ITHACA, N.Y. — Four Cornell women's fencers have been selected to compete in the 2026 National Collegiate Women's Fencing Championships, the NCAA Committee announced Tuesday.
Senior
Ketki Ketkar (épée), junior
Isabela Carvalho (saber), junior
Samantha Marsee (saber) and freshman
Lana Lee (foil) will represent the Big Red at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Ind., March 19-22.
Cornell is among 26 institutions represented in the 144-competitor field.
Ketkar leads the contingent into the national stage after earning the Ivy League individual épée title earlier this season. It will be the seniors third trip to NCAA's, earning bronze in 2024 and sixth place in 2025.This season, Ketkar posted a 10-1 record in the round of 12 at last weekend's NCAA Northeast Regional at Vassar, earning a silver medal. She carries a 51-16 overall record and an .857 winning percentage in Ivy competition into the championships.
Carvalho and Marsee both earned their second-ever bids to nationals after gaining All-Region honors at last weekends Northeast Regional. Marsee took bronze at the Northeast Regional with a 7-4 round-of-12 record and enters nationals at 32-20 overall, while Carvalho finished fourth at regionals and carries a 42-22 record (.656 winning percentage) into the championships.
Lee paces Cornell's foil contingent with a 69-41 overall record on the season.
Competitors will fence in a round-robin format of five-touch bouts before the top four finishers in each weapon advance to 15-touch semifinals. Team standings are determined by points earned throughout round-robin competition.
Live coverage of semifinal and final bouts will be available beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+. Semifinals, finals and championships highlights will air on ESPNU at 5 p.m. ET on April 1.
Schedule:
- Thursday, March 19
- 9 a.m. | Women's épée, rounds 1-3
- 11 a.m. | Women's foil, rounds 1-3
- 1:30 p.m. | Women's sabre, rounds 1-3
- Friday, March 20 — ESPN+
- 9 a.m. | Women's foil, rounds 4-5
- 9 a.m. | Women's épée, rounds 4-5
- 9 a.m. | Women's sabre, rounds 4-5
- 1 p.m. | Women's championship bouts (in the order of épée, foil and sabre)
