COLUMBIA—The NJIT men's and women's fencing teams competed at the Columbia Invitational Friday evening.
 
The Highlanders competed against Princeton, which won the 2013 NCAA National Championships, host Columbia who placed 7^th at the National Championships and Stevens.
 
Julia Aronov, the Highlanders women's captain competing on the epee strip, went 2-1 against Columbia and finished 0-3 against Princeton.  Aronov defeated Columbia's Vivian Rand, the 2012 Division-1A National Champion bronze medalist, 5-3 and followed up with an identical score defeated Nina Moiseiwitsch, who was a member of the British Junior National team.  The Highlanders junior captain dropped a 5-3 decision to Mason Speta, who ranks #6 in the nation in Junior women's Epee and #22 in Senior Women's Epee.
 
In all three bouts against Princeton, the score was decided by two or three points.  Aronov fell 5-3 to Audrey Abend, who ranks #5 in Junior Women's Epee and earned Silver last weekend in Bratislava at the Junior World Cup.  Aronov also faced Anna Van Brummen, which placed second at the 2013 NCAA Regional Championships.  Van Brummen won 5-2.
 
Freshman David Kong, who took part in the Junior World Cup in Slovakia in Mid-September placed 86^th out of 182 individual competitors went a perfect 3-0 against Stevens, 2-1 against Columbia and 0-3 against Princeton.
 
The freshman foilist dropped a 5-3 decision to Columbia's Alex Pensler, the 2009 Junior Olympic Champion and 2011 NCAA All-American.  Kong bounced back in his next to matches coming out on top 5-2 over Conor Bekerman and 5-2 against Kyle Doyle.
 
Kong was a 5-2 winner over Stevens Daniel Tracey, 5-1 over Dominik Jedruszczk and was victorious over Jorge Rojas, 5-3.  Against Princeton, Kong dropped all three bouts against tough competition.  In the first match, Robert Daniluk won 5-3, Rodney Chen, who finished 15^th at the 2013 National Championship won 5-1 and Michael Dudley, an All-American, who took fifth at the National Championships, won 5-0.
 
Freshman Ryan Hrapsky, competing at epee had a tough road at the Columbia Invitational.  Hrapsky dropped three bouts against Columbia, two coming against Martin Ridge, a classified fencer and ranked 13^th at Junior Olympic Championships and Andrei Tapai, who finished 11^th in the Junior Men's Epee at the January 2012 North American Cup.
The freshmen picked up one win out of three bouts against Princeton and Stevens.  Hrapsky won 5-2 over Princeton's Alex House, who is ranked #1 in Junior Men's Epee.
 
Bryan Ransinangue, the Highlanders senior captain won one match against Columbia, Stevens and Princeton Friday.  Ransinangue, competing at saber, defeated Columbia's Rienzi Gokea, 5-4, who is an A classified fencer and earned 5^th place at Junior Olympic Championships.
 
NJIT senior Christian Aldover went 2-1 against Stevens picking up wins over Marco Egizi (5-1) and Daniel Cleary (5-1).