Categories
Recaps

Victory at Virginia Cup!

William & Mary kept up their dominance at the annual Virginia Cup, hosted here at the College this year. Due to a year of hard work, the Cup remains on our trophy case until next year. We did exceptionally in the women’s events, winning first place in women’s foil and saber and second place in épée. Our ladies dominated the podium in the individual events as well. The men won second place in every weapon. This consistency landed them in first place overall. In all six weapons, we finished off strong in first place. Read on for a detailed recap of the tournament:

Épée
VA Cup was a very competitive tournament for men’s epee and William and Mary men’s epee came to compete, sending a roster of Pulak Raj ’20, Huw Richards (graduate student), Benjamin Coleman ’19, and Greg Quigg ’21. Huw Richards, fencing his first VA Cup, proved himself as one of the strongest fencers in the room by using his distance and speed to catch his opponents by surprise. Pulak Raj and Benjamin Coleman both returned to VA cup to continue their dominance at VA Cup even with the new heavy competition at the tournament. The team’s last match was against UVA where William and Mary men’s epee won 6-3. Every victory against UVA was a clutch victory because William and Mary ending up edging past UVA by a single bout and secured 2nd place. All in all, men’s epee learned a lot from the tough competition and looks forward to competing at CFCs.
This weekend, women’s epee came out in full force at Virginia Cup with a team of experienced seniors— Kirsten Clamann ’19, Annette Kang ’19, and Nikki Petzer ’19. Their overall performance was stellar, only losing to one school, 4-5, throughout the day. Kirsten used her quick thinking and bladework expertise to do well both in team bouts as well individuals. Annette utilized her fierce aggression and speedy parries to throw opponents off and deliver some much needed victories. Coming in second in individuals, Nikki had a strong showing, carefully timing her attacks and improving upon point control. Women’s epee looks forward to continuing their victories throughout the spring tournament season.
 
Foil
Men’s foil put on an impressive performance at VA cup, taking home the silver medal in both team and individuals. Men’s foil brought four fencers to the tournament, all of which ended the day winning far more bouts than they lost. Foil captain, Matthew Cusick ’20, led the squad only dropping two bouts in the team pools, and finishing second overall in individuals. Stuart Thomas ’21 and Aaron Stone ’22 had similarly impressive runs, making it into the quarter and semi-finals in individuals. Faisal Al-Alami ’20 served as substitute for the team event, and although he fenced less team bouts than the other members, he managed to maintain a 100% rate of victory. Overall, Men’s foil had what might have been their strongest performance of the season, which indicates good things going into club nationals.
Women’s foil had a great day at Virginia Cup, and were able to show off just how much their fencing had grown after training hard all semester. Elizabeth Sutterlin ’20, Molly McCue ’21, and Julie Vu ’20 each brought their own A-game, but the squad was made even stronger as they supported one another and cheered each other on throughout the day. Overall, the squad earned first place after a nail-biting 5-4 victory over UVA.
Elizabeth only dropped one bout in the team portion of the event, and then pushed through individual DEs to place 2nd, losing in a long, tough match to Grayson Katzenbach (UVA) in the finals. Despite dealing with injuries for most of the spring semester, Molly’s clean bladework won her many victories and she placed 4th in individuals. Julie never let her opponents put down their guard, and she scored some great victories over Liberty with her fast attacks and ripostes.
Elizabeth and Julie will be heading to USACFCs in two weeks, and they couldn’t be more excited to bring what they’ve learned from VA Cup to Bucks County, PA!
 
Saber
Nicko Boylan ’22 combined flashy bladework and dynamic distance to dismantle each opponent he faced. He went undefeated in the team round, including scoring 5 swift counterattacks to bagel a Liberty fencer. In Nicko’s first direct elimination bout, he upset the 5th-seeded fencer, earning a top 8 finish before facing Triton in the quarterfinals. Daniel Bachman ’20 opened the day with comfortable victories over Virginia Tech and Mary Washington. When Virginia Tech’s fencers made the mistake of trying to out-muscle Daniel, he adapted to beat them at their own game. Daniel drew a very tough opponent in his first DE and finished in the top 16. In his final VA Cup, Robert Catlett ’18 breezed through the team round and easily won his first DE. Robert beat Nicko in the table of 8, before falling to the top seed from UVA in the semifinal. In the fence off for third place, Robert found himself down 7-2 against Virginia Tech’s top fencer. Robert showcased his tactical growth and completely changed his approach to the bout. His opponent couldn’t keep up with Robert’s diverse attacks, allowing Robert to storm back to a 15-9 victory and win the bronze medal! For the second consecutive year, Steven Pressendo ’20 faced a former teammate in the gold medal match. Having fenced his opponent many times before, Steven came in with a solid plan and defended his state title with a 15-7 win.
Women’s sabre dominated Virginia Cup. After winning first place for women’s sabre, we swept individuals with all medalists representing William & Mary. Chrysanthi Stevens fenced against fast saberists with smart, out-of-the-box quick actions. She won third place in individuals with a nerve-rackingly close semi-final bout against Riley Aiken that went 15-13. Riley was on top of her game this competition. She was by far the quickest saberist in the competition, and it showed when she won first place in individuals. Madeline Myers pulled out her favorite move, a counterattack to the forearm, every chance she could that day. In fact, in the final against Riley, she got a few counterattacks in a row! Madeline also displayed her harrowing endurance during the final, finishing in second place with a score of 15-12. Emory Magner gave it her all in her last colligate fencing competition. Her smooth extensions and quick parries allowed her to win fourth place in individuals. Mary McCants was a force to be reckoned with. She performed incredibly well in the round robin bouts, and she offered support to fellow teammates throughout the day, even when sabre fencing ended. She was patient with her parries and waited for the perfect moment to commit to the parry and riposte. Julianne Cook had patient and calculated attacks. She kept proper distance which helped her parry, and, most importantly, she maintained high spirits throughout the day. Every one of our women’s saberists performed beautifully in VA Cup. We are very proud of all of them, and we are lucky to have the opportunity to allow them all to compete.
Categories
MACFA

MACFA Champs Recap

This March, our men’s squads drove to Drew University for MACFA Champs, the final tournament of the MACFA season!

Épée

Men’s epee sent an experienced roster of Pulak Raj , Ben Coleman, and Greg Quigg into MACFA Champs, ready to take on every opponent the trio faced in MACFA this year. Greg used his well-timed remises to take his opponents by surprise and racked up many upset victories. Ben had a rough start to the day but was able to come back later in the day and pick his opponents wrists to pick up key victories. Pulak used his bladework to hold back his opponents and also continued to the individual round. Men’s epee beat many varsity fencers and is ready to dominate at SIFA.

Foil:

Men’s Foil fenced well at MACFA Champs. Matthew won multiple bouts, beating notable schools such as Army, Maryland and Yeshiva. Faisal and Ben also won bouts against multiple schools, including some intense 4 to 4 scoreline matches. Although none of men’s foil placed into the direct elimination round, they all placed well within their respective positions.

Sabre:

Daniel Bachman ’20, Robert Catlett ’18, and StevenPressendo ’20 approached their hardest competition of the year with focus and determination.  Daniel opened the day on an incredible note, winning early bouts against Stevens Institute of Technology, Rutgers, Hunter College, Yeshiva, Maryland, and TCNJ, all before the lunch break.  His sneaky reprises and aggressive beats established early leads that his opponents couldn’t overcome.  Robert’s constant energy kept his teammates positive throughout the day.  Additionally, his patient marches upset several varsity opponents from Lafayette, Hunter, and Yeshiva.  Despite having a rough day, Steven’s active bladework still bested the Drew A strip in front of a large home crowd- Steven’s 6th victory over Drew fencers this season.

Thanks again to those who came to cheer us on last weekend!

 

Our next event will be the Conomikes-Gutenberg Open (March 16-17) at William & Mary. Our next collegiate tournament will be the VA Cup right here at W&M (Sunday March 23-24).  Our full schedule is posted on our website: https://fencing.pages.wm.edu/schedule/

 

Past recaps can also be found on our website: https://fencing.pages.wm.edu/news/

 

Feel free to join our Alumni Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/266119290117623/

Categories
USACFC

USACFC Recap

This year, the team traveled to Sportsplex in Bucks County, Pennsylvania for the USACFC event. The team was able to bring solid squads and competed to the best of their abilities.
Épée
Men’s epee entered CFCs ready to take on many tough club opponents. Pulak Raj, Benjamin Coleman, and Greg Quigg traveled to Bucks County, Pennsylvania for their biggest tournament of the year. Benjamin Coleman, fencing at his last USACFC tournament had his best showing yet, finishing with an even record. He took down many of his toughest opponents with his wrist picks on his way to victory. Greg Quigg had a difficult start but was able to reign it in by the end and pull off big victories, including a close 5-4 bout with GTU. Pulak Raj fenced and beat many opponents he lost to earlier in the season. Overall, men’s epee showed how much they had improved over the entire season.Nikki “Forrest” Petzer ‘19, Sarah “Shaw” Sues ‘20, and Chrystanthi “Ursa” Stevens ‘19, had many successes at CFCs this past weekend. Women’s epee squad focused strongly on teamwork on comradery throughout the tournament, supporting one another through wins and losses. Forrest had a rough start during individuals, but really came into her own as the day progressed, winning 4 of her 5 final bouts, and going undefeated the following day. Shaw had an impressive performance on Saturday, beating several fencers with her counterattacks and powerful bladework. Making a much appreciated epee appearance, resident saberist, Ursa, earned many key victories throughout the tournament, surprising many opponents with her saber speed and flare.Foil
Men’s Foil placed 17th at USACFCs, defeating Stonybrook, Denison and Virginia Tech on the way. The three men’s foilists that fenced were Matt Cusick, Faisal Al-Alami and Stuart Thomas. All three fencers performed well and won plenty of bouts. Some notable victories included Matt Cusick beating Willem Joseph of Stonybrook 5-4, as Joseph had placed 3rd in individuals the previous day. Another highlight of the event was Stuart beating all three members of Virginia Tech, securing the victory over that school. Faisal had some highlights of his own, one of which was securing a win over Denison University in the 9th and final bout. Overall, all three men’s foilists fenced well, and because none of them are graduating this year, you can expect an even stronger performance next year.

Elizabeth Sutterlin ’20, Julie Vu ’20, and Julianne Cook ’21 showed up at CFCs ready to fence their hardest at the last tournament of the year. The squad had a tough start on Saturday, but the three women were able to improve their seeding in team DEs on Sunday to earn 18th place. In the second and third DE rounds, W&M women’s foil swept both UT Knoxville and Denison 5-0.
Elizabeth refused to be discouraged by the stiff competition from other schools’ A-strips, and she used Saturday’s results as even more motivation to fence her best on Sunday—and did she ever! She scored W&M’s only victory against UC Berkeley and went 4-4 against an internationally ranked fencer from Boston University. In that bout she fought until the end, losing the close match in priority but happy with her performance. Julie gave the tournament her all as it was her first and final CFCs, and she had a great record coming out of pools on Saturday. She earned W&M some clutch victories, and she was the 4th seeded B-strip from her pool and the 11th seeded B-strip across all pools. Julianne came in hot to CFCs, having just fenced at SIFA Champs the previous weekend, and scored a decisive 5-2 victory over Liberty on Saturday. She continued fighting hard on Sunday, getting some great wins over fencers from UT Knoxville and Denison.
CFCs ended on a high note and was a great testament to all the work the squad put in this year. Women’s foil has no graduating seniors this spring, and so they are all looking forward to next semester, where they will continue to fence and grow together.

Saber
Men’s saber had a remarkably average start to CFCs. Daniel “Maverick” Bachman ’20, Robert “Triton” Catlett ’18, and Steven “Zaqqum” Pressendo ’20 each went 6-6, each had a total indicator between 0 and 5, and placed 19th of 38 teams going into day two. The second day went much better, with each fencer getting a chance to put the squad on their back. After a narrow loss to Tennessee, the team went on a tear. Our squad rolled over Rochester and our friends from TCNJ, winning both matches 5-1. Next, our squad ran into a strong Boston University team. Zaqqum’s quick ripostes brought the team an early lead. After several tight bouts, our team found ourselves tied with BU 4-4 and Maverick heading up for the final bout. His surprising remises won the first few points, before the BU fencer brought the bout score to 4 all. In front of the gathering crowd, Maverick pulled his opponent short, clinching the school for our squad. In the final bout of his collegiate career, Triton faced the strong UMass A-strip who individually finished in 8th place the day before. Triton fell behind early but adjusted his box footwork to bring the bout score to 4 all. Triton took a risk by committing to his attack very early in the touch, winning the bout, and securing a team victory over UMass. After months of hard work, the men’s saber squad finished the season on a four-match winning streak.

Women’s sabre put on a strong show at CFCs. Madeline “Mercury” Myers ’20 confused opponents on defense, baiting them into attacking on her terms. Riley “Serenitea” Aiken ’20 used her quick, skillful circle parries to punish her opponents for falling short. Mary “Prim” McCants ’21 perfected her disengages, neatly avoiding her opponents’ parries. The squad really bonded over the long weekend, finishing out the season in good spirits.

Categories
MACFA

MACFA BvC Recap

This February, our men’s squads drove to the New Jersery Institute of Technology for MACFA BvC, the second tournament of the spring semester!

Épée

Men’s epee went into MACFA BvC sporting the same roster as last week and had another impressive showing. Pulak Raj ’20, Ben Coleman ’19, and Greg Quigg ’21 picked up many big wins, fighting for a high seed at MACFA Champs, including a very closely contested 5-4 victory over Army. Ben didn’t make any of his bouts easy for his opponents, punishing fencers that walk too close into his distance. Pulak and Greg both scored key victories against varsity schools and learned a lot about their opponents through their bouts. Men’s epee looks forward to using what they’ve learned at MACFA Champs and will be practicing in preparation for their strongest competition yet.

Foil:

Men’s foil fought formidable competition during the MACFA BvC tournament. Representing the squad were Matthew Dreher ’19, Ben Witman ’20, and Stuart Thomas ’21. The trio faced varsity and club fencers from five different schools, scoring a win against one. It was in this round against Yeshiva University that all three foilists won their first bouts against varisty fencers, with Ben coming back from a 0-4 deficit and Stuart winning 5-0. Men’s foil also won two bouts against both Army and Hunter College. The squad looks forward to competing in their next tournament, the MACFA Championsip.

Saber:

Daniel Bachman ’20, Robert Catlett ’18, Steven Pressendo ’20 finished the MACFA regular season with their strongest results to date.  Daniel improved throughout the day, culminating in a dominant performance against Army.  His aggressive bladework overwhelmed his opponents, and his surprise flunge helped Daniel complete his clean sweep over West Point.  Robert showcased his adaptability by winning bouts in a variety of styles.  His speedy box footwork carried him to comfortable wins over varsity programs like Hunter College and Yeshiva.  Against strong competition from Steven’s IT, Robert’s signature patient offense helped him post one of his best records of the season.  Steven had an incredibly successful day, posting winning records against all schools except the regular season champions- NJIT.  Even though he couldn’t replicate his undefeated record against NJIT, he did still score a win over the reigning individual saber champion.  The saber squad hopes to build on this weekend’s success as they get ready for the upcoming MACFA Championship!

Thanks again to our alumni, current fencers, and families who came to cheer us on!

Individual Varsity Victories:

  • MS: Steven Pressendo, Robert Catlett, Daniel Bachman
  • MF: Ben Witman (first), Stuart Thomas (first), Matt Dreher (first)
  • ME: Pulak Raj, Greg Quigg
Categories
SIFA

SIFA Champs Recap

This March, the team had another opportunity to travel to UNCG again for the SIFA Champs and had a great time!
Épée
Men’s epee sent their veteran squad of Pulak Raj, Benjamin Coleman, and Greg Quigg to SIFA Champs to face off against all of SIFA men’s epee once again. Benjamin Coleman was able to dominate his opponent’s bladework and defeat many key opponents. Greg Quigg was able to collect many close victories including a few 5-4 matches. Pulak Raj returned to SIFA Champs to only drop a single bout in the group round. Men’s epee came up short against Georgia but were able to improve upon their performance from last year.
At SIFA Champs, women’s all senior epee squad leveraged their years of fencing experience to upset opponents and to achieve victory after victory. Charlotte Engel, Annette Kang, and Nikki Petzer worked together seamlessly to come out of pools as the number one seed with no losses. Entering DE’s, women’s epee faced challenging competition, and although they did not place, their confidence and ability continued to improve throughout the day. All of the women started off strong with a 9-0 victory over Eastern Carolina. Charlotte surprised opponents with her speed and footwork, winning many bouts throughout the day. Following up her impressive VA Cup performance, Annette won the majority of her bouts, building upon her already strong parries and intimidating opponents along the way. Nikki performed strongly throughout the day, dropping very few bouts with her attention to distance and strong extensions.
Foil
Men’s Foil performed exceptionally well at SIFA Champs, finishing in 2nd place overall. Matt Cusick, Faisal Al-Alami and Ben Witman all fenced well and won most of their bouts. Some particular highlights included Matt Cusick going almost undefeated in pools, losing only one bout. Faisal Al-Alami had some impressive bouts where he fleched his way to victory. Most impressive of all, however, was when Ben Witman beat a composite team’s skilled A strip 5-2. Matt struggled to beat him and Faisal even fell short, losing to him, so Ben’s dominating victory was extra impressive.
Women’s Foil did not place as well as Men’s, but all three fencers (Julianne Cook, Sarah Sues and Katherine English) fenced well and won bouts, never being defeated by another school without a fight. Sarah in particular was impressive when she beat multiple competent opponents with her counter-attacks, as she was coming from an Epee background. Julianne and Katie both fenced very well, which is also good to see because Julianne has a Saber background and this was Katie’s first fencing tournament.
Saber
Nicko Boylan ’22, Robert Catlett ’18, and Steven Pressendo ’20 had a dominant showing in the morning. In pools, the squad finished 4-1 with multiple 9-0 wins and a narrow 5-4 loss to Appalachian State. We earned a bye in the first round and won our second DE by a combined score of 25-6. Our squad later dropped matches to Appalachian State and Clemson, finishing 4th in the conference.
Nicko’s first bout of the day featured a counterattack so smooth that at first even the referee didn’t realize the action succeeded. Gero combined his signature counterattacks with powerful parries to win comfortable victories over Virginia Tech and JMU. In his most impressive bout of the day, Nicko faced off against a semi-finalist from last week’s VA Cup, where Nicko’s speedy footwork won the bout in less than a minute. Robert’s clean box actions and endless marching attacks brought early victories over JMU and George Washington University. In a rematch of last week’s 3rd place bout, Robert bested VT’s A strip, this time with a parry riposte while hanging off the end of the strip. Robert shined under pressure, beating a C-rated fencer from Appalachian State and scoring another win over Appalachian State to keep our team alive in the DE round. Steven had one of his top performances of the season. After dropping his first pool bout, he went on a winning streak and finished pools 14-1. He had a great time reuniting with (and beating) his former teammates from other schools.
Woman’s sabre had a bizarre experience at SIFA championships this year. Coincidently, they fenced the same three schools that were in our initial pool to decide the direct elimination seats. Even though they had to fence the same schools twice, our women kept a positive attitude and fenced with their A-game. Women’s sabre placed in 5th. Chrysanthi Stevens led her team that day in her last collegiate sabre tournament. She was focused not only on her own fencing but the fencing and morale of her teammates. She only dropped one bout in direct eliminations. Moreover, in a clutch bout against a JMU saberist that she had been fencing on an even-level with for four years, Chrysanthi pulled out a well-timed parry riposte. The school score was 4-4, the bout score was 4-4, and that last parry-riposte won the direction elimination for William & Mary. Madeline Myers pushed herself that day. She learned to fence smart against her opponents, and she changed her box-actions according to the referee’s calls. She proved to be one of the best left-hand saberists that day. Against the same senior, left-handed JMU saberist that Chrysanthi fenced, Madeline beat her twice. Mary McCants was a compact ball of positivity. She maintained her high spirits throughout the entire day. In the last bout of the day, she won the bout that led us to beat Georgia Tech 5-3 with her quick defensive actions. Woman’s sabre performed with grace and vigor in one of the last tournaments of the year.
Categories
MACFA

MACFA AvC Recap

Last weekend, our team drove to Drew University for MACFA AvC, the first tournament of the spring semester!

Épée:

MACFA AvC was an exciting tournament that pushed the limits of every men’s epee fencer. It was a day of unpredictable bouts for Greg Quigg ’21, coming back from two 4-2 deficits to win, picking up his first varsity victory.  Ben Coleman ’19 scored many points with his patented wrist picks and picked his opponents apart with patient feints and disengages.  Pulak Raj ’20 crushed his opponents with his strong parry-ripostes with many key victories over varsity fencers.  Overall, men’s epee learned a lot from MACFA AvC and is ready to practice and improve for their next competition.

William & Mary boasted two veteran women’s epeeists, Charlotte Engel ’19 and Nikki Petzer ’19 at MACFA AvC this past weekend. Resident saberist, Madeline Myers ’20 joined the squad, adapting her saber skills to excel in épée for the event.  Women’s épée made an impressive appearance, earning victories against four out of the five schools they fenced.  Notably, our squad soundly beat Drew’s and CCNY’s varsity teams with a score of 6-3 and 7-2, respectively.  Using her crafty blade work and keen ability to gauge distance, Charlotte decisively won bouts against three varsity fencers.  Likewise, Madeline made a dominating epee debut, utilizing her aggression and remarkable agility to beat three varsity fencers as well.  Nikki came away with six victories against varsity fencers, using her height and newfound aggression to fend off opponents and win bouts.

Foil:

Men’s foil had a good showing at the most recent MACFA qualifier.  Representing men’s foil were Matt Cusick ’20, Ben Witman ’20, and Faisal Al-Alami ’20.  All three fencers faced fierce competition, but won many bouts nonetheless.  A particularly notable moment came when Ben beat one of Cornell’s fencers.  This was exciting because Cornell’s fencers are highly trained and have a great deal of experience. Men’s foil also had good showings against the other schools, especially Drew and TCNJ.  Foil’s performance at this most recent MACFA is an indicator that we will be ready to stand up to the challenge of the MACFA Championship.

Last weekend, W&M women’s foil was represented by Elizabeth Sutterlin ’20, Julie Vu ’20, and Julianne Cook ’21. The girls had a tough first round against Navy, but Julie earned two clutch victories, setting a great note for the rest of the day.  W&M beat TCNJ, and Elizabeth and Julie went on to each earn victories against Drew’s fencers later that morning.  Julianne usually fences saber, but she proved just how much her foil game had improved when she earned her first varsity victory in foil against CCNY!  She then handily took down another Drew girl later in the day, when W&M had the chance to fence their non-starting squads. Elizabeth’s favorite bout of the day was her 5-2 victory against a Hopkins fencer.  While they won’t be competing at MACFA BvC or the championships, women’s foil is hungry for more competition, and will be eagerly training hard in preparation for Virginia Cup next month.

Saber:

Last weekend, Daniel Bachman ’19 and Steven Pressendo ’20 joined with foilist Matt Dreher ’19 to put on a strong performance at Drew.  Daniel’s trademark aggression carried him to victories up and down the strip.  He combined his aggressive starts with patient marches that overwhelmed opponents.  When his opponents futilely tried to counterattack, Daniel showcased his adaptability by sealing bouts with beautiful counter-ripostes.  Matt opened the tournament on a high note, with unconventional counterattacks that foiled the attacks of Lafayette’s top fencer.  His fencing improved drastically throughout the day, leading to respectable showings and even a victory in his first saber tournament.  Coming into the event, Steven had beaten fencers from every MACFA school except for Drew.  On Sunday, that changed.  He emerged with a 5-1 record against the host school, highlighted by a decisive win over Drew’s top fencer and a 5-0 score in the final bout of the day.

Women’s saber brought it to MACFA AvC!  Chrysanthi Stevens ’19 fenced smart.  Against aggressive women squads, her favorite move was to make her opponent fall short.  She maintained high spirits throughout the entire tournament and ended the day winning the last bout against a Drew fencer 5-4.  Riley Aiken ’20 was incredibly dynamic and aggressive.  Her fast attacks and parries caught her opponents off guard. The highlight of her day was winning a bout 5-4 against a varsity fencer from Johns Hopkins.  Mary McCants ’21 confidently read her opponents in every one of her bouts.  She scored some amazing counter attacks, feints, and pulls.  Moreover, she masterfully implemented her teammates advice.  Women’s saber preformed incredibly well, and more importantly, had a great time.

Thanks again to our alumni, current fencers, and families who came to cheer us on last weekend!

Victories against Varisty Fencers:

  • MS: Steven Pressendo, Daniel Bachman
  • MF: Matt Cusick, Faisal Alami
  • ME: Ben Coleman, Pulak Raj, Greg Quigg (first)
  • WS: Mary McCants, Riley Aiken (first), Chrysanthi Stevens
  • WF: Elizabeth Sutterlin, Julie Vu, Julianne Cook (first)
  • WE: Charlotte Engel (first), Madeline Myers, Nikki Petzer

Categories
SIFA

SIFA North Recap

Our team kicked off the competition season by sending new and returning fencers to SIFA North at UVA.  We are so proud of the excitement and positivity that all our fencers brought!
Foil:

After last year’s SIFA North and VA Cup, Ben Witman ’20, Stuart Thomas ’21 and Faisal Alami ’20 reunited once more to represent William & Mary Men’s Foil. With each member showing considerable improvement, the trio was a force to be reckoned with. Ben’s patient marches and well-executed attacks scored him many points against his opponents. Meanwhile, Stuart capitalized on tempo changes to surprise the other schools’ fencers.  Faisal used his aggressive attacks and fast bladework to rack up the victories for William & Mary. In the end, Men’s Foil went undefeated in pools and won 1st place in DE’s.

 

Additionally, four other fencers represented William & Mary in the beginners’ tournament. Harrison Keen ’21, Colin McLearn ’22, Jaime Xiang ’22 and Matthew Dreher ’20 fenced against five other beginners in an individual pool.  Harrison used his strong parries to score two victories over the other fencers.  With his fast footwork, Colin scored many attacks on unsuspecting fencers and managed to also secure two victories.  Jaime was aggressive on the strip, using strong attacks to score four victories. Finally, Matthew utilized his fast parry-ripostes to score seven victories over the other fencers, the top result of any beginner fencer. Overall, men’s foil had a successful tournament, learning as well as winning.

 

This weekend, Elizabeth Sutterlin ’20 and Julie Vu ’20 were joined by Julianne Cook ’21 at SIFA North. No opponents would have guessed that Julianne is normally a saber fencer, as she looked at home on the strip with a foil in her hand, surprising other schools with her attacks and counters. Julie evaded bladework with ease to score some beautiful one light touches, and Elizabeth pushed school after school to the end of the strip with her devastating long attacks, bageling multiple opponents and going undefeated in the pool round. In the final direct team elimination, W&M lost to George Washington after a series of close bouts, and came home with the silver medal.  After the team round was over, Julie kept up the heat on her opponents, and took 3rd in the individual portion.

 

Épée:

Over fall break, epeeists Ben Coleman ’19, Jonathan Griggs ’21, Greg Quigg ‘21, and Simon Yue ’22 traveled to UVA for the first tournament of the year: SIFA North.  Simon adjusted quickly to his first collegiate tournament, using his perfectly timed fleches to take opponents by surprise.  Jonathan and Greg switched off throughout the day, both using their height and the extra reach of their French grips to counterattack any opponent that got too close.  Ben struggled in close early bouts but finished strong with clutch victories over GWU in the final match of the day, ending with the squad narrowly missing out on bronze. The men are eager to practice, improve, and compete again at their next opportunity.

 

Priscilla Alves ’22, Mary Bea Halloran ’20, and Kirsten Clamann ’19 had a great weekend at SIFA North.  Priscilla and Mary Bea implemented everything they have been learning in their first-ever tournament.  Priscilla confounded the competition with her lefty fencing and agility, while Mary Bea stood her ground against experienced fencers.  Our women’s epee took third place this weekend, earning a medal.  Kirsten rocked individuals, taking second place. Women’s epee was grateful to be joined by alumnus Cecilia Hoover ’18 who was a great strip coach. She brought bagels and women’s épée gave her bagels to watch on the strip.

 

Saber:

The men’s saber duo of Daniel Bachman ’20 and Ephraim Kozodoy ’21 returned to SIFA North, this time joined by freshman Nicko Boylan ’22.  Men’s saber opened the day with an easy win over Virginia Tech and a narrow loss to George Washington.  Against JMU our fencers fell behind early, but mounted an impressive comeback, sealed by Daniel’s tactical prowess and adaptability in the tie-breaking bout.  Ephraim used his speed and determination to catch his opponents off guard.  Nicko’s aggressive bladework in the box overpowered his opponents, carrying him to his first of many collegiate triumphs.  To wrap up the day, the men’s saber fencers rolled over Virginia Tech to claim the bronze medal.

 

Despite an unexpectedly early start time, our women’s saberists came prepared to win.  Chrysanthi Stevens ’19 drove her opponents to rush, before masterfully interrupting their attacks with smooth attacks in preparation or her swift parries.  Madeline Myers ’20 began the morning with a barrage of patient attacks, which became even harder to predict and avoid in her later bouts.  Riley Aiken ’20 surprised her opponents (and perhaps herself) with her brutally effective counterattacks, controlling her opponents’ distance throughout the day.  Their combined efforts lead them to an early victory over George Washington and the top seed out of pools.  Our women’s saber fencers claimed second place in the team DEs.  Despite fencing an entire foil tournament that morning, Julianne Cook ’21 rejoined the saber squad for the individual tournament, quickly reminding her opponents that her speed inside the box could best foil and saber fencers alike.

 

 

Thanks again to all our current fencers, alumni, and families who came to cheer on our team!

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Where in the World is W&M Fencing? (Start of Year Update)

With classes back in session, the fencing team can hardly wait to start practicing again. But they didn’t leave their blades in their bags all summer. Our returning members attended other fencing clubs to keep their skills sharp in cities throughout the country and abroad. This summer, our fencers went as far as Russia and Jordan to keep up with practicing.

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[Image: A fencing club in St. Petersburg, Russia, where Elizabeth Sutterlin (Foil ’20) practiced during her summer study abroad program.]

Many of our most recent alumni are also still involved in fencing, too. Many have chosen to continue at their nearby clubs, throughout Virginia and the greater east coast. Gabriella Carney (Saber ’18) qualified for the Puerto Rican national team at the end of the spring semester. She then competed in the Pan-American Championships in Cuba over the summer, where she faced off against opponents like U.S. Olympian Dagmara Wozniak! After competing, she returned to the U.S. and began a coaching position at the Virginia Academy of Fencing.

 

[Images: Gabriella Carney (Saber ’18) in Puerto Rico and Cuba.]

Practice starts on Monday, and our fencers couldn’t be more thrilled to come back with fresh fighting spirit and teach each other the lessons they’ve learned this summer. See you all on the strip soon!

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Victory at VA Cup! (End of Year Update)

As the year comes to a close, we would like to thank everyone who has supported us throughout the 2017-2018 season: the alumni who came to tournaments to coach and cheer us on, the families who hosted us when we traveled this year, and everyone who has offered their time and guidance to the team. William & Mary Fencing team would not have enjoyed such a successful year without each and every one of you.

William and Mary closed out a great season last weekend at the Virginia Cup, hosted this year at James Madison University.  All our hard work this year paid off, and the Cup remains (newly polished) in our trophy case until next year. We swept the women’s events, winning first place in women’s epee, foil, and saber, and our ladies dominated the podium in the individual events as well. Our men’s saber squad also took home gold, while men’s foil and epee each placed third against stiff competition. Read on for a detailed recap of the tournament:

Women’s Epee

This past weekend, William and Mary’s Women’s Epee continued on a tradition of winning 1st place for the past 4 years in Virginia Cup. Both Ruoying Hao ’18 and Cecilia Hoover ’18 fenced their final collegiate tournament, along with Nicole Petzer ’19, and swept the podium, with Cecilia earning 1st, Ruoying 2nd, and Nicole 3rd. Nicole took advantage of her height in her final DE, flustering her opponent with fast counterattacks to the wrist, and handily defeating her. Ruoying stumped her opponents with her sheer aggression, ending the day undefeated in pools. Cecilia also ended the day undefeated, with her first DE finishing in three flicks to the foot, and her final DE ending with her knocking out Ruoying for 1st. Our women’s epee is proud to have won all three podium places for the past four years, and looks forward to the underclassmen to continue the tradition!

Women’s Foil

Women’s foil was poised and focused the whole day, and it took them all the way to the top, as Alex Marto ‘18, Elizabeth Sutterlin ‘20, and Julie Vu ‘20 wrecked every school that faced them. Julie used her quick reactions to change tempo and score impressive remises on her opponents throughout the day, dropping only two bouts in the team round. Julie’s fencing especially shone in the round against Liberty, as she swept the school and defeated their tall left-handed fencer with her own lefty tricks. After fencing their hardest in the team round, the sophomore girls faced off in individuals. It was like our weekly practice had been transplanted to JMU, as each girl praised the other after a great touch and laughed with each other through the bout. They ended with a warm hug, sending Elizabeth into the semifinals, where Elizabeth’s intense focus, timing, and effective disengages brought her to victory. Exhausted but happy, she pushed through the final bout to take second place on the pedestal. She was a fountain of wisdom and encouragement through both the women’s and men’s day. Her dedication to her teammates, impeccable skills, and her love of fencing gives graduating senior Alex great joy to leave foil squad with her taking the reins.

Alex went into her last tournament ready to tear it up, and tear it up she did. She kept her feet moving, throwing off many of her opponents with her energy and fantastic distance. After facing the first seed in semifinals, she faced off for third place. In the final bout of her college career, she was fencing against a tall, left-handed, Liberty fencer who had beat her earlier in the day. Throughout the bout she was down by 3 touches at the end of the first and second periods, finally tying it up with 9 seconds left.  With the support of her president, co-captains, and teammates, Alex won her final DE 8-7, with a single light touch in overtime with 15 seconds left on the clock. It was a victorious way to give a last salute to everything this team has given her. She wants to thank everyone on this team, past and present. She can’t be more proud to have seen her squad grow so much. Ét La!

Women’s Saber

Women’s saber came out in full force for this year’s Virginia Cup. Madeline Myers ’20 valiantly led Riley Aiken ’20 and Mary McCants ’21 to victory, while Emory Magner ’19 defected to JMU to fill out a composite squad. Madeline showed her new counter-attacks and quick pulls off the line in individuals, earning her a well-deserved silver medal. Riley, making her first tournament appearance since SIFA North proved that she had earned her spot, deftly beating opponents throughout the day. Mary has become a veteran of the strip and reminded the JMU team that though small she may be, she is fierce. Emory, despite fencing for the other team, never pulled a punch and fenced hard, showing grace in both victory and defeat as is expected of a W&M fencer. W&M took first overall, and Madeline, Riley, and Mary medaled for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place, respectively. Following the competition, Emory was welcomed back to WM with open arms, and a spirited volley of scrimmage bouts earned us the friendship of JMU women’s saber.

Men’s Saber

The men’s saber team took to the strips for the last time this year against our Virginia rivals. Steven Pressendo ’19, Eric Alpert ’18, and Robert Catlett ’18 aimed for nothing short of glory throughout the day. Despite other teams having a few strong individuals, the depth of talent on the William and Mary team won bout after bout. Pushing through injuries, Steven’s tactical knowledge guided him and his teammates through every school. Eric bested even the strongest of opponents in the team rounds and helped secure early leads. Robert took full advantage of new techniques and a floor that wasn’t made out of concrete to punish opponents with patient long attacks. In the individual rounds, Steven faced a former teammate of his but took the edge with a combination of smart and dynamic fencing, earning gold at the end of the day. Eric took his last stand for WM in the bronze medal bout and pushed through exhaustion to score vital touches that earned him the medal. Robert drew an unlucky bracket placement but fenced amazingly coming in 5th place. The men ended the year on a high note, taking team and individual glory back to Williamsburg.

Men’s Epee

Our men’s epee squad of Pulak Raj ’20, William Bushman ’18 and Benjamin Coleman ’19 once again stormed into VA Cup with their eye(s) on the title. This year’s competition was very different from last year’s men’s epee competition with many skilled freshmen joining the other universities. Ben used his strong en garde and parries to stand as the brick wall most fencers could not get past. He picked up key victories against some nationally rated fencers. Will was on fire, and won too many bouts to count. Nothing could stop his excellent distance and long fleches. Pulak used his classic fencing style consisting of quick beats to the foot and attacking into preparation to help propel the men’s epee squad into 3rd place at the VA Cup. Pulak also placed 3rd in the individual round. Overall, the competition at VA Cup was exponentially stronger but William and Mary’s men’s epeeists pulled through with a strong finish and is optimistic for the squad’s future.

Men’s Foil

Faisal Alami ’20 led Stuart Thomas ’21 and Ben Witman ’20 to JMU to defend the Virginia Cup. Men’s foil won third place overall. Stuart’s aggression and well timed attacks in prep were instrumental in his victories. Ben’s patience on the defense gave him some dangerous parry 4-ripostes. Faisal’s disengages and counter attacks helped him place 5th in the individual round. Men’s foil did great all around and this tournament topped off a year’s work of achievement quite nicely.

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USACFC Recap

Traveling and competing at huge tournaments like USACFC would not be feasible without the generosity of our alumni and families. In honor of One Tribe One Day, we challenge you to join us in giving back and paying it forward, to ensure that William & Mary can continue to fence schools from all over the country. Click here to give now and support the campaign for William & Mary! Donations can be made either to the team directly (code 4348) or to the Peter Conomikes Memorial Endowment Fund (code 3745).

The team left Friday afternoon to compete in our biggest tournament of the year. Two days of intensive fencing left us sore on the van ride home, but the fierceness of the competition made our team fight for every touch we scored and learn from each one we received. Full numerical results for this weekend’s tournament can be found here. Recaps of each squad’s performance follow.

Women’s Saber – Gabriella Carney ’18

W&M women’s saber made history by taking fourth place out of twenty three schools. Gabriella Carney ‘18, Chrysanthi Stevens ‘19, and Madeline Myers ‘20 fought their way one bout at a time from the very start of CFCs. They fenced harder and smarter than they had ever done before and never gave up. Madeline surprised several unsuspecting opponents with beautifully timed counterattacks and parry ripostes. Her distance on defense frustrated many fencers, even the UMass captain. Despite the slippery floors, Chrysanthi dominated the strip on many an occasion, such as carrying out a colorful “taste the rainbow” parry 5-riposte on a Dartmouth fencer. She used her quick attacks when they counted the most, allowing her to defeat her opponents. Gabriella remained determined to challenge herself and opponents throughout the day and was proud to make it to individuals.

Men’s Saber – Eric Alpert ’18

This weekend Steven Pressendo, Eric Alpert, and Robert Catlett advanced to the biggest tournament of the year. The women set a high bar in the morning which only inspired the men to push themselves just as hard in their own bouts. The first day was difficult, the waxed concrete floors were not great for anyone’s long lunges and many of the top schools and individuals were all in our pool. We finished 16th after the pools and during the long second day of fencing climbed out way up to 13th overall. Steven’s tactical prowess shone throughout the day, having extensively scouted opponents and providing the entire squad with advice and strategies that lead to a number of wins. Eric fought hard and when he found his rhythm he dismantled his opponents before they could figure out his own. Robert put on impressive displays both days, showing tremendous grace as the slippery floor tried to bring him down. Despite its best efforts, not even the very ground he fenced on could slow his relentless long attacks. CFCs has always stood as a trial not only to skill but also endurance, teamwork, and how far one can push themselves during the grueling days. To every end, the men’s saber squad stuck together and dug deep through two of the toughest days of fencing I’ve experienced in my four years. I could not have asked for better teammates, and the support we received from the women and members of the other squads proved that together we continue to grow as a better and stronger team.

Women’s Epee – Cecilia Hoover ’18

Last weekend, William and Mary’s Women’s Epee went to UT to take names. Ruoying Hao ’18 and Nicole Petzer ’19 led by Cecilia Hoover ’18 finished 11th overall after two days of fierce fencing. Ruoying showed off her quick hand and great point control, wrecking the UPitt A strip in her final bout with well timed wrist picks and counterattacks. Nicole, while continuing her tradition of giving all those watching a heart attack, proved that just because you have one foot off the strip doesn’t mean you’re out of your element, successfully winning bouts in the warning box. Cecilia had her personal best showing this year, finally making it into individuals, winning 15th overall, and bageling the UMich A strip on her climb to the top. Women’s epee is looking forward to continuing their success in the coming weekends at VA Cup!

Men’s Epee – Pulak Raj ’20

A strong men’s epee team consisting of Pulak Raj ’20, William Bushman ’18, and Ben Coleman ’19 entered CFCs with high hopes and expectations. Ben Coleman relentlessly punished his opponents for exposing their arm by precisely picking their wrists. He won a key bout against The University of Chicago in the round of 32, pushing the squad past UChicago without even having to fence all 9 bouts. He even won his bout against Cornell, the 2nd place epee squad. Will Bushman was unstoppable with his long fleches and ranged counter attacks. Will was on fire during the pool round, boasting a very strong 8-4 record and almost qualified for the individual round. Although he broke almost all his blades in the process, Will won important bouts during the elimination round, vital to securing our final position. Pulak Raj, using a combination of quick foot touches and strong parries took down many tough fencers. Although he had a rough start in the pool round, he helped the team make the final push in the elimination round to secure their place in the top 16. In the end, the men’s epeeists put in everything to live up to their expectations, and are determined to showcase their true potential in two weeks at the Virginia Cup.

Women’s Foil – Alex Marto ’18

Women’s foil hung tough this weekend against some of the hardest schools we have faced all year, finishing in 15th out of the 27 schools who dared to face these triumphant women. Veteran Alex Marto ‘18, anchor Elizabeth Sutterlin ‘20, and freshman Jennifer Chen ‘21 had grace, poise, and aggression throughout the 2-day event. The girls were cheered on by alumna Rose Mayo (Epee ’16) during the pool round on Saturday. Alex made every touch count either winning or losing 5-4 in what was the hardest pool of the 3 they were placed. Elizabeth finished strong, defeating Clemson’s A strip and bageling Indiana’s A strip. Jennifer never lost her energy. She landed her attacks surprising her opponent every bout. During Sunday’s direct eliminations, women’s foil started the day with an impressive upset, defeating Boston University 5-4. Jennifer ran into overtime against BU’s A strip winning by a single light touch, 3-2, with her opponent having priority and 15 seconds on the clock. One of the biggest nail biters of the day for sure. In the top 8 bracket, we were close to victory against UVA and each girl left with their heads high. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank all the women I have had the honor to fence with all four years at this college. You have made me a better person as well as a better fencer and I couldn’t be more proud to call foil my home.

Men’s Foil – Faisal Alami ’20

In this year’s CFCs, Faisal Alami ’20 led Brandon Mullins ’20 and Francis Winn ’20 to fence men’s foil. While it was an uphill battle for the three sophomores and former hall mates, each of them learned a lot from over the weekend and improved their fencing as the day went on. Brandon used the aggression of a sabreuer to score very quick advance lunges and Francis used the patience of an épéeist to lure his opponents in before getting quick parry 4 ripostes. Faisal’s quick eskeeves and ballestra lunges were critical for his bouts. All of men’s foil got some great fencing in over the weekend in the face of difficult circumstances, and they’ll only reach greater heights in the future.