TORONTO - The McMaster Marauders wrapped up the women's fencing season this weekend at the OUA Championship. The event featured 13 varsity programs from across the province at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.

The Marauders had three fencers advance to the Round of 16 on Day 1 of the competition.

Two McMaster fencers made the bracket in the women's sabre. Kate Jordan had the best finish in the discipline in just her second OUA Championship, ending her day in 10th place, three spots better than in 2023. The second-year fencer secured herself as the 8th seed in the bracket after pool play. She received a bye in the Round of 32, but lost a close 15-10 bout to a Brock competitor. Teammate Natalie Palmer finished one spot back in 11th, earning a 15-10 victory in the Round of 32 to move into the next round.

Kiara Ting and Aurora Boone were seeded 14th and 22nd respectively in the women's foil bracket. After a Top 10 finish last year, Boone fell in the Round of 32 with a closely contested 15-8 decision to an RMC Paladin to end the competition in 22nd spot. Ting, who is an experienced youth fencing coach, had the third best finish of the day for the Marauders. She won her opening bout 15-11 to advance to the Round of 16 where she fell to the eventual OUA Champion from the TMU Bold. She improved on her seed, ending the day just outside the Top 10 in 12th position.

In the epee competition, Shaleesa Clarke narrowly missed out on advancing to the bracket as the 25th best epeeist in Toronto. Mya George was three spots back in 28th.

On Day 2, the women's foil team consisting of Aurora Boone, Sofya Ermolina, Kiara Ting and Kaleigh Whitelaw were the first relay to take to the piste and placed sixth overall. The Marauders fell to the Western Mustangs and RMC Paladins in pool play but picked up 45-24 victory over the Guelph Gryphons to secure a spot in the bracket. The #1 seeded Toronto Varsity Blues got the best of the Marauders in the Round of 8 but the maroon and grey managed to finish in the top half of the standings.

Emma Allen, Mercedes Chung, Shaleesa Clarke and Mya George were next up for the Marauders in the women's epee team relay where they finished 10th.

The other team in action was the women's sabre relay (Kate Jordan, Natalie Palmer, Casey Wang and Michelle Wang), who earned two tightly contested wins over the Carleton Ravens (45-39) and the Ottawa Gee-Gees (45-44) to advance to the bracket portion of the competition. The team dropped their quarterfinal contest to the fourth-ranked Brock Badgers. After their loss to the Badgers, the Marauders ended the competition in sixth place.

With this year's OUA women's fencing season now officially over, the Marauders will turn their attention to preparations for next year.