PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Johns Hopkins men's fencing team picked up three wins in its first action since early December. Hopkins beat Lafayette, Wagner and UC San Diego and fell to Duke and NYU.
 
Hopkins kicked off the day with a 24-3 win over Lafayette. Sophomore Larry Cai won all three of his bouts to lead the Sabre squad to an 8-1 win. Sophomore Matthew Dao and freshman Ayan Bhatnagar won two bouts each as the Epee squad won 8-1. Junior Alan Zheng and freshman Yi Peng Sha combined for six wins in an 8-1 win for the Foil squad.
 
JHU then dropped a tough 14-13 decision to ninth-ranked Duke. Junior Qilin Tong picked up two wins in a 6-3 loss for the Sabre squad. Sophomore Jorge Gana won all three of his bouts to lead the Epee squad to a 6-3 win. Zheng went 3-0 as the Foil squad lost a close one, 5-4.
 
The Blue Jays bounced back with a 19-8 win over Wagner. Hu, Tong and sophomore Alex Jeffords won one bout each in a 6-3 loss for the Sabre squad. Gana and junior Ethan Kim won two bouts apiece to lead the Epee squad to a 7-2 win. And in the Foil, Zheng, Sha and sophomore Spencer Grossman Smisek combined for nine wins.
 
Hopkins then upset 10^th-ranked UC San Diego, 17-10. Hu won all three of his bouts, including the clinching one as the Sabre squad won 5-4. The Epee squad also won 5-4, led by Do and Gana with two wins each. Zheng again won all three of his bouts as the Foil squad won 7-2.
 
The Blue Jays ended the day with a 17-10 loss to NYU, ranked 12^th overall and number one in Division III. Tong won two bouts as the Sabre squad fell in a tight one, 5-4. Gana did the same in a 5-4 loss by the Epee squad. Zheng also won two bouts in a 7-2 loss for the Foil squad.
 
Hopkins returns to action on February 10 at the Duke Invitational.
 
Notes: Zheng jumped into 11^th place in JHU history with 214 career Foil wins • Gana moved into a tie for 22^nd with 136 career Epee wins • Hu is now ranked 17^th with 176 career Sabre wins.