No. 6 Northwestern erupted in cheers as the team rushed to celebrate its victory at the second annual Schiller Duals, where it finished with a record of 11-1.
This season, Wildcat Fencing has been one of NU’s most successful athletic programs, consistently ranked in the top 6 nationally, but is also one of its lesser-known teams.
Patten Gymnasium, the ’Cats’ practice facility, is widely considered one of the best in the country, featuring metal strips to prevent slippage during bouts, senior sabreist Megumi Oishi said.
“This is an amazing facility that we’re so fortunate to be in,” coach Zach Moss said. “But it’s also highlighting some of the best collegiate fencing in the country.”
For Moss, the consistent energy and support from his team have been highlights of his coaching tenure. He said he appreciates how his players have turned fencing, traditionally seen as an individual sport, into a collaborative team environment.
Oishi attributes part of the shift toward teamwork to the quality of the team’s facilities.
“The strips look like ones you’d see at national competitions,” she said. “You can just tell that this school prioritizes fencing compared to when we visit other places; their places are very small and less modern.”
The two-day tournament marked the second straight year the fencing team has hosted the Schiller Duals event, held in Ryan Fieldhouse and named after former fencing coach Laurie Schiller (Weinberg Doctorate ’82).
By his retirement in 2016, Schiller earned a career record of 1,261-459 and led the ’Cats to 17 consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA championships. He was inducted into the NU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.
Given that most of the team’s competitions are away, it values Schiller Duals as an opportunity to showcase its sport to the wider NU community. The event also allows more NU students to learn about fencing, senior épéeist Anna Damratoski said.
“It’s a really cool sport to watch, not just because of the fencing, but also because of how much energy we put into it,” Damratoski said. “And you can come, and you can cheer. You can join us.”
The 2025-26 season is the first in decades with separate men’s and women’s NCAA Championships. This change has brought a new excitement to the ’Cats, who are eager to prove themselves on the national stage.
“It lends a really special legitimacy to our sport,” Oishi said. “I mean, we have been — a lot of schools, not just us — have failed to be recognized in these very high-profile spaces.”
Despite being a top-performing women’s program, NU fencing has not historically been in contention for a national title because it does not have a men’s program. Many other Division I schools have both men’s and women’s teams to compete — of the 28 NCAA Division I fencing schools, five only have a women’s team.
This year, the ’Cats are ready to capitalize on their first opportunity to win a national championship in decades.
“I feel like this is the year that we finally get a shot at winning,” senior foilist Juliana Hung said.
The 2025-26 NCAA Division I fencing championships will be held on March 19-22 at Notre Dame’s Joyce Center.
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— Captured: Northwestern Fencing Dominates at Second Annual Schiller Duals
