Boston College Athletics
Boston College
Nikki Franke Classic
October 23, 2026 | Fencing
Eagles look for an event winner for third consecutive year
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Boston College fencing begins its 2026-27 campaign with the 2026 Coach Nikki Franke Classic in Philadelphia, Pa., on Saturday. Temple University hosts the meet at Liacouras Center.Â
The event will kick off at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday with Women's Foil and Epee. The competition will end with Saber beginning at 12:00 p.m.
Day two of the invitational will hold the men's events. Men's Epee and Foil will start at 8:30 a.m., and the invitational wraps up with Men's Saber at 12:00 p.m.
Live results can be found here.Â
This is the fourth annual Nikki Franke Classic, which was formerly known as the Temple Open. The Coach Nikki Franke Classic is a preseason tournament featuring many of the top teams as they prepare for the start of their seasons. The Eagles competed at last year's meet, with Elijah Onik winning the foil competition. Boston College recorded 13 top-15 finishes across the teams.Â
Look Back at Last Season
The Eagles are coming off a 2025-26 campaign with success on and off the strip. The program had a record five fencers reach NCAAs, with Lydia Johnson, Ivan Goriunov, Onik, Yikai Lu, and Luca Berman all qualified.Â
Boston College fencing also saw individual success at the 2026 NCAA Northeast Regionals and the 2026 ACC Fencing Championships. Onik won the Men's Foil at the NCAA Northeast Regionals. At the ACC Fencing Championships, Lukas Eichhorn and Johnson both won bronzes in their respective disciplines, while the Men's team placed second, for their highest finish in program history.Â
The Eagles' accomplishments on meet day and in the classroom earned recognition and celebration. Boston College landed 8 athletes on the ACC all-academic team for their hard work in the classroom. The Eagles had four athletes earn spots on the 2026 USFCA Northeast All-Region Team. Onik earned first-team honors, while Goriunov, Lu, and Gabriel Babayev all earned honorable mentions.
