Categories
SIFA

SIFA 2024

2.17.24 – 2.18.24

Women’s Epee

On February 17, William & Mary women’s epee defended their title as 2022 and 2023 SIFA champions. William & Mary women’s epee started Saturday out strong. In their individual event, Rebekah ‘Opal’ Gresham ’25 Anna ‘Lotus’ Saal ’27 both came out of pools with 5 victories each while Sarah ‘Tarot’ Gresham ’25 swept her pool with 6 victories. These three strong records allowed all three wepeeists to advance into the direct elimination round of only eight fencers. In the round of 8, tragic William on Mary violence occurred when Opal defeated Lotus to advance to the semi-finals and face Tarot. Tarot went on to the finals where she gained a decisive victory and the gold medal. Wepee’s strong performance in the individual event awarded them first seed in the team event, advancing them directly into the semifinals. From there, they defeated the University of Florida reaching the necessary 5 victories to advance with only 1 loss. Then, Opal, Tarot, and Lotus fought back from an initial 2 losses against the University of Georgia to win 5-3 in the finals. As if that weren’t impressive enough, this isn’t the first SIFA victory for W&M women’s epee. Opal and Tarot have led the team to victory for the third year in a row. Wepee is returning to Williamsburg victorious, with a bronze and gold medal in the individual event and 3 gold medals for their team performance.

Women’s Foil

On February 18, the Women’s Foil team won first place at the SIFA championships. Sarah Terpenning ‘27 and Kate Ingle ‘27 tied for 12th place, while Lucy Kasper ‘24 took gold in an intense bout against an Emory fencer. Following individual tournaments, the three girls pooled their skills together in the team tournaments. They managed to keep their cool as they fought through tough competitors, illegal calls, and unfair referees, ultimately leading to a victorious win for gold. This resulted in an overall SIFA win for the William & Mary Women’s Foil team, making it the first wins for freshmen Sarah and Kate, as well as senior Lucy Kasper’s final medal at SIFA champs.

Women’s Sabre

Women’s Sabre was victorious as they flew down the strips at SIFA! Karino Gibson ‘24, Angela ‘Luna’ Liu ‘25, and Debbie ‘Prism’ Ho ‘26, primarily foilists, tried their hand at sabre for the first time in a collegiate tournament. They each claimed their first sabre varsity wins.  The three fencers developed their understanding and sabre senses throughout the tournament and ultimately came in fifth place overall! 

Men’s Epee

Men’s Épée, comprised of Jake Schapiro ’24, Nolan Coughlin ’25, Armin Bagha ’24, took home gold at SIFA this year! Individually, Jake won fifth place, Armin came in second, and Nolan got first, with Nolan and Armin fencing off in an epic finals match. Deploying his parry 4-riposte against fleches, Jake won bouts against Emory and Kennesaw State. Nolan used his lightning reflexes to hit his opponents before they even had time to react. Coming through at the end, Armin used his speed and long reach to win the tie-breaking match against Kennesaw to get the team first place. Men’s Épée is thrilled with their victory and eagerly looking forward to MACFA Champs. 

Men’s Foil

Men’s foil brought the heat to Atlanta and the gold back to Williamsburg. Nick ‘Osiris’ Reeder ‘24, Jack ‘Yeti’ Bratton ‘24, and Thomas ‘Vice’ Mahnken ‘24 came first in Men’s Foil contributing to the overall William & Mary SIFA win. Yeti’s decisive distance also delivered him the individual gold medal! Osiris’s methodical marches cleared the way to a 5th place finish in individuals. Vice’s powerful parries clutched the final win against Emory to bring William & Mary gold. Men’s foil is looking forward to a rest week followed by MACFA champs!

Men’s Sabre

Men’s Sabre started off the season with an impressive performance in Atlanta earning each squad member their first medal at a collegiate tournament! Consisting of Connor “Lancelot” Cassidy ‘25, Evan “Duke” Jackson ‘25, and Ryan “Chronos” Rauscher ‘27, William and Mary’s Sabre squad fought tooth and nail against their fellow southern schools for a second place finish in the Southern Intercollegiate Fencing Association. Earlier in the day, Lance’s signature lockouts scored point after point for the team securing the second seed for the team event. In individuals, Duke’s tactical decision making and expert box actions earned him an 8th place finish, and Chronos’ lightning fast reflexes, Olympian-level blade work, and superhuman agility triumphantly carried him to the podium, bringing home bronze. Combined, the three showed off men’s Sabre as a powerful presence on the strip and a definite force to be reckoned with!

Categories
MACFA

MACFA AvC 2024

2.11.24

Men’s Foil

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.

Categories
MACFA

MACFA Championships 2023 Recap

Foil

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!

Categories
MACFA

MACFA BvC 2023 Recap

Foil

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.

Categories
MACFA

MACFA AvC 2023 Recap

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!!!!!!
Categories
MACFA

MACFA C Round Robin 2022 Recap

Women’s foil after a good tournament

Women’s Foil

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.

Categories
MACFA

MACFA AVC 2022 Recap

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?

Categories
MACFA

MACFA C Round Robin 2021 Recap

After a year and a half of COVID-19, the William & Mary fencing team finally returned to collegiate fencing in late November, participating in the MACFA C Round Robin at Haverford. After socially-distanced practices and many tournaments being postponed or cancelled, the team was incredibly excited and grateful to have the opportunity to fence again. Facing off against Haverford, Navy, and Johns Hopkins University, W&M brought six squads in both genders. Each individual squad’s recap is as follows:

Men’s Épée

It was the first collegiate tournament ever for Jake “Merlin” Schapiro ’24, Nolan “Titan” Coughlin ’25, and Henry “Falcon” Hermes ’25 of Men’s Épée, but you wouldn’t know it from the way they fenced at MACFA Crr. With his explosive lunges and relentless pushing, Titan crushed it against four varsity fencers, two from Johns Hopkins and two from Haverford. Falcon, who only began fencing seriously at William and Mary, continued his streak of having won a bout at every tournament he’s ever fenced in, making use of his long reach and long legs. Merlin snagged two varsity wins, both against Haverford, including one that went into priority; employing quick parries and lots of energy, Merlin was able to bring it home for the last WM bout of the tournament. Having acquired lots of experience, Men’s Épée is ready and excited to fence next semester.

Women’s Épée

For the first tournament of the semester, the women’s épée squad consisted of two fencers, Gwyneth “Penne” Smith ‘23 and Katie “Sparrow” Richardson ‘24. This was Sparrow’s first ever collegiate tournament and Penne’s first since early 2020. The two were happy to get back on the strip and grateful for the opportunity to fence after a year of COVID. While Johns Hopkins University proved to be a tough opponent that they struggled against in the first round, both fencers found victories against Navy in the second. In the third, using precise footwork and a well-placed foot touch, Sparrow achieved two varsity wins against Haverford fencers – an amazing accomplishment for her first-ever tournament! Penne didn’t get a varsity win this time around but came close to it, bringing a Haverford fencer to 4-4. They worked well together as a team and are looking forward to competing in more MACFAs in the spring!

Men’s Saber

Men’s Sabre, comprised of Nickolas “Gero” Boylan, Michael “Slate McCoy: Noir Detective” Zessin, and Connor “Lancelot” Cassidy stormed MACFA Crr. At his first collegiate tournament Lancelot earned his first two varsity wins Vs. Haverford and Hopkins making use of his swift box actions and sharp decision making. Slate slid onto the strip and scored many touches, slicing through opponents parries with sensational blade actions, and saucy footwork. Despite an injured ankle, Gero was able to surprise opponents with his sly counter attacks and steadfast parries earning a varsity win against Hopkins. William and Mary men’s sabre learned a lot of great experience at this tournament and are excited for our tournaments next semester.

Women’s Saber

Women’s Saber, comprised of Cassandra “Calypso” Brackett and Clara “Jooniper” Magner, stormed MACFA Crr. At her first tournament, Calypso displayed a lot aggression and solid blade work, but sadly was injured as she was getting into her groove. Jooniper bravely avenged her fallen teammate and finished put the tournament alone, continuing to score against varsity fencers. This was a great learning experience for all and they’re hungry for more tournaments in the next semester.

Men’s Foil

Men’s foil squad, Zahl ‘Kraken’ Azizi, Jeffery ‘Ragnarök’ Gu, and Nick ‘Osiris’ Reeder, stormed Haverford for the first collegiate tournament of the tournament. Ragnarök settled in quickly, stomping across tournament, securing his first Collegiate win and then some. Kraken, smiling through sickness, slew opponents with consistent distance and powerful attacks. Osiris seized his first collegiate win with dramatic feints and precise parries.

Women’s Foil

The women’s foil squad may be made up of only two members but what they lacked in numbers they made up for in heart. Rachel “Tex” Vasan ‘24 and Lucy “Gecko” Kasper ‘24. While alternating between strip coaching/cheering on each other and fencing, both women were active and focused throughout the whole tournament. Tex displayed incredible adaptability throughout the tournament and Gecko used speedy attacks against her opponents. Together the two fenced valiantly against JH, beat the Navy team with just enough wins, and gave Haverford a run for their money with 2 varsity wins from Gecko and excellent fencing from Tex. Both look forward for future events to come!

The team looks forward to the spring, where the tournament season will kick off in full swing! Stay tuned for more recaps and check us out on Facebook and Instagram!

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Senior Send Off

Senior Sendoff and End of Spring 2021

(Seniors receiving their gifts, from left to right: Morgan “Ghost” Blackwelder, Eva-Mariam “Willow” Ssekibenga, Greg “Twain” Quigg, Cassandra “Kalypso” Brackett, Jennifer “Muse” Chen, and Mary “Prim” Mccants, ’21)

As May draws to a close, it brings with it both the end of William and Mary’s spring semester and the graduation of the Class of 2021 seniors. The spring season for the William and Mary fencing club is also over, and marks the first season in many years in which the team has not attended a single tournament, or even fenced a single bout. However, as vaccinations become more widespread and COVID-19 restrictions ease, it seems as though the team will return to a normal fencing schedule in the fall. At the very least practices will return to their normal schedule, and once travel restrictions are lifted, hopefully the William and Mary fencing team will be on their way to competing again as well!

IMG_2963 (Seniors distributing advice, from left to right: Cassandra “Kalypso” Brackett, Stuart “Zest” Thomas, Greg “Twain” Quigg, and Julianne “Hazel” Cook, ’21)

Right now, though, it is most important to recognize the contributions of the seniors on the team who have now graduated. On the last day of classes, the team gathered together to celebrate our seniors and also the end of the season as a whole. Organized by our social chairs, each senior received a personal gift to thank them for their time on the team. After receiving their gifts, they administered advice to individual members of their squads, before addressing the team as a whole. It was a wonderful senior send-off before moving on to the rigors of exams and graduation, and voting in our new executive board.

To the class of 2021: thank you for the time you have spent with the team! William and Mary fencing wishes you the best of luck in your future endeavors whether in Williamsburg and beyond. And to everyone else reading, whether a member of the team, alumnus, or anyone else: thank you for supporting the William and Mary fencing team throughout one of its most unusual semesters. Admittedly there has not been much content to update this blog with for the past year, but look forward to the fall where we will hopefully be able to resume our normal activities with lots of fencing to follow!

For more information, contact us on Facebook or send us an email at fencingwm@gmail.com!

Categories
Recaps

Start of spring 2021 semester and team update

As the spring 2021 semester begins and more students begin to return to campus, the William & Mary fencing club is also returning to action! Practices started up this past weekend now that most juniors and sophomores have returned to campus, and both sessions of practice were well-attended. While there have been few changes to team protocol regarding social distancing and mask-wearing, team members are grateful to be able to practice at all and hopeful for the gradual return of tournaments and bouting.

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The fencing team is still practicing every Friday (4 – 5:30pm) and Saturday (2 – 3:30pm) in the basement of Kaplan Arena. And just like last semester, practices are still 45 minutes long and consisting of only eight people at a time. The members of the team have had plenty of time to get used to this new format and are now taking advantage of the time to improve footwork, stamina, and control. The addition of new practice equipment that the team acquired last semester, like the targets, has also made practice easier and more enjoyable. As well as that, the club has also managed to attract new members since the fall who, despite the limitations placed on practices, are eager to learn more about the fencing and become part of the team.

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Ultimately, it is a shame that this update could not be a longer one. Usually the spring would be full of tournaments and travel, and new and old members alike would practice every day to hone their fencing skills. While it is unfortunate that this semester be different, the fencing team is still doing its best to stay as active and close-knit as ever this semester. Small-group social events, bigs and littles, and Zoom calls between current fencers and alumni attempt to fill the gaps left by COVID-19. It is yet another strange semester coming off the heels of a very strange year, but we will do what we can to preserve William & Mary’s fencing community!

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For more information on the William & Mary fencing team, email fencingwm@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook!