CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Sophomore Phillip Nunnink (Kansas City, Mo.) posted a dominant 14-1 record over five matches to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's fencing in Northeast Fencing Conference action on Saturday on the campus of Boston College in Chestnut Hill.

A wide range of competitors took part in the event, with the Lyons facing off against Boston College, Vassar, Brandeis, MIT and Sacred Heart.

Their first round against the Eagles saw the Lyons dominate in the foil. Sophomore Phillip Nunnink (Kansas City, Mo.) led the way for his team with a 3-0 performance against the hosts. Sophomore Grant Smith (Oakland, Calif.) also maintained a perfect 3-0 record with the foil, while first year Solomon Taylor (Evanston, Ill.) left with a 2-1 performance with the weapon to give Wheaton an 8-1 advantage in foil against the Eagles. First year Jun-Ho Chen (Middletown, N.Y.) took the Lyons' only point with the epee, and Wheaton would fail to score with the sabre as they fell to the Eagles 18-9. 

The round against Vassar saw continued dominance in the foil, as Nunnink went 3-0 once again. Smith finished with a 2-1 record in the foil after dropping his second bout, but first year Charles Pedersen (Shoreham, N.Y.) got the Lyons across the finish line after two bout victories and one loss. First year Demani Howard (Clinton, Conn.) and sophomore Oliver Smink (Rochester, N.Y.) earned the only points for Wheaton in the sabre, and Chen had a strong showing with the epee with a 2-1 finish. Wheaton fell to Vassar 11-16.

Nunnink went 3-0 for the third straight round against Brandeis, winning his three bouts 5-3, 5-2 and 5-1 to earn three points for Wheaton. Smink would earn Wheaton's only point with the sabre, winning his first bout before dropping the next two. Chen performed well with the epee once again, finishing 2-1 for the second straight round and earning a pair of points for the Lyons. Despite the healthy spread of scoring, the Lyons fell to the Judges 21-6.

The Engineers forced Nunnink into his first defeat as he finished 2-1 in the foil. His second bout came down to the wire, but MIT just got the better of him with a 5-4 victory. Smith also finished 2-1 for four points in the foil, but the Lyons would not get any points from the epee. Smink finished 2-1 in the sabre and first year Johnathan Quail (Scotia, N.Y.) picked up his first victory of the day with the sabre. MIT took the win by a score of 20-7.

Their final round of the day saw them stand off against Sacred Heart. Nunnink got a great start in the foil, finishing out the day with a 3-0 performance. Smith finished 2-1 with the foil to give the Lyons the win with the weapon, and Quail would link up with Howard to earn three more points with the sabre. They went scoreless with the epee, and fell to Sacred Heart 19-8. 

The Lyons will get the week off as they rest in preparation for the 2026 NCAA Fencing Championships on Sunday March 8 at Vassar in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.