MADISON, N.J. – Haverford College sophomore epeeist Eric Chen finished fourth in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional Championships on Saturday at Drew University, headlining the men's fencing team's performance at the Simon Forum.
Chen's fourth-place finish is the highest regional result for a Haverford fencer in any weapon and marks the program's first appearance in a regional final since 2017. He joined Matt Dao of Johns Hopkins as one of only two Division III fencers to reach the regional final in epee. Perhaps even more impressively, the Mid-Atlantic/South Regional is widely considered the strongest in the NCAA, featuring Division I powerhouses such as Penn, Penn State, Duke, North Carolina, Princeton, and NJIT.
Chen's performance puts him in a strong position for qualification to the NCAA Championships, which would make him the first Haverford fencer to reach the national stage since 2010.
NCAA regional results account for 60 percent of the formula that determines championship selections, with regular-season results making up the remaining 40 percent. The selections for the NCAA Championships, scheduled for March 20-23 at Penn State, will be announced Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET.
Chen entered round one as the 17th-seeded fencer and earned four wins in his initial pool and added two more in the second round, but he was the final competitor to advance to the third round, entering as the 18th seed out of 18. He then finished 11th in that round, becoming one of 12 fencers to reach the regional final. There, he rebounded from four early losses to win seven bouts, edging out Brayden Gyure of North Carolina on indicators for an impressive fourth-place finish.
Elsewhere in epee, Vivek Veluvali finished 34th, and Kenji Gullo placed 40th. Veluvali picked up three wins in his first-round pool, while Gullo added two.
In foil, Dean Myers (16th) and Michael Pyo (18th) each had strong showings, while Andrew Strayer (25th) and Henry Bishop (37th) were not far behind. Myers, Pyo, and Strayer all advanced to the second-round pools, with Myers and Pyo reaching the third round before falling just short of the regional final.
Jack Greff represented the Fords in sabre, finishing 38th overall. He earned two wins in his first-round pool but fell short of advancing further.
Chen now awaits Tuesday's announcement, when an NCAA.com press release will unveil the full field for the 2025 National Collegiate Fencing Championships.
