By a score of 14-13 over Morris Hills, the Columbia High School Girls Fencing Team has won the New Jersey State Championship.
The girls defeated Morris Hills at Morris Hills on Feb. 27, claiming their first state championship title since 2015. The CHS girls are the most illustrious girls fencing team in state history: They lead all other NJ high schools with 13 championships overall, followed by Montclair Kimberley Academy with 10, Ramapo with eight, and Northern Highlands with three. (See a full history on NJ.com here.)
The CHS Boys Fencing Team won the silver medal, coming up short against Bergen Tech by a score of 13-14.
The CHS boys are the third winningest boys team in state championship history, winning 7 championships overall. Ramapo has the most state titles with 19, followed by Essex Catholic with 10, Columbia with seven, Ridge with five, and Voorhees with three, according to NJ.com. The CHS boys last won the NJSIAA boys fencing championship in 2014.
The season has been filled with accomplishment for both Columbia girls and boys fencing. On Feb. 25, the boys team won the South State Sectional Finals against Millburn (14-13), with a nail biter of a final bout that Henry O’Briant, a freshman epee fencer, won 5-4. The previous night the girls team won the South State Sectional Finals against Chatham with a score of 14-9.
The CHS fencing team is hosting the SoMa Sips fundraiser on March 5 at Lum’s Cellars, including an online auction that is live now: https://www.zeffy.com/en-
Photos courtesy of CHS Fencing parents:
Photo by Scott Fleisch
Girls are State Champs. Photo by Scott Fleisch.
Girls with 1st Place sectional plaque
Lillian Clark junior foil
Henry O’Briant freshman epee
Chloe Frazier freshman sabre
Chloe Frazier in action
Benji Kohol senior Epee
Ethan Lavin freshman epee
Emeka Onugha II
Columbia Boys team with their South Section Finals 1st Place plaque
Boys team celebrating sectional win
Columbia Boys senior fencers
Benji Kohol senior Epee (1)
Benji Kohol and coach Cameron Sviben
