Prior to the 2023-24 season, the last time a Quaker took home a national title in an individual foil event at the NCAA Fencing Championship was 27 years ago. Similarly, the last time Penn women’s fencing won the Ivy League was two decades ago.
This year, under Penn fencing coach Andy Ma’s leadership, Penn men’s fencing finished one and two at the NCAA Fencing Championships. In the individual men’s foil finals, senior foil Bryce Louie was able to eke out a win against teammate and senior foil Blake Broszus to become a national champion.
Equally notably, Penn women’s fencing secured the program’s first Ivy League title since 2004. In all, six Quakers across the men’s and women’s teams received All-Ivy honors at this year’s Ivy League tournament, with two additional Quakers earning All-Academic honors.
For the success at the tournament, Ma was recognized as the Ivy League Women’s Fencing Coach of the Year — the fifth of his career and second as the women’s coach. Ma led the women’s team to a 23-7 record in a season that saw the team ranked as high as sixth in the nation. The Ivy title was the first of his career as a women’s coach.
Ma has also received Ivy League Coach of the Year honors three times as the men’s fencing coach and has amassed over 500 wins coaching both teams throughout his career.
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