Montgomery Fencing Logs Busy Week as Girls Go 2–0, Boys Earn First Win

January 9, 2026

Nicholas Mistretta

MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent

It was a full and competitive opening week of January for Montgomery High School fencing, as the Cougars took on Ridge on January 6 and West Windsor–Plainsboro South on January 8. The girls’ team continued to establish itself with two strong victories, while the boys bounced back from an early setback to secure a one-bout win later in the week.

Girls Rally Past Ridge Behind Big Nights in Sabre and Foil

On January 6, the Montgomery girls turned in a complete effort to hand Ridge its first loss of the season, 16–11, using depth and consistency across all three weapons.

Ridge led 5–4 after the opening round, but Montgomery responded by taking the second 5–4 and dominating the final rotation 7–2 to put the match away.

Montgomery’s sabre squad was the tone-setter:

Sabre (7–2 Montgomery):
- Kyera Lim was perfect at 3–0, anchoring the weapon.
- Natasha Majithia and Aanya Datla each finished 2–1, giving the Cougars a decisive edge at the top of the score sheet.

Foil was nearly as impressive:

Foil (6–3 Montgomery):
- Cleo Tong and Prithika Satish both went 2–1, providing steady wins throughout the rotation.
- Anastasia Nazarenko added a 1–1 line, and Shresta Sathishkumar contributed a key victory at 1–0 to round out a dominant 6–3 weapon result.

Ridge had the upper hand in épée, 6–3, but Montgomery still picked up important touches:

Épée (6–3 Ridge):
- Addia Roy and Jui Salunke each went 1–1.
- Aarushi Kharb added a win, closing at 1–2, while Smrithi Teegala and Aamanya Sheth each saw action against a deep Ridge épée lineup.

The combination of a 7–2 advantage in sabre and 6–3 in foil proved more than enough to offset Ridge’s épée strength and secure the 16–11 team win.

Boys Fall to Ridge Despite Strong Sabre Showing

Earlier that same day, the Montgomery boys matched up with an unbeaten Ridge squad and fell 16–11.

Ridge took early control with a 6–3 edge in the first rotation and a 5–4 edge in the second, building an 11–7 lead that the Cougars could not fully erase in the final round.

Weapon breakdown:

Sabre: Montgomery’s sabre fencers again showed well, winning the weapon 6–3 and keeping the Cougars within striking distance.
Épée: Ridge held a narrow 5–4 edge in épée in a series of close bouts.
Foil: Ridge’s 8–1 advantage in foil ultimately created the separation on the scoreboard and decided the match.

Despite the final margin, the meet gave Montgomery a clear blueprint: sabre was already in strong form, and tightening up in foil would be critical moving forward.

Boys Edge WW-P South in 14–13 Thriller

Two days later, the boys turned that lesson into a win. On January 8, Montgomery outlasted West Windsor–Plainsboro South, 14–13, in a meet that went down to the last few bouts.

The Cougars led 5–4 after the first round and 10–8 after the second. WW-P South mounted a late comeback with a strong third rotation, but Montgomery’s earlier work — particularly in épée — held up.

Key performances:

Épée (6–3 Montgomery):
- Vamika Gupta led the way with a spotless 3–0 card.
- Charan Kandula added a strong 2–0 showing.
- Ryan Li chipped in a win to complete the 6–3 edge.
  That margin in épée proved decisive in a one-bout team victory.
Sabre (5–4 WW-P South):
- Montgomery still found important wins, with Benjamin Tang and Simon Zhang both finishing 2–1.
Foil (5–4 WW-P South):
- Evan Alexander was outstanding at 3–0, keeping the Cougars even in that weapon despite WW-P South’s overall edge.

The 14–13 result gave the boys their first team win of the season and moved them to 1–2.

Girls Complete Strong Week with Win Over WW-P South

The Montgomery girls capped their week with a second straight 16–11 victory, this time over WW-P South on January 8, to improve to 2–1.

Montgomery stormed out to a 7–2 lead after the opening round and managed the match effectively from there, splitting the second and third rounds 4–5 and 5–4.

This time, foil and épée carried the day:

Foil (8–1 Montgomery):
- Cleo Tong again led the line with a 3–0 record.
- Prithika Satish went 2–0, and Anastasia Nazarenko added a 1–1 performance.
  The Cougars dropped just one foil bout all afternoon.
Épée (6–3 Montgomery):
- Jui Salunke posted a perfect 2–0 mark.
- Addia Roy and Aarushi Kharb each went 2–1, combining for six wins in the weapon.

WW-P South’s sabre group, led by undefeated outings from Victoria Chen and Neha Raja, took sabre 7–2, but Montgomery’s dominance in foil and épée again created a comfortable overall margin.

Cougars Building Momentum
Across four meets in three days:

The boys’ team went 1–1, rebounding from the Ridge loss with a gritty, one-bout victory over WW-P South, driven by strong efforts in épée from Vamika Gupta, Charan Kandula, and Ryan Li, and key sabre and foil wins from Benjamin Tang, Simon Zhang, and Evan Alexander.

The girls’ team went 2–0, highlighted by a statement win over Ridge and a composed performance against WW-P South, powered by consistent work from sabre leaders like Kyera Lim, and foil/épée standouts including Cleo Tong, Prithika Satish, Zoe Bitterman, Nina Tadych, Jui Salunke, and Aarushi Kharb.

Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com