Sophomore Henry Lawson Clinches Runner-Up at Fencing NCAA Championship

Sophomore captain Henry Lawson scored second place in the men’s individual Epee NCAA title. The New York Native was defeated by Long Island University’s (8-15) Mohamed El-Sayed, a 2024 Olympic bronze medalist.

The finals match was slow and meticulous, as fencers traded off points. Eventually, midway through the second round, Lawson was able to get back to back unanswered points and build up a 7-4 lead. But, El Sayed tied the score by winning a couple of points early in the third, and eventually took a 10-7 lead.

After a long scoreless period, Lawson got four hits in a row, before El Sayed nicked one to put them into extra time. In extra time, the Bronze medalist scored first, winning the bout.

This ends a tremendous year for the sophomore fencer, who made himself into an integral part of the Harvard (11-8) team.

Harvard fencing continues to compete in the NCAA tournament this weekend, which will stream on ESPN+.

—Staff writer Thomas Harris can be reached at thomas.harris@thecrimson.com.