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03/28/2021 12:00 AMThe Hand fencing program has been the embodiment of consistency throughout the past several years. In 2021, Tigers once again proved the cream of the crop on the local fencing circuit.
The Tigers’ boys’ and girls’ fencing squads competed at their Conference Championship meets last week. Hand fenced against Guilford on March 23 and then faced Morgan on March 27, and both of the Tigers’ teams came away from the championship series by winning their respective titles.
Head Coach Michael Ginsburg felt proud that each of his teams claimed conference gold on the strength of their deep and talented rosters.
“One of the great things about fencing is that it is one of the few sports that you do not need any prior experience before high school and can still have an impact on the team,” said Ginsburg. “Since this year was such an outlier in terms of how the fencing season usually unfolds, we became even more reliant on the whole team, from our seniors to our freshman, to win both overall titles.”
On March 23, the Hand girls’ sabre team defeated Guilford by a 5-4 score as senior Megan Kelly came through in the final match to lead the Tigers to victory on their home floor. Senior captain Hope Blundon also won two of her three bouts.
The girls’ foil team was also victorious against the Grizzlies, claiming a 5-2 triumph. Senior captain Cameryn Brown won all three of her bouts for Hand.
The girls’ épée team also posted a 5-2 victory versus Guilford. Senior captain Sophie Glassman won each of her three matches to spur the Tigers to the win.
Four days later, the girls’ squad traveled to Clinton to take on Morgan in the final part of the championship series. The girls’ sabre and foil teams both lost, but the épée team recorded 5-1 victory. Even with two losses to Morgan, Hand took first place overall in the conference based on its cumulative performance in the series.
“Senior captain Sophie Glassman was truly leader for the women’s épée team. They were the only squad in the conference to go undefeated in both the regular season and the postseason,” Coach Ginsburg said. “Nobody came close to beating them this year, and it has a lot to do with Sophie’s leadership skills and the way she helped her whole team improve as individuals in order to benefit her entire team.”
The Hand boys’ fencing team also captured its conference crown after facing Guilford and Morgan on March 23 and 27, respectively. On March 23, Hand hosted Guilford and the sabre team came away with a 5-1 victory. Senior captain Daniel Ginsburg won all three of his bouts to bolster the Tigers.
The foil team took a 5-4 loss, but junior Nolan Sherry picked up two wins on the day. The épée team notched a 5-4 victory behind senior Quinn Johnson, who won all three of his matches.
When Hand faced Morgan on March 27, the Tigers’ sabre team earned a 5-3 win, the foil squad claimed a 5-1 victory, and the épée team took a 5-4 defeat. After combining the results from both the Guilford and Morgan meets, Hand came in first place overall to win its conference title.
“Senior captain Daniel Ginsburg was the only fencer in the conference to go undefeated in the postseason—the second year in a row he has accomplished that feat,” said Coach Ginsburg. “Daniel made it his mission this season to teach his fellow sabre team members, both the men and the women, all that he knew to help them win not only this year, but in the future, as well.”