Northwestern University Athletics
Sunday, March 8
Cleveland, Ohio
All Day
Northwestern
at
NCAA Midwest Regional
Photo by: David Dermer/Northwestern Athletics
‘Cats Put Eight On Podium At NCAA Midwest Regional
3/9/2026 2:30:00 PM | Women's Fencing
Takamizawa earns third-place finish in foil to lead Northwestern
CLEVELAND, Ohio (March 9, 2026) – No. 6 Northwestern fencing continued its postseason slate on Sunday, claiming eight podium finishes at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Wildcats were led inside Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center by Yukari Takamizawa, who earned a third-place finish in the foil. Takamizawa breezed through her opening round of pool action, winning five of her six bouts to cement a spot in the final pool of 12. The Tokyo, Japan native went on to prevail in eight of her final 11 matchups en route to securing her second top-five finish at the regional meet in as many seasons.
Takamizawa's showing highlighted a comprehensive performance that saw the 'Cats claim four podium spots. Karina Vasile, Brianna Ho, and Juliana Hung placed sixth through eighth, respectively.
Gallery: (3-8-2026) Fencing at NCAA Midwest Regional
Fresh off earning a sixth-place finish at the Central Collegiate Fencing Conference (CCFC) Championships, Anna Damratoski continued her outstanding postseason run with a team-best fourth-place showing in the epee. Out of Peapack, N.J., Damratoski finished with a sparkling 5-0 mark in the second phase of pool action ahead of adding six wins in the final pool. She was joined on the podium by Natasha Lee, who continued an outstanding first-year campaign with a sixth-place finish.
Elaine Lu and Natalie Shearer paced Northwestern in the sabre. Currently in the midst of a breakout first-year season of her own, Lu compiled a combined 12-5 record to finish fifth overall. Shearer, who took fourth at last season's regional meet during a season that saw her claim All-America accolades, picked up 11 victories of her own to finish one spot back of Lu in sixth.
A full listing of Northwestern's results from the NCAA Midwest Regional follows.
Women's Epee
4th – Anna Damratoski
6th – Natasha Lee
9th – Hailin Chen
10th – Karen Wang
Women's Foil
3rd – Yukari Takamizawa
6th – Karina Vasile
7th – Brianna Ho
8th – Juliana Hung
Women's Sabre
5th – Elaine Lu
6th – Natalie Shearer
10th – Adele Bois
11th – Nisha Hild
UP NEXT
Northwestern now awaits the selection process for the 2026 NCAA Fencing Championships, which will be hosted by the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., March 19-20.
The Wildcats were led inside Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center by Yukari Takamizawa, who earned a third-place finish in the foil. Takamizawa breezed through her opening round of pool action, winning five of her six bouts to cement a spot in the final pool of 12. The Tokyo, Japan native went on to prevail in eight of her final 11 matchups en route to securing her second top-five finish at the regional meet in as many seasons.
Takamizawa's showing highlighted a comprehensive performance that saw the 'Cats claim four podium spots. Karina Vasile, Brianna Ho, and Juliana Hung placed sixth through eighth, respectively.
Fresh off earning a sixth-place finish at the Central Collegiate Fencing Conference (CCFC) Championships, Anna Damratoski continued her outstanding postseason run with a team-best fourth-place showing in the epee. Out of Peapack, N.J., Damratoski finished with a sparkling 5-0 mark in the second phase of pool action ahead of adding six wins in the final pool. She was joined on the podium by Natasha Lee, who continued an outstanding first-year campaign with a sixth-place finish.
Elaine Lu and Natalie Shearer paced Northwestern in the sabre. Currently in the midst of a breakout first-year season of her own, Lu compiled a combined 12-5 record to finish fifth overall. Shearer, who took fourth at last season's regional meet during a season that saw her claim All-America accolades, picked up 11 victories of her own to finish one spot back of Lu in sixth.
A full listing of Northwestern's results from the NCAA Midwest Regional follows.
Women's Epee
4th – Anna Damratoski
6th – Natasha Lee
9th – Hailin Chen
10th – Karen Wang
Women's Foil
3rd – Yukari Takamizawa
6th – Karina Vasile
7th – Brianna Ho
8th – Juliana Hung
Women's Sabre
5th – Elaine Lu
6th – Natalie Shearer
10th – Adele Bois
11th – Nisha Hild
UP NEXT
Northwestern now awaits the selection process for the 2026 NCAA Fencing Championships, which will be hosted by the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., March 19-20.
Players Mentioned
Sabre
/ Women's Fencing
Epee
/ Women's Fencing
Epée
/ Women's Fencing
Sabre
/ Women's Fencing
Foil
/ Women's Fencing
Foil
/ Women's Fencing
Epee
/ Women's Fencing
Sabre
/ Women's Fencing
Foil
/ Women's Fencing
Foil
/ Women's Fencing
Epée
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