Notre Dame Wins Men’s NCAA Team Championship, Ties Columbia for All-Time Lead

SOUTH BEND, Indiana — New format, same result.

The University of Notre Dame won the men’s team fencing championship on Sunday, matching the result of the women from two days earlier and completing a sweep of the first NCAA Championships held under the sport’s new separate men’s and women’s team format. Notre Dame finished with 91 bout victories, ahead of Columbia/Barnard’s 81. St. John’s placed third with 63, followed by Harvard with 62.

The title also pushed Notre Dame into a tie with Columbia for the most overall NCAA fencing team championships in history, with 16 apiece. Notre Dame entered the weekend tied with Penn State for second place before winning both the women’s and men’s team titles in South Bend.

Like the women’s individual winners two days earlier, the men’s champions reflected the international flavor of collegiate fencing. Youssef Shamel of North Carolina, Sam Kumbla of Columbia and Ahmed Hesham of Notre Dame captured the three men’s individual titles, with Shamel and Hesham hailing from Egypt and Kumbla from the United States.

In men’s epee, Youssef Shamel delivered a breakthrough result for North Carolina. The freshman won the national championship after advancing through the top-four bracket, giving the Tar Heels their first-ever NCAA men’s epee individual champion. It is also just the second NCAA individual fencing title in program history, joining John Friedberg’s men’s saber title in 1983.

In men’s foil, Sam Kumbla of Columbia won the national championship, defeating Notre Dame’s Chase Emmer in the final. Kumbla’s title gave Columbia its first NCAA men’s foil champion since Ashton Daniel won in 2022.

In men’s saber, Ahmed Hesham of Notre Dame claimed the national championship, defeating St. John’s Adham Moataz in the final four. Hesham’s title made him Notre Dame’s latest men’s saber champion after Luke Linder in 2024 (and 2023 and 2021).

While Notre Dame won both team titles, the men’s individual championships were split among three schools: North Carolina in epee, Columbia in foil and Notre Dame in saber. Across the full 2026 NCAA Championships, five schools produced individual champions: Notre Dame (2), Harvard, Ohio State, Columbia and North Carolina.

Notre Dame’s team victory was built on balance. The Irish totaled 33 wins in saber, 31 in foil and 27 in epee, enough to stay comfortably in front of Columbia down the stretch and send the home crowd out with another championship celebration.

National Champion: Youssef Shamel (North Carolina)

2nd: Kruz Schembri (Notre Dame)

T-3rd: Mohamed Elsayed (L.I.U.)

T-3rd: Soma Somody (L.I.U.)

5th: Paul Veltrup (N.J.I.T.)

6th: Henry Lawson (Harvard)

7th: Fabio Mastromarino (N.J.I.T.)

8th: Simon Lioznyansky (Pennsylvania)

National Champion: Sam Kumbla (Columbia)

2nd: Chase Emmer (Notre Dame)

T-3rd: Marsel Nagimov (Columbia)

T-3rd: Peter Bruk (North Carolina)

5th: Ziyuan Chen (Notre Dame)

6th: Brandon Lee (Princeton)

7th: Roy Graham (Harvard)

8th: Abdelrahman Tolba (Duke)

National Champion: Ahmed Hesham (Notre Dame)

2nd: Adham Moataz (St. John’s)

T-3rd: William Morrill (Columbia)

T-3rd: Colin Heathcock (Harvard)

5th: Lev BenAvram (Brandeis)

6th: Jaesun Yun (Pennsylvania)

7th: Radu Nitu (Notre Dame)

8th: Antonio Heathcock (Pennsylvania)