Camila Reyna

The RCDS Varsity Fencing team has been securing win after win throughout the winter season! Not only has the team been winning meets, but they also saw great success at the Independent School Fencing League Individuals tournament, which took place on January 24th, 2026. During this tournament, fencers initially started in a pool where they fenced multiple 5-point bouts. After pools concluded, participants fenced at least one 15-point bout. If they lost this bout, then they were immediately eliminated. If they won, then they advanced to the next round. Overall, six fencers from RCDS placed eighth or above in their respective groups. Ishana Kumar ‘26 placed sixth in women’s foil, Qian Wei ‘26 placed fifth in men’s foil, Cooper Wu ‘26 won third place in men’s sabre, and Camila Reyna ‘27 won eighth in women’s epee. The men’s épée team was especially dominant during this tournament, with Matthew Lee ‘26 winning third in men’s épée and Ray Cao ‘26 winning first place. All in all, the RCDS Varsity Fencing team performed well during this memorable tournament.

The team recently celebrated its seniors on senior day, which took place on February 2nd, 2026. During this special occasion, seniors received speeches and posters created by non-senior members on the team. Senior day took place on the same day that the team fenced Masters, and the seniors were able to finish their day knowing that not only did they beat Masters, but they were also loved by the team and will be missed. 

The last tournament they will be competing in is the NYSAIS tournament, which will be held at Hackley School on February 21, 2026. During this tournament, each squad will fence corresponding squads from other schools, like having multiple meets in one day. This competition contrasts with the Individuals tournament because squads will act more like a unit than how they usually are, with each squad fencing another squad instead of individuals fencing other individuals on their own. 

When asked which tournament was his favorite, Middle School History Teacher and Head Fencing Coach Dr. Mitschele stated, “I don’t know that I can pick. I like them for such different reasons.” He went on to say that “[The] Individual tournament is among the best experiences fencers tend to have…So I love it for that reason.” When speaking about the NYSAIS tournament, he explained, “often people can say at the end of that day [they] tried [their] hardest, [they] gave [their] all to the team on this day…whatever the outcome is after that I think it’s awesome to say that at the end of the day.”

Kumar, one of the fencing captains, stated that the NYSAIS tournament was her preferred tournament. She reasoned that, “Individuals is fun, but I used to be an individual fencer and I love team fencing so much more. You get to be supportive. You’re not always on, which is nice…It’s also really intense and it’s really long, but I’m a fan of that because you can’t get eliminated early on”

Overall, the team has had a great season with amazing performances throughout, and surely they will continue to bring hard-fought wins to RCDS!