Eastern Wayne Today

Wayne State University fencer Ludovica Mancini is set to compete in the 2024 NCAA Fencing Championships in Columbus, Ohio. The sophomore will participate in the women's foil competition on March 21 and 22, hosted by Ohio State University.

Mancini's participation was confirmed on March 12 when the NCAA Men's and Women's Fencing Committee announced the field of 144 fencers. This marks her second consecutive appearance at the national championships, following her freshman year debut last season in Durham, North Carolina. A total of 27 institutions will be represented at this year's event.

The championship format remains unchanged from previous years. It includes individual events across six weapons categories, using a round-robin format with five-touch bouts. The top-four finishers advance to semifinal bouts, and winners proceed to determine first and second places.

An institution's team finish is based on points earned by individual victories during round-robin competition. All rounds take place inside OSU's French Field House, with semifinals and finals held at St. John Arena.

Mancini will fence rounds one through three starting at 11 a.m. on Thursday. The final two round robin turns occur at 9 a.m. on Friday for all three weapons categories, followed by battles among the top-four finishers beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Throughout the current season, Mancini has achieved notable successes, including First Team All-CCFC recognition and a second-place finish in Senior Women's Foil during conference championships in Columbus. She was also named Honorable Mention All-Region for the Midwest by the United States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA) after placing fifth at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Detroit.

For Wayne State University, Mancini represents continuity as WSU has sent competitors to every NCAA Championship since its post-World War II return in 1947.

Stay updated with WSUAthletics.com for ongoing coverage of the 2024 NCAA Fencing Championships from Columbus.