be freshman sabreists Lauren Dunn and Lauren Van Gieson, who placed second and third at last week’s tournament.

This weekend’s tournament should give the team an opportunity for a strong start in defense of its title.

“We want to repeat as conference champions,” Schiller said. “That’s our goal.”