“We want the best for each other, we help each other,” says club president Laura Chu, whose Huskies are seeking a third straight national championship.
Five years after its creation, Northeastern University’s fencing club has emerged as a national power.
The Huskies have finished No. 1 overall in club fencing each of the past two years. In 2023, the Northeastern men’s team claimed the top spot while the women were No. 2 nationally — and last year the two teams swapped those positions.
Their secret? The Huskies are a student-driven organization from top to bottom. Ben Kelly, a senior majoring in business administration, serves as coach with the assistance of the team captains.
“We’re student-coached by the captains and Ben, who all work together to help each other grow and improve in the sport,” says club president Laura Chu, a fourth-year student in health science pursuing a pre-med track at Northeastern. “That’s my favorite part about the club.”
Chu fell in love with fencing as a 14-year-old at summer camp.
“When I was choosing a college to go to, it was very important that I could fence at school,” Chu says. “I saw that Northeastern had a newly developing club team — we were founded in January 2020 — so that was very exciting for me.”
Chu refers to fencing as “a game of physical chess.”
“You have to anticipate your opponent and what they’re going to do,” Chu says. “A lot of mental and physical strength are needed.”
The sport is divided into three weapons — foil (a light, flexible blade), epee (a heavier blade) and sabre (light and slightly curved). Chu competes in the latter discipline, where the Northeastern women’s team has placed in the top three nationally the past two years.
Sabrina Balmaseda, a fourth-year student in public health, is a teammate of Chu’s in sabre. Balmaseda began competing when she was 8, felt burnt out on the sport in high school and then returned to fencing at Northeastern.
“I was looking for a community and I thought it would be a great place to meet people,” says Balmaseda, who arrived at the Boston campus after an introductory semester in Ireland. “I started spending time at the club, attending practices and going to events, and everyone was really welcoming. I really enjoyed the people that I met so I stuck with it.
“I love it because I’m really close with my teammates. Obviously I want to win — but it’s also a lot of fun. I’ve regained my love and passion for fencing.”
While prospective fencers may be drawn to fencing by childhood memories of Star Wars fight scenes, the sport bears little resemblance to the movies, says Chu.
“Sometimes they see sword fighting with lightsabers and that may be where some of the attraction comes from,” Chu says. “A lot of people come up to us at Fall Fest and say, ‘Sword fighting, I want to do that.’ And then they learn that it’s not really sword fighting — though it’s as close as they can get to that.”
Training sessions last fall were focused on providing experience to the club’s newcomers, who were encouraged to sign up alongside experienced fencers. Of the more than 50 who try out annually, about 10 make the final cut — a consequence of the club’s exponential growth.
Now the Huskies are preparing for spring competitions with the aim of defending their high rankings at the national championships April 5-6 at State College, Pennsylvania (home of Penn State).
More than 60 students are members of Northeastern’s club despite the high costs of the sport. Basic equipment starts at $450 to $500, says Chu. She adds that going to nationals last year cost the club $20,000, with funding derived from dues, fundraisers and donations, especially on Giving Day.
“It brings our team closer together,” Chu says of the club’s devotion to community events. “We’re actually a team. We want the best for each other, we help each other. Winning championships is cool and it’s fun and it’s rewarding. But it’s the people on the team who make the team what it is — and make it a place that people keep wanting to come back to.”