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02/27/2022 11:00 PMWhen Jim Harris took the helm of the North Haven fencing program last year, he became the team’s fourth head coach in the past four seasons. Now in the second season of his second tenure, Coach Harris is impressed with how the Nighthawks’ fencers are progressing both on and off the strip.
Entering the season, North Haven had numerous novice fencers on its roster. Five of the nine starters on the girls’ team were novices, and 11 novice fencers wound up earning their varsity letter this year. During the first month, Coach Harris’s squad mostly focused on fundamentals.
However, even with so many new fencers in the program, Harris saw the Nighthawks get into a better rhythm as his athletes gained an understanding of how he ran practices and what he expected out of the program. Those expectations are lofty, but Harris said that this year’s team was eager to meet them.
“I’m incredibly proud of both teams. It has been nice to have some normalcy back. There’s continuity, and the kids understand how I want to run a practice,” Coach Harris said. “My expectations for them are high. I expect us to be competing for state championships, and they expect that as well. They’ve really put in the work this year.”
The North Haven’s boys’ fencing team went 8-6 this season. They were the more experienced of the two teams with several foil and épée fencers returning from last year. At first, North Haven’s foilists were leading the charge, but as the year went on, the Nighthawks’ épée and saber teams showed major improvement.
“Our boys’ squad was our more veteran team. The foil squad was carrying us a bit early,” said Harris. “As the year went on, épée and saber picked up” and exceeded all his expectations this year.
The Nighthawks’ foil team is led by senior Ryan DeVaux, who has a record of 26-5 on the year and whom Coach Harris called one of the elite fencers in the state. DeVaux is joined by fellow senior Andy Cecarelli, who is one of North Haven’s captains this season. Cecarelli has won eight bouts on the year, and Harris said that his strong leadership has proved crucial for the Nighthawks. Harris has also been pleased with the performance of junior Mohan Baheti, who has 13 victories this year.
North Haven’s boys’ foil team also features juniors Max Russo, Tai Moffat, and Zohaib Saleem, along with freshmen Jack Giaquinto and Grant Grotzke.
Leading the way for the boys’ épée team is junior Jess Hansard, who has 15 wins on the season. Coach Harris said that Hansard has been the team’s anchor at épée and that he thrives in pressure situations. The épée squad also features senior Sal Woyciejes; juniors Jon Chin, Luke Hamling, and Ellwyn Michael; sophomore Parthiv Patel, and freshman Matt Kompare.
For the saber team, junior Will Whitcomb has earned a record of 17-10 for North Haven. Harris said that Whitcomb has always been an aggressive fencer, but that he’s added an element of control this year. Between his toughness and technical ability, Whitcomb is having quite a successful season.
Joining Whitcomb on the saber strip are senior Ben Rudikoff, junior Pete Harkins, and freshmen Jaden Nguyen, Jeff Stalker, and Hashim Ibrahim.
The North Haven girls’ fencing team posted a record of 7-7 this season. While the team features many novice fencers, Coach Harris was so impressed with their development that he had them compete at this year’s JV Tournament, rather than the Novice Tournament, at North Haven High School in January.
Sophomore Ayla Sivri finished third in the JV Tournament, while freshman Anna Hansard placed eighth out of 21 fencers in the épée competition. Sophomore Anita Sajan finished sixth out of 16 competitors in the saber competition.
Every season, Harris tells his novice fencers that their first year will be about fundamentals. However, Harris quickly recognized that this year’s team was willing to take on any challenge.
“They were so fearless,” Harris said. “It’s like in baseball, where it’s you versus the pitcher. It’s the same in fencing where, when you’re on the strip, it’s you versus your opponent. You don’t have a team behind you. You don’t have anyone else. For these girls to go out and respond that well was really impressive.”
Junior captain Joline Nguyen, who competes in foil, is leading the way for the Nighthawks with her record of 24-10. Coach Harris said that Nguyen has grown into an ace this year and is serving as the anchor for the foil squad.
Nguyen is joined by fellow junior Samantha Adams, who is 22-14. After being a novice last season, Adams switched over from épée this year and has really come into her own.
North Haven’s foil team also features sophomores Rachel Adams and Mackenzie Ly along with freshman Hanako Moffat.
Junior Audrey Notaro has a record of 12-12 for the Nighthawks’ saber squad. With all of her teammates being novices, Notaro has taken on a strong leadership role and become a mentor for her fellow Nighthawks.
The other fencers on North Haven’s girls’ saber team are sophomore Anita Sajan and Brina Shah, in addition to freshman Antonina Novicki.
Sivri has done much of the heavy lifting for the épée team with her record of 20-11. Coach Harris said that the junior is a fierce competitor who has come to enjoy the idea of competition. Harris added that when Sivri is on, there are very few fencers, including veterans, who can take her down.
Sivri is joined at on the saber squad by fellow sophomore Nesibe Ergin and freshmen Anna Hansard and Jannat Imran.
In terms of captains, Harris felt that the selection of Nguyen and Cecarelli was an easy one. Cecarelli also served as a captain as a junior last year. Harris said that Cecarelli and Nguyen both understand the challenges that come with being captain and have filled their roles admirably.
“It’s a position I take seriously. It’s not just a pin and a jacket. I ask a lot of them in practice. I ask a lot of them outside of practice,” Harris said. “They were no-brainers. I’ve known Andy for a long time. To see him as a leader was a lot of fun. He has done an amazing job leading this team. Joline impressed the heck out of me. She is a vocal leader. She isn’t shy and commands respect. Her abilities to lead and be a captain have been clear since I’ve been coach.”
On Feb. 27, North Haven competed at this year’s Connecticut Coast Conference Championships (CCC). This is the first year of the CCC, which features Morgan, Guilford, Hand, and North Branford. Cheshire will join the conference next year. This year’s competition took place at Morgan.
All six of North Haven’s teams qualified for the event. Going into it, Coach Harris said he was hopeful that the Nighthawks would fight for every point and prove just how strong of a program they’ve become. Both of North Haven’s foil teams would up taking third place at the championship meet.
Sivri and Nguyen earned All-CCC First Team honors for the girls’ squad, while Samantha Adams made the Second Team. For the boys, DeVaux garnered All-CCC First Team accolades, and Whitcomb was a Second Team honoree. North Haven will next compete at the Individual State Championships this weekend and then has the Team State Championships the following weekend.
Last season, North Haven only fenced against Guilford and Hand. This year, the Nighthawks have been able to square off against several of the top teams in the state. As North Haven looks to build off of its strong season, Coach Harris is hoping that both current and future Nighthawks will look at the legacy of the program and find ways to continue that tradition.
“We’re one of the blue bloods of the sport. We’ve got the banners and the trophies and the names on the wall at the high school to show that. To step into that gym and be a part of that program is an honor and a challenge,” said Harris. “You have to want to be a part of that legacy and want to grow it. These championships don’t just happen. You have to work for them.”