WALTHAM, Mass. -- Three members of the Brandeis University fencing teams have been named to the All-Northeast Fencing Conference team after this Saturday's NFC competition at Boston College. Senior Kat Xikes of Chatham, New Jersey, and Hannah Du of Winchester, Massachusetts, were second-team selections for the women, while first-year David Knizhnik of Bethesda, Maryland, was a second-team selection for the men.

Xikes earned All-NFC honors in saber for the third time in her career, having landed on the first team as a junior and the second team as a first-year. She went 10-6 at the NFC meet with wins against all six opponents that she faced. Xikes was 3-0 against Wellesley, 2-1 against Boston College and Vassar and 1-2 against Boston College and Brown. Overall this season, Xikes lead the Brandeis women with 59 victories. 

Du was an All-NFC selection in foil for the first time. She led the team with 12 wins at the meet, going 3-0 against Sacred Heart and Vassar, 2-1 against BC and MIT and 1-2 against Brown and Wellesley. Overall this season, Du's 39 overall wins this season are second only to Xikes. 

Knizhnik led the Brandeis men with nine wins at the NFC to earn his All-Conference accolades. He was 3-0 against Sacred Heart, 2-1 against Wheaton and 1-2 against MIT. Knizhnik fenced more bouts than anyone on the men's team and led the Judges with 56 victories, second only to Xikes on either team. 

The Brandeis women finished with a 3-4 overall record in the NFC, while the men were 2-3. The women were 10-24 overall and the men were 13-21. The Judges will compete this weekend at the NCAA East Regional Championships at Vassar College as they bid to earn individual berths at the NCAA Championships at Notre Dame later this month.

Xikes is a 2022 graduate of Chatham High School. 

Du is a 2022 graduate of Winchester High School. 

Knizhnik is a 2025 graduate of Aeon School.

For more information on Brandeis women's and men's fencing, visit their web pages at https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/wfence and https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/mfence. 

For more information on Brandeis athletics, visit our web page at www.brandeisjudges.com or follow us on social media on X, Instagram, and Facebook @BrandeisJudges.