Though the Crimson fell to the Lions, 14-13, in its fourth matchup of the competition, a Princeton victory against Columbia left the door open for Harvard to earn a share of the top spot.

And with a 17-10 victory over Brown, the Crimson’s 4-1 record was good enough for the championship split with Columbia.

“We hit our goal with winning the title, but it’s tough to win outright—Columbia’s team was especially strong,” co-captain Michael Raynis said.

Coming into the year, earning a second consecutive Ivy League title looked to be much tougher with the absence of épeéist Peregrine Badger, who took a year off after taking third individually at the NCAA championships in 2013.

“Certainly, [the men’s épée] group was our question right from the outset,” Brand said.

Following the league finals were the NCAA championships, which saw the Harvard men compete against loaded fields that included former Olympians.

But the Crimson men came into the event poised and prepared, and four of the six Harvard fencers earned top-10 finishes.

“Our team dynamic is our best asset,” Raynis said. “At the NCAAs you’re taking what’s basically an individual sport and adapting [it] to a very team-based competition format.”

—Staff writer Caleb Lee can be reached at caleblee@college.harvard.edu.