CONTACT: Pete LaFleur (editor@collegefencing360.com)
Some interesting trends regarding teams fencing with the lead are included below, along with some recent history in terms of margin entering final day of bouting. All research provided courtesy of CollegeFencing360.com (please credit accordingly for any reference to or re-publication of this data).
"Sleeping on the Lead" (six-weapon era; since 2000 ... 2-day format in 2003)
• Led After Day-1 – gone on to win title 4-of-9 times (excludes '03; 2-day format)
• Led After Day-2 – gone on to win title 4-of-9 times
• Led After Day-3 – gone on to win title 8-of-9 times
2000 – 9 points ... Penn State 143, St. John's 134 (PSU won: 175, ND/SJU 171)
2001 – 8 points ... St. John's 180, Penn State 172 (SJU won: 180, PSU 172)
2003 – N.A. (2-day format)
2004 – 27 points ... Ohio State 159, Notre Dame 132 (OSU won: 194, PSU 160, ND 153)
2005 – 8 points ... Ohio State 142, St. John's 134 (ND won: 173, OSU 171, SJU 162)
2006 – 3 points ... Harvard 131, Penn State 128 (HARV won: 165, PSU 159)
2007 – 8 points ... Penn State 150, St. John's 142 (PSU won: 194, SJU 176)
2010 – 2 points ... St. John's 150, Penn State 148
2010 (4 pts) – St. John's 152 .... Penn State 150 ... Notre Dame 148
2006 (4 pts) – Harvard 131 ... Penn State 128 ... Notre Dame 127 (Harvard went on to win with 165 pts, followed by PSU 159, Ohio St. 155 and ND 152)
2002 (7 pts) – Penn State 155 ... St. John's 153 ... Notre Dame 148 (PSU went on to win with 195 pts, followed by SJU 190 and ND 186)
note: the avg. gap between the top-3 after day-3 has been 14.0 pts (from '00-'02; '04-'10) ... in 2002, the top-4 teams entering day-4 were separated by only 11 pts (PSU 143, SJU 134, ND 132 and Stanford 132)
2000 (at Stanford; women's competition first)
Day 1 – Penn State 60 ... St. John's 49 ... Notre Dame 46
Day 2 – Penn State 101 ... St. John's 78 ... Princeton 77 ... Notre Dame 75
Day 3 – Penn State 143 ... St. John's 134 ... Notre Dame 132 ... Stanford 132
Day 4/Final – Penn State 175 ... Notre Dame 171 ... St. John's 171
2001 (at Wisconsin-Parkside; men's competition first)
Day 1 – St. John's 65 ... Notre Dame 53 ... Penn State 48 ... Stanford 43 ... Princeton 41
Day 2 – St. John's 106 ... Notre Dame 92 ... Penn State 86 ... Stanford 67
Day 3 – St. John's 147 ... Penn State 139 ... Notre Dame 131 ... Stanford 114
Day 4/Final – St. John's 180 ... Penn State 172 ... Notre Dame 153 ... Stanford 139
2002 (at Drew/Madison, N.J.; women's competition first)
Day 1 – Notre Dame 61 ... St. John's 57 ... Ohio State 49 ... Penn State 53 ... Yale 37
Day 2 – St. John's 100 ... Notre Dame 97 ... Penn State 94 ... Ohio State 79 ... Yale 65
Day 3 – Penn State 155 ... St. John's 153 ... Notre Dame 148
Day 4/Final – Penn State 195 ... St. John's 190 ... Notre Dame 186
2003 (at Air Force; condensed/weather ... all fencers 14 bouts day-1, 9 day-2)
Day 1 – Notre Dame 108 ... St. John's 105 ... Penn State 103 ...Ohio State 102
Day 2/Final – Notre Dame 182 ... Penn State 179 ... St. John's 171 ... Ohio State 167 ... Columbia 113 ... Princeton 107
2004 (at Brandeis/Waltham, Mass.; men's competition first)
Day 1 – Notre Dame 63 ... Ohio State 59 ... Penn State 48 ... Penn 43
Day 2 – Ohio State 97 ... Notre Dame 96 ... Penn State 84
Day 3 – Ohio State 159 ... Notre Dame 132 ... Penn State 127
Day 4/Final – Ohio State 194 ... Penn State 160 ... Notre Dame 153 ... St. John's 149
2005 (at Houston Convention Center; women's competition first)
Day 1 – Ohio State 57 ... St. John's 50 ... Penn State 47 ... Notre Dame 43
Day 2 – Ohio State 94 ... St. John's 84 ... Penn State 77 ... Notre Dame 70
Day 3 – Ohio State 142 ... St. John's 134 ... Notre Dame 129 ... Penn State 119
Day 4/Final – Notre Dame 173 ... Ohio State 171 ... St. John's 162 ... Penn State 145 ... Columbia 137 ... Harvard 134
2006 (at Houston Marriot; men's competition first)
Day 1 – Penn State 59 ... Columbia 52 ... Notre Dame 50 ... St. John's 48 ... Harvard 47
Day 2 – Penn State 93 ... Notre Dame 83 ... Harvard 82 ... Columbia 80 ... St. John's 79
Day 3 – Harvard 131 ... Penn State 128 ... Notre Dame 127 ... Columbia 119 ... St. John's 114 ... Ohio State 111
Day 4/Final – Harvard 165 ... Penn State 165 ... Ohio State 155 ... Notre Dame 152
2007 (at Drew/Madison, NJ; women's competition first)
Day 1 – Columbia 56 ... St. John's 54 ... Notre Dame 52 ... Penn State 52 ... Ohio State 48
... Penn 38 ... Harvard 36
Day 2 – Columbia 93 ... Penn State 89 ... Notre Dame 85
Day 3 – Penn State 150 ... St. John's 142 ... Columbia 137 ... Notre Dame 130
Day 4/Final – Penn State 194 ... St. John's 176 ... Columbia 169 ... Notre Dame 160
2008 (at Ohio State; men's competition first)
Day 1 – Ohio State 62 ... Notre Dame 60 ... Columbia 49 ... St. John's 45 ... Penn State 43
Day 2 – Penn State 101 ... Notre Dame 98 ... Columbia 82 ... St. John's 75 ... Penn State 68
Day 3 – Ohio State 149 ... Notre Dame 147 ... Columbia 128 ... Penn State 123 ... St. John's 118 ... Harvard 85
Day 4/Final – Ohio State 185 ... Notre Dame 176 ... Columbia 158 ... Penn State 155 ... St. John's 145
2009 (at Penn State; women's competition first)
Day 1 – Penn State 61 ... Ohio State 56 ... Notre Dame 47 ... Columbia 40 ... Penn 38
Day 2 – Penn State 98 ... Ohio State 93 ... Notre Dame 84
Day 3 – Penn State 156 ... Notre Dame 140 ... Ohio State 139
Day 4/Final – Penn State 195 ... Notre Dame 182 ... Ohio State 166 ... Columbia 151 ... Harvard 116
2010 (at Harvard; men's competition first)
Day 1 – St. John's 58 ... Notre Dame 57 ... Penn State 154 ... Princeton 47 ... Harvard 46 ... Ohio State 40 ... Columbia 37
Day 2 – St. John's 92 ... Notre Dame 91 ... Penn State 90 ... Princeton 76 ... Harvard 75 ... Columbia 68 ... Ohio State 64
Day 3 – St. John's 52 ... Penn State 150 ... Notre Dame 148 ... Harvard 113 ... Princeton 108 ... Ohio State 102 ... Columbia 86
Day 4/Final – ????