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Cougar Girls Win 17–10 as Boys Fall 10–17 to Watchung Hills

January 30, 2026

Nicholas Mistretta

MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent

Balanced Effort Lifts Montgomery Girls Fencing Over Watchung Hills, 17–10

SKILLMAN — The Montgomery High School girls fencing team put together a strong, balanced performance across all three weapons to defeat Watchung Hills, 17–10, at home and move above .500 on the season.

Montgomery (4–3) held a slim 5–4 lead after the first round of bouts, then broke the match open with a dominant 7–2 second round to go up 12–6. The Cougars closed it out with a 5–4 edge in the final rotation, sealing a comfortable win over Watchung Hills (1–8).

The victory was built on consistent contributions from saber, foil and epee.

Saber: Datla Leads Strong Squad
Montgomery’s saber squad set the tone early, winning 6 of 9 bouts and giving the Cougars a cushion on the scoreboard.

  • Aanya Datla delivered a perfect day on the strip, going 3–0.
  • Natasha Majithia added a strong 2–1 record.
  • Nishika Thorat contributed a 1–0 mark, and Kamila Ouadah fenced in multiple bouts, gaining valuable reps despite going 0–2.

Their combined 6–3 edge in saber gave Montgomery early momentum that Watchung Hills never fully erased.

Foil: Depth and Consistency
Montgomery’s foil squad matched saber’s output, also finishing 6–3 and repeatedly stacking key touches in the middle of each round.

  • Prithika Satish led the way with a 2–0 performance.
  • Cleo Tong also went 2–0, giving Montgomery a reliable one-two foil punch.
  • Anastasia Nazarenko finished 1–1, while Maya Pai added an important 1–0 bout win.
  • Shresta Sathishkumar and Caroline Lee rounded out the rotation with competitive bouts at 0–1 each.

With six bout wins in foil, the Cougars built a second layer of scoring that helped push the match out of reach.

Epee: Closing the Door
In epee, Montgomery edged Watchung Hills 5–4 to complete a sweep of all three weapons.

  • Jui Salunke led the epee group with a perfect 2–0 mark.
  • Aarushi Kharb went 2–1, adding key victories in the middle of the order.
  • Addia Roy picked up one win in a 1–2 outing, and Smrithi Teegala gained experience in a 0–1 bout.

Epee’s narrow advantage ensured there would be no late comeback, as Montgomery maintained control through the final touches of the match.

Boys Fencing: Late Epee Surge Not Enough as Cougars Drop 17–10 Decision to Watchung Hills

While the Cougar girls rolled to a 17–10 victory, the boys dropped their match by the exact opposite margin, 17–10 in favor of Watchung Hills. The loss to a strong Watchung Hills squad (now 6–3) dropped Montgomery to 3–4 on the season.

Warriors Build Early Lead, Cougars Rally Late
Watchung Hills jumped out to a 6–3 lead after the first round of bouts and extended the advantage with a dominant 7–2 second round to go up 13–5. Montgomery closed strong with a 5–4 edge in the final rotation, but the early hole proved too deep to escape.

Weapon by weapon, the match was defined by Watchung Hills’ command in foil and Montgomery’s late push in epee.

Saber: Tight Battle at the Top
In saber, the Warriors edged the Cougars 5–4 in a competitive weapon.

For Montgomery, Simon Zhang turned in a strong performance at the top of the order, finishing 2–1. Benjamin Tang and Dylan Carallo each added wins — Tang going 1–1 and Carallo 1–0 — as the Cougars stayed within striking distance on the sabre strip.

Watchung Hills, however, found just enough separation behind an undefeated 3–0 showing from Joel Force and a 2–1 effort from Sean Baker, securing the narrow 5–4 saber advantage.

Foil: Watchung Hills Controls the Strip
Foil proved to be the deciding weapon, as Watchung Hills built its biggest cushion there.

The Warriors’ foil squad won 8 of 9 bouts according to team totals, leaning on consistent scoring from the top of the lineup. That dominance in the middle rotation of bouts turned a close match into a significant team lead.

Montgomery’s lone foil victory came from Nicholas Haddon, who finished 1–2 on the day. Evan Alexander and Sohil Patel each fenced three bouts but were unable to break through against a sharp Watchung Hills foil corps.

The 8–1 foil deficit left the Cougars with too much ground to make up in the remaining weapons.

Epee: Cougars Close with a Win
Montgomery’s brightest spot came in epee, where the Cougars out-touched Watchung Hills 5–4 in team scoring.

While individual epee results were not fully listed, Montgomery’s epee squad clawed back points in the final rounds, helping the Cougars take the third rotation 5–4 and finish the night on a positive note. Watchung Hills still managed four wins in the weapon, but Montgomery’s edge in epee provided a glimpse of the team’s depth and resilience.

Photo Credit: itti ratanakiranaworn/shutterstock.com