January 15, 2026 // Local

All-American Fencer Driven to Succeed

Todays Catholic

Saint Joseph High School sophomore Harper Schmitt defines the term “student athlete.” Her dedication to both fencing and academics has led her to excel at both. Schmitt was named a 2024-25 First-Team All-American by USA Fencing, which requires her to earn either an “A” or “B” rating during competition, and she is an All-Academic Team member as well, which requires a GPA of 3.85 or higher. Schmitt also is a two-time National Medal winner, and she currently ranks nationally in both the Cadet (under age 17) and Junior (under 20) fencing categories. On top of all of this, she also qualified to compete in the Junior Olympics in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Schmitt loves the sport, noting that she enjoys “just how competitive it is” and how fencing allows participants to use both their mental and physical skills to gain an advantage over opponents. Schmitt explains the tactical and cerebral aspect of the sport by saying that “most people compare [fencing] to chess, which I think is interesting.”

Schmitt, a First-Team All-American according to USA Fencing, poses with her épée.

However, success brings its own set of challenges and obstacles as well. Schmitt said she often feels a lot of pressure and recognizes that the sport can take a physical toll. “I’m hyper-mobile in all my joints, so I’ve had a shoulder injury, and that’s been a really painful thing to deal with. And just mental blocks in general are challenging in fencing once you’re reached a certain level.”

Despite her challenges, Schmitt continues to put in the work needed to achieve her goals, and she remains driven. She maintains a rigorous training schedule, participating in a regional or national tournament once a month, with the local tournaments being held in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois. She practices year-round at Escrime du Lac Fencing Club in Mishawaka and at various training camps across the country.

This past fall, Schmitt competed in the October North American Cup in Salt Lake City, where she placed 27th out of 176 fencers in Cadet Women’s Epee.

Schmitt said she appreciates the dedication of her instructors, who she said “are very inspirational. They’re very successful fencers, and also being so close to Notre Dame is very inspirational because of how many Olympians come out of their fencing program.” Schmitt aspires to continue her fencing career at the University of Notre Dame.

Reflecting on the lessons she has gained from fencing, Schmitt said: “Just keep going, keep practicing, everyday counts. I think in fencing, losing happens a lot, because it’s one on one and you could just completely destroy a person one day, then get destroyed by them the next. It’s not a very consistent sport, so it’s common to feel defeated, but just don’t give up.”

Genesis Ruiz is a junior at Saint Joseph High School.