March 7, 2013

STANFORD, Calif. - The Stanford fencing team will compete for spots at the NCAA Championships when it heads to UC San Diego for the Western Regional Tournament on Saturday, March 9, at 10 a.m. (PT).

Stanford will compete in a round-robin style competition with UC San Diego, Air Force and the California Institute of Technology for a total of 12 spots at the NCAA Championships. The top two competitors in foil, epee and sabre in the men's and women's competitions will advance to the national championships held March 21-24 in Austin, Texas.

The 10th-ranked Stanford men's fencing team is led by junior Turner Caldwell and freshman Alexander Massialas. Caldwell earned All-America honors after finishing second at last year's NCAA Championships in men's foil and holds a 22-5 record entering this season's regional tournament.

Massialas has compiled an impressive 22-2 record in his freshman campaign. Massialas arrived on campus boasting a wealth of international experience, including competing for Team USA at the 2012 London Olympics. He has thrived in the collegiate ranks, and along with Caldwell has led the men's foil team to an overall record of 81-24.

The women's fencing team is led by junior Francesca Bassa who holds a 37-6 record in women's epee. She is joined by standout freshman Vivian Kong, the only other women's epeeist, who has compiled a 38-5 record.