Currently, the team is trying to discover more of its history by piecing together documents and photos that have made their way into our hands. Here is a brief history. For a detailed history of the founding years, visit the subpage.
1924 – L. Tucker Jones establishes the College of William & Mary Fencing Club. He serves as coach until 1943.
1942 – In 10 years, the William & Mary fencing team had lost only seven meets, was among the first five teams in the nation, and were reigning South Atlantic Fencing champions.
1943 – With the passing of Coach Jones and the Second World War, the men’s fencing team ceases to exist.
1944 – Coach Marion Reeder, director of the women’s athletics program, serves as coach of the women’s varsity team until the 1970s.
1950s – Under Coach Reeder, the women’s varsity team enjoys great success.
1960 – Maxine Steinbach ’64 serves as Team Captain for 4 years under Coach Reeder.
1968– Men’s fencing is reinstated as a varsity team under Dean John Willis and Rev. Joseph Trimble: “Back in the 1930s William and Mary had an intercollegiate fencing team of some renown, but it had lapsed for all the war years… I picked up and started the William and Mary men’s fencing club and eventually turned it into a varsity sport and was coaching… until it got too much for me to do.” – John H. Willis.
1972 – Coach Pete Conomikes joins the fencing team as an assistant. in 1974, Conomikes becomes Head Coach.
1977-1978 – W&M Fencing wins MACFA championships two years in a row.
1981 – Shirley Robinson serves as coach of the women’s team until 1985.
1984 – Troy Peple ’85 wins the individual men’s epee event at MACFA championships, and later places 11th at NCAA championships.
1988 – Mike Studeman ’88 wins the individual men’s epee event at MACFA championships.
1993 – W&M Fencing wins MACFA championships, and Coach Pete is named MACFA coach of the year.
1996 – The team loses its NCAA varsity status, but Coach Pete continues to run the club team with the help of alumni donations.
2001-2012 – The team are Virginia Cup Champions for eleven consecutive years.
2007 – Coach Pete Conomikes and Benjamin Gutenberg die from a car crash while traveling to a tournament. Spencer Butts (Foil ’11) and Matthew Peppe (Epee ’11) survive and are later captains for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons.
2009 – W&M wins the overall men’s event at USACFC Championships.
2015 – Jack Maes ’17 wins the individual men’s epee event at MACFA championships. In 2016, Maes wins the individual men’s epee event at USACFC championships.
2020-2021 – All tournaments are suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2024 – William & Mary fencing celebrates its 100th anniversary.
2024 – W&M women’s epee wins every competition they attend. They win their third consecutive SIFA championship, win NIWFA championships, a NCAA varsity event, and win USACFC championships, becoming national club champions. Rebekah Gresham ‘25 is the USACFC individual women’s epee champion.
2024-2025 – The Fencing Club looks to defend its SIFA, NIWFA, and USACFC titles, as well as extend its VA Cup win streak to 11 years.
The 1943 men’s fencing team with Coach Jones at the far right.
Coach Reeder (left) and Maxine Steinbach (right) in 1964
Gretchen Schmidt ’85, four time Virginia champion
Walter McClean ’09 and Chris von Hohenleiten ’08 with Coach Pete at the 2006 Halloween Open.
Information about the physical records of the fencing team held in the Special Collections at Swem Library can be found here.
The 1978 Men’s Fencing team, MACFA champions.
For more information about fencing team history and links to digital archives, click here.
If any alumni have any historical information to contribute to this list, whether it be a spectacular win, interesting memory, or the name of a team captain, please e-mail fencingwm@gmail.com with subject: Team History.
