CLEVELAND, Ohio – Natalia Toby capped off a record-setting weekend on Sunday, winning four bouts to finish in sixth place in epee and earn All-American honors for the second time in her illustrious career.
"First, let me congratulate all of the competitors in the event. This was a world-class field, and it is really an honor to compete with and against such talented athletes," said head coach Daniel Bass. "I couldn't be any prouder of how Natalia performed throughout the tournament. She continues to break and set records for herself and for the FDU program, and more importantly, she continues to prove that she is one of the best in her sport."
Toby, now a two-time All-American, finished 13-10 in the Buckeye State. With 13 wins, Toby has the most by a Knight at a single NCAA Championship, breaking her old record of 12 wins from the 2017 NCAA Championships.
The Bloomfield, New Jersey native also set the program record for best individual finish. Toby snapped her own record from the 2017 NCAA Championships where she finished in seventh place.
Cathleen Ferris previously held the record in 2000 with a 14th place finish before Toby broke it in 2017.
Bass added, "To once again make the podium at the National Championship and come away with her second All-American honors is a dream come true for all of us. I give a ton of credit to Coach Alexander Delaney for the work he put in to prepare her throughout the season and for this event. "
Entering the final day, the junior sat in fifth place after compiling a 9-6 mark on Saturday. A strong fourth round record of 3-1 moved her into third place entering the final round of play.
In that fourth round, Toby picked up decisive wins over Harvard's Saanchi Kukadia and Shawn Wallce, while also coming out on top against Notre Dame's Miriam Grady.
In the fifth and final round, Toby dropped heartbreaking matches to Andrea Rizzi of St. John's and Ann Cebula of Columbia.
"It fills me with pride, as a coach, to see Natalia accomplish her goals," said assistant coach Alex Delaney. "She experienced a lot of ups and downs this year but has worked tirelessly to prove once again, she is one of the best in the country."
Next season, Natalia Toby will attempt to become the first FDU fencer to ever qualify for the NCAA Championships in all four years of collegiate competition.
ROUND ONE
W – Vanessa Dib (Penn) 5-3
W – Anastasia Kalonji (Penn State) 5-4
W - Paulin Hamilton (Northwestern) 5-0
W – Barbara Van Benthuysen (Penn State) 5-2
L – Julia Falinska (Northwestern) 3-5
L – Megan Eno (Cornell) 4-5
W – Alexanne Verret (Ohio State) 5-4
ROUND TWO
W – Emily Biehold (UC San Diego) 5-2
L – Nicole Agob (Air Force) 4-5
L – Tatiana Stewart (Princeton) 2-5
L – Hanna Lee (Stanford) 4-5
ROUND THREE
L – Huda Aldadah (Duke) 4-5
W – Maria Papdopolous (Duke) 5-4
W – Shirley Wang (Yale) 5-2
W – Michelle Nam (Yale) W 5-4
ROUND FOUR
W - Saanchi Kukadia (Harvard) 5-4
W – Miriam Grady (Notre Dame) 4-3
L – Amanda Sirico (Notre Dame) 3-5
W – Shawn Wallace (Harvard) 5-1
ROUND FIVE
L – Andrea Vittoria Rizzi (St. John's) 3-5
L – Karolina Nixon (Columbia) L 2-5
L – Ann Cebula (Columbia) 3-5
W – Dominique Tannous (St. John's) 5-1
