Men’s Epee, featuring Nolan Coughlin ‘25, Eric Montesi ‘26, and Lorenzo So ‘28 with Luke Miller ‘27 as alt, brought good vibes and good fencing to MACFA A vs C, going 2-2 on the day. Mepee defeated Rutgers and Cornell, the reigning USACFC champs. While the team struggled overall against a revamped Drew team and a strong Lafayette squad, each fencer took home several individual wins against NCAA and other highly rated opponents. With their next tournament in SIFA, men’s epee hopes to continue their championship streak before returning to the MACFA scene for B vs C and MACFA Champs.
Men’s Foil
Men’s foil, featuring captain Dale “Sandman” DeVinney, Fabian “Atlas” Shelton, and Conrad “Xeno” Burton, made a solid effort at MACFA A vs C. For Fabian, it was his first ever collegiate tournament, and he scored many decisive touches throughout the tournament. Conrad also showed incredible improvement, taking home a close bout against Rutgers. Dale had his best collegiate performance of his career, winning several bouts throughout the day and coming up positive against a dominant Drew foil squad. The team is looking sharp heading into MACFA Champs and BvC.
Men’s Saber
The W&M AvC men’s saber squad consisted of Evan “Duke” Jackson, Connor “Lancelot” Cassidy, James “Ajax” Gosnell, and Ryan Michael “Scorpion” Silk. Over the four series’ of the day, the team achieved several wins. Some highlights included their overall win against Drew University, and their nail biting 4-5 loss to Rutgers. Additionally, this tournament was the first collegiate tournament attended by Ajax and Ryan Michael “Scorpion” Silk, with both of them scoring exciting touches against varsity opponents. Overall, men’s saber is in a good position for the rest of MACFA season, especially as they move on to BvC, and the championship later this month.
This competition’s Men’s Foil team was composed of Kevin Sae-Tung ‘26, Vinton Bruton ‘26, and Sam Ferguson ‘28. This would mark the first collegiate appearances of Kevin and Sam, while being Vinton’s first collegiate after returning from the JDP program in Scotland. Sam kept his opponents on their toes with his split-second parries and counterattacks, often leaving them confused as to how their attacks missed. Vinton showcased exceptional usage of his height and distance, hitting his opponents just out of their reach. Kevin used clean disengages and parries to effect. Despite not winning any matches, they managed to take bouts off of every school other than Hopkins, a good showing for a relatively new team.
Men’s Épée
Men’s Épée, featuring the dynamic trio of Nolan Coughlin ’25, Eric Montesi ’26, and Lorenzo So ‘28, delivered an unforgettable performance at Navy. Nolan stunned opponents with his lightning-fast foot touches and devastating in-fights, often striking before they could even react. Eric showcased perfect distance control and executed textbook fleches, slicing through defenses with precision. Lorenzo was a force to be reckoned with, unleashing blazing-fast attacks and delivering high-precision strikes to the hand, leaving adversaries in awe. The team secured impressive victories against the University of Maryland and the United States Naval Academy. In fiercely contested matches, they fell to Haverford with a close 4-5 score and finished 3-6 against Johns Hopkins at, netting a total of 7 wins against varsity programs. Men’s Épée ended the day 19-17, energized and eager to prove themselves as a competitive force in MACFA.
Men’s Sabre
Men’s saber delivered a strong performance at MACFA CRR held at the United States Naval Academy, demonstrating their developing skills and determination against some of the top schools in the division. At the helm was team captain Connor “Lancelot” Cassidy ‘25, followed by sophomores Ryan “Chronos” Rauscher ‘27 and Ni “Vulcan” Hao. Making his debut in the collegiate fencing scene was freshman Hayden “Leif” Chon-Baker ‘28 who showed great promise while supporting the squad as their alternate. Lancelot, with his expert lockouts and strategic prowess, shook the competition and warranted plenty of oohs and ahhs from the audience. Chronos impressed with his lightning-fast reflexes and flawless blade work, constantly outmaneuvering his opponents with the precision of a seasoned veteran. Ni Hao rocked the strip with his rapid-fire attacks and razor-sharp timing, leaving opponents scrambling to keep up. Meanwhile, Leif demonstrated impressive composure for a freshman, showing flashes of brilliance that will undoubtedly lead to further success. The squad fought hard throughout the day, through decisive victories and fiercely contested matchups the team proved that they are a formidable presence on the strip and in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
At MACFA Champs, Jack “Yeti” Bratton ‘24, Thomas “Vice” Mahnken ‘24, and Dale “Sandman” DeVinney ‘27 gave it their all, sweeping Hunter and Rowan on their way to a 9th place finish. Like he’s done all season, Yeti terrorized his opponents, controlling distance with ease to land superhuman counterattacks. Vice used his trademark bladework to dominate his opponents’ blades, and Sandman, competing at his first Champs, used speed and unorthodox tactics to baffle his opponents, taking several wins against varsity teams. In the individual event, Yeti took home 8th place, adding to an incredible run of medals in only one competitive season. After beating NCAA varsity teams all season, men’s foil is ready and excited to take on the collegiate clubs of USACFCs in a few weeks.
Men’s Epee
Fueled by delicious Italian subs, Nolan “Titan” Coughlin ‘25, Jake “Merlin” Schapiro ‘24, and Eric “Helios” Montesi ‘26 put on a strong performance at MACFA Champs. At his first Champs, Helios used speed and agility that few were able to defend against. In his final Champs, Merlin was as patient as ever, allowing him to get brilliant counterattacks and secure magical ripostes. Anchoring the squad was Titan, who, as always, dazzled with his dynamic flèches and automatic parries. With impressive performances across the board, Men’s Epee went 9-5 on the day and finished in 7th place, with each fencer taking several varsity wins. Titan and Helios both qualified for the individual tournament, where Helios took home the 8th place medal after upsetting the 4th seed in his first DE. Men’s epee showcased some great fencing at MACFA Champs, and are all looking forward to their final competition at USACFCs.
Men’s Saber
With Ryan “Chronos” Rauscher ‘27 on A strip, Connor “Lancelot” Cassidy ‘25 on B strip, and Nick “Osiris” Reeder ‘24 on C strip, the men’s saber squad put up their most successful champs performance in recent memory. Chronos used his clean form and creative tactics to win several bouts. His strong showing was enough to lead him on to the highly competitive individual tournament. Lancelot used his unorthodox style and leaps to be a dependable B strip, also winning lots of bouts. Despite primarily being a foilist, Osiris did exceptionally well, using his outstanding footwork to achieve many wins. Of the 14 other schools at the event, W&M beat 8 of them, putting them in the top half of the leaderboard, at 7th place. Of the 14 series of the day, their upset win against Rutgers had to be the most exciting. The other victories were against Lafayette, Army, Rowan, Yeshiva, Navy, Hunter, and UMD. With most of the schools in MACFA being varsity and having coaches, these impressive achievements bode well for the future of men’s saber, on top of an already exceptional season.
Men’s Foil had quite an eventful time at MACFA BvC. Patrick “Apostle” Feagin, Jawand “Bronco” Singh, and Dale “Sandman” DeVinney made up the all freshman foil squad, and they gave their all against the fierce MACFA competition. Patrick and Jawand used their Epee skills to land decisive counterattacks and fleches in order to win valuable bouts, while Dale used every trick in his bag to land any touch he could. The real opponent, however, was not the collegiate fencers that Men’s Foil faced. Instead the real enemy was their own gear, as blades snapped, white lighted, and just gave up throughout the tournament. By the end, four of their five foils were broken and the boys were bouting on a single foil and a prayer. Regardless, Men’s Foil fought through the adversity and are looking forward to bigger and better things!
Men’s Sabre
William and Mary Saber did not mess around at Stevens Institute of Technology. Justin “Gizmo” Feira and Ni “Vulcan” Hao took their talents to Hoboken, New Jersey and fearlessly fought fellow club but mostly other varsity fencing programs. Leo “Viking” Wallace was slated to come as the third member of the sabre B team but unfortunately contracted a near fatal illness just days before the tournament. Our two remaining soldiers fought valiantly and managed to come away with a 5-4 victory against Hunter and two other narrow 4-5 defeats against Army and Yeshiva. The B team gained invaluable experience and is ready to come back better than ever next year.
Men’s Epee
Epee squad’s impressive depth was on full display at BvC. With the regular starters competing in Atlanta, the “B” team of Henry “Falcon” Hermes ‘25, Eric “Helios” Montesi ‘26, and Luke “Mojave” Miller ‘27, posted a 5-2 record against NCAA varsity teams, highlighted by an impressive 6-3 win over Stevens and a 9-0 sweep of Hunter. No hand was safe from Falcon’s precise flicks, and his long attacks kept his opponents on their toes when they grew wary of his counters. His cutting journalism during timeouts provided important information on the boys’s lunch orders. Helios used dominating parries and lightning fast redoublements to overwhelm his opponents, shutting down attacks and giving varsity opponents crazy work while flexing the coldest sock game in MACFA. It was Miller Time for Mojave at his first collegiate competition, as the freshman controlled his opponents with impeccable timing and distance. He was the only fencer to take wins against every school, promising greatness in the future. With a strong result at BvC, the Tribe’s epee dynasty shows no signs of slowing down.
Foil started the competitive season strong with a decisive performance at MACFA A versus C. Nick ‘Osiris’ Reeder ‘24, Jack ‘Yeti’ Bratton ‘24, and Thomas ‘Vice’ Mahnken ‘24 brought home 5 school wins, dropping rounds only to Johns Hopkins and Cornell. Yeti kept his attacks clean and precise, bringing home wins against every school and sweeping every school in the back half of the day. Osiris marched his opponents down and kept them back with long attacks, bringing home a win against all schools but Hopkins. Vice’s parries held his opponents at bay, picking up multiple wins during the day.
Men’s Sabre
Men’s Saber starts the season with a solid performance beating 4 out of the 7 varsity teams. The team consisting of Connor “Lancelot” Cassidy ‘25, Evan “Duke” Jackson ‘25, Ryan “Chronos” Rauscher ‘27, and Justin “Gizmo” Feira ‘27 cemented itself as a serious contender amongst the other schools. All these fencers brought forth their own unique styles and talents on the strip which allowed them to decisively win many bouts to the surprise of their opponents. Not only has this competition showcased the ability of Men’s Saber this year, but ignites a newfound fervor towards their performance in future collegiate events.
Men’s Epee
Men’s Épée, comprised of Jake Schapiro ’24, Nolan Coughlin ’25, Armin Bagha ’24, and Eric Montesi ‘26 gave it their all at MACFA AvC, fighting hard for every touch. Jake made good use of timing to defeat a Johns Hopkins fencer. With his characteristic long reach, Armin dominated his opponents, winning bouts against every school. Nolan deployed his trademark speed, hitting fencers before they could even react. Eric, a lefty, confused his adversaries and triumphed in all of his bouts. Men’s épée ended the day tired but excited for the next tournament.
Men’s foil closed out the post season with a very strong performance at MACFA Champs. A strip Nick “Osiris” Reeder ‘24, B strip Thomas “Vice” Mahnken ‘24, and C strip Frank “The Judge, Jury, and Executioner” Prather ‘25 brought their game to New Jersey, taking wins off almost every school. Judge stepped up to the plate and continued his very effective defensive game, bringing home multiple varsity wins. Vice brought clean attacks and swift parries and secured 3 varsity wins. Osiris started off strong, using fast footwork and dynamic attack to snag 4 varsity wins but had to withdraw in the 7th round due to injury.
Nick Reeder zoomin’
Epee
Men’s Épée, comprised of Jake “Merlin” Schapiro ’24, Nolan “Titan” Coughlin ’25, and Armin “D.O.W. Jones” Bagha ’24, performed very well at MACFA Champs, coming in 5th place overall out of 15 schools. The squad each won their bouts against Haverford, a varsity school. Making use of his long legs, Armin lunged at his opponents throughout the day, winning many bouts. With his speedy actions, Nolan annihilated his opponents. Unafraid to take his time, Jake demonstrated great patience, going for the touch when the moment was just right. Men’s Épée is excited for the next tournament.
Sabre
Mens sabre came to MACFA champs with their eyes on the prize. Christopher “Claymore” Zane ‘25 commanded powerful parries, riposting before his opponents knew what hit them. He won 7 bouts against Yeshiva, Rowan, Lafayette, Hunter, Maryland, Cornell, and the United States Naval Academy. Evan “Duke” Jackson ‘25 utilized skillful, lightning fast quick attacks, winning 4, against Yeshiva, Rowan, Hunter, and Cornell. Leading the squad, their dashing captain Michael “Slate McCoy: Noir Detective” Zessin ‘23 employed sneaky counter attacks to beat Cornell and Yeshiva, and going 4-5 against Hunter and Drew. Overall, mens sabre won 10th place, beating 5 teams, including 3 varsity teams. Mens sabre is happy with their success, and is looking forward to more victories in the future!
Men’s foil closed out the season strong with Nick ‘Osiris’ Reeder ‘24, Thomas ‘Vice’ Mahnken ‘24, and Frank ‘The Judge, Jury, and Executioner’ Prather ‘25 winning two rounds against varsity schools. Judge, through solid defense and patient repostes secured not only his first, but also his second varsity win against Yeshiva University and Hunter College. Vice, through varied attacks and systematic defense also secured multiple varsity wins against Yeshiva, Hunter, Army, and Stevens. Osiris employed consistent distance and fast footwork to secure wins against Yeshiva, Hunter, Army, and Stevens as well as bringing an NJIT fencer to 4-5. In total, the only school Men’s Foil did not score a victory against was NJIT, a very strong season finisher as the squad prepares for Championships in two weeks.
Epee
W&M men’s epee clocked in and returned to John’s Hopkins again. The squad, composed of Henry “Falcon” Hermes, Eric “Helios” Montesi, Nolan “Titan” Coughlin, and Armin “DOW Jones” Bagha, demonstrated another electric performance, going 3-2, beating Yeshiva, Hunter, and the United States Military Academy. Henry’s reach and magnetic aim towards his opponents hand helped propel him past the competition. In his first competition, Eric demonstrated agility and speed that most were unable to keep up with. Nolan and Armin return with their consistently electric performances, utilizing speed, counters, and infights through incredibly dynamic plays. The team demonstrated their hard hat mentality and grit, performing well and having a blast while doing so, solidifying their position amongst professionally coached varsity programs. Their night concluded with a much warranted reward to the Fredericksburg Applebee’s to enjoy two entrees at $25. The squad had a blast, and looks forward to competing and cementing their place in the completion at MACFA champs.
The team huddles for a cheer before the tournament
Men’s Foil
Men’s foil gave yet another strong performance at MACFA AvC, once again proving all of the haters wrong. Nick ‘Osiris’ Reeder ‘24, Thomas ‘Vice’ Mahnken ‘24, Zeerick ‘Coyote’ Malik ‘23, and Frank ‘The Judge, Jury, and Executioner’ Prather ‘25 showed up with one thing collectively on their minds: victory. Osiris taught the opposition a thing or two about counterattacks, scoring win after win with quick movements and perfect positioning. Vice’s blade was a blur during his bouts, with his impressive blade control causing him to slip through his opponents’ defenses with ease. Coyote’s strong fundamentals and unpredictability earned him yet another varsity win. Judge didn’t win a single bout, but I’ll be damned if he wasn’t looking good while losing. Such a promising performance has the men’s foil team rearing and ready to go for the remainder of their season.
Women’s Foil
Right to left: Deborah Ho, Caroline Yu, Gwyneth Smith, Lucia Kasper
Lucia “Gecko” Kasper ’24, Karino “Jasmine” Gibson ’24, and Deborah “Prism” Ho ’26 utilized the power of teamwork to fiercely fence their foes. Jasmine’s use of speed and agility gave her challengers a fright as she scored on varsity fencers. Prism used her master blade work to bamboozle her varsity opponents. Gecko employed expert footwork and scared the varsity fencers with her lizard-like agility. All three women’s foils scored wins against varsity fencers.
Men’s Sabre
Making an explosive start of the semester, mens sabre did very well at MACFA AvC. Evan “Duke” Jackson ‘25 and Christopher “Claymore” Zane ‘25 both won their first bouts against varsity schools! Their devilishly handsome captain Michael “Slate McCoy: Noir Detective” Zessin ‘25 led the squad to victory over Rowan, Yeshiva, and Cornell, while going 4-5 with Lafayette. After getting a taste of blood, mens sabre is hungry for more!
Women’s Sabre
Katie “Sparrow” Richardson and Caroline “Sigil” Yu slid into this semester with renewed fierceness. Sigil performed smashingly in her first collegiate tournament, securing some beautifully timed touches for W&M. Sparrow slashed through a victory against Rutgers, and used her epee skills to her advantage against Navy that would make her epee teammates proud. Sigil and Sparrow enjoyed this tournament and are looking forward to more tournaments in the future!
Men’s Epee
W&M men’s epee showed up to John’s Hopkins with an absolutely amazing performance. The squad, composed of Jake Schapiro, Nolan Coughlin, and squad captain Armin Bagha went to work, improving on their performance from last year, and going 4-1, beating Rutgers, Lafayette, Rowan, and culminating in an electric win against Drew University. Jake’s counters and flèches shut opponents down. Nolan’s foot touches and unstoppable remises left opponents without a chance to counter. Armin’s flicks and infights helped seal the deal, helping to propel William and Mary as serious contenders alongside professionally coached varsity programs. Their nights ultimately concluded without a trip to a local Applebee’s unfortunately. Maybe that’ll change next time. The squad had an absolute blast, and look forward to having as much fun and repeating an incredible performance at their next competition.
Women’s Epee
The first tournament of the Spring 2023 semester got off to a great start for William & Mary’s women’s epee squad. Consisting of Gwyneth “Penne” Smith ‘23, Sarah “Tarot” Gresham ‘25, and Rebekah “Opal” Gresham ‘25, they arrived at Johns Hopkins University ready to go. Gwyneth fenced in her last MACFA of her college career and was very satisfied with the results, as well as thankful for the opportunity to fence so many amazing schools over the past four years! Meanwhile, Sarah and Rebekah served up double trouble on the strip and managed to secure varsity wins while also putting out a strong showing overall. Overall, it was a good start to the semester, and with their showing, women’s epee left their opponents seeing double.
Women’s foil absolutely crushed it in our first Collegiate tournament of the year! As a team they defeated 4 out of 5 varsity teams they fenced against. Debbie “Prism” Ho ’26 killed it with ferocity in her eyes in her first ever collegiate tournament with 8 varsity wins, and Angela “Luna” Liu ’25 displayed incredible talent and poise and she seamlessly obtained 6 varsity wins. Lucia “Gecko” Kasper ’24 utilized her lizard like sticky feet in defeating 12 varsity opponents. Overall women’s foil kicked some varsity butt.
Foil squad
Men’s Foil
Men’s foil started the year strong for the Macfa C Round-Robin. Nick ‘Osiris’ Reeder ‘24, Frank ‘The Judge, Jury, and Executioner’ Prather ‘25, and Zeerick ‘Coyote’ Malik ‘23 brought a strong performance to the first collegiate tournament of the year. Both Judge and Coyote had exceptional performances at their first ever collegiate competitions. Judge’s steadfast defense and long reach locked out many opponents. Using his consistent parries and solid defense to extend the bout, he brought multiple varsity A Strips to 4-4 situations. Coyote demonstrated his offensive skill while pushing his opponents and striking while they were off balance. Using this quick attack and timing, he secured his first varsity win against Navy and again against Swarthmore. Osiris took charge as the A strip, setting distance traps and lighting parry reposts to take down his opponents. With his high intensity and transition focused fencing, he swept both Swarthmore and Navy, as well as securing a win against UMD. As the semester comes to a close, men’s foil have the wind at their backs and are excited to take on the next set of collegiate tournaments.
Women’s Epee with Pulak Raj, an alumni
Women’s Epee
The women’s epee squad at MACFA C Round Robin 2022 was composed of Gwyneth “Penne” Smith ‘23 and Rebekah “Opal” Gresham ‘25. While initially meant to be a three person squad, the third member had to drop out at the last minute. Despite missing a person, Gwyneth and Rebekah persevered and even managed to beat two schools (Haverford and Navy) outright, even while forfeiting three bouts. Rebekah only dropped a single bout the whole day, and otherwise fenced her way through the other schools, amassing varsity wins. Gwyneth was proud of her performance, especially her victory over a Johns Hopkins fencer. They were assisted by Pulak “Basque” Raj ‘20, an alumni who came to visit and provided invaluable wisdom to the epee squad. Overall, it was a successful tournament for the two and they are looking forward to competing in more next semester!
Men’s Epee with Pulak Raj
Men’s Epee
At the first tournament of the season, Jake “Merlin” Schapiro ’24, Henry “Falcon” Hermes ’25, Nathaniel “Pluto” Ingle ‘25, and Winston “Archer” Palmer ‘23 of Men’s Épée performed great. The squad defeated Haverford, a varisty team, and Swarthmore. With his swift disengages and ability to adjust, Merlin came back from a 4-0 deficit to win a bout against a University of Maryland fencer. Falcon wowed all with a beautiful prime against Haverford. At his first ever collegiate tournament, Pluto took advantage of his long legs and made explosive lunges. Aggressive as always, Archer overwhelmed his opponents. This squad has a fantastic future of tournaments ahead.
Sabre Squad
Women’s Sabre
Women’s Sabre, composed of Abigail “Valkyrie” Salzberg ’24 and Kelley “Ophelia” Wang ’23, put up a good fight at D’Arnstein Invintaional. Valkyrie, at her first collegiate tournament of the semester, and Ophelia, at their first collegiate tournament ever, both scored a varsity win against Haverford. Valkyrie also scored a win against Bryn Mawr. As a team, women’s saber overall tied with Swathmore, an amazingly rare result. Great performance and great learning experience, this event has encouraged them to keep on fencing.
Sabre squad outside the tournament venue
Men’s Sabre
Men’s Sabre, composed of Connor “Lancelot” Cassidy ’25, Evan “Duke” Jackson ’25, and Devon “Quasar” Keesee ’26, performed very well at the tournament. Lancelot swept all three Haverford fencers, and went on to beat one Navy and Swarthmore fencer each. He also managed to get an impressive flunge on the A-strip for Swarthmore. Duke and Quasar did exceptionally well at their first collegiate tournament, both getting their first varsity wins. Duke beat a fencer from Swarthmore through his use of quick box actions and clean footwork, along with coming extremely close to winning many other bouts. Quasar won two bouts against Swarthmore, making an impressive use of pulls to surprise opponents and get many touches.
William & Mary’s first tournament of the second semester kicked off with a bang. Traveling to Johns Hopkins, the team had a full days worth of competition against five different schools, here’s how they did:
Epee
Men’s Epee, composed of a never before seen team of Armin “D.O.W Jones” Bagha ’24, Winston “Archer” Palmer ’23, Henry “Falcon” Hermes ’25, and Nolan Coughlin, went to work at AVC, with Winston’s incredible flicks, Nolan’s lighting speed fleches, Henry’s precise counter attacks, and Armin’s coaching and encouragement, the four showed the various club and varsity teams that they were competitors, beating Rowan, Cornell, and Lafayette, finishing the day with an overall positive record for their first competition of the semester. The future looks bright for this squad.
Foil
Men’s foil, Zahl “Kraken” Azizi ’22, Jeffrey “Ragnarök” Gu ’25, and Zach “Orpheus” Roberts ’22 were fired up and ready to compete at Johns Hopkins this weekend. Ragnarök showcased his formidable speed and bout control, scoring critical victories as the squad’s vanguard. Kraken demonstrated a powerful offense and broke through the defenses of his opponents, while defending himself through proper distance. Orpheus took a defensive approach, drawing opponents in before striking decisively, though he also made use of disengages to effectively misdirect the opposition. All members of men’s foil took home varsity wins and decisively routed Cornell and Rowan. They will keep their fire burning strong as they prepare for MACFA BvC next weekend.
Sabre
Mens Sabre, composed of Troy “Priam” Cullen ’24, Connor “Lancelot” Cassidy ’25, and Matthew “Flash” Lee ’23 fought hard at MACFA AvC. True to his kingly name, Priam scored a shocking win against Rutgers University, countering his opponent with royal authority. Ever the galavanting knight, Lancelot charged his opponents down the strip and secured some individual wins to boot. Speeding off the line faster than the eye can see, Flash also scored a few individual wins. Despite some minor injuries and weariness, the trio had great fun and gained some excellent experience against overwhelmingly superior foes. Who knows what the next tournament will hold for them?
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