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03/14/2022 12:00 AMAfter recording two first-place finishes at the Individual State Championships, the Morgan fencing program qualified four of its squads for the Team State Championships last weekend. The Huskies wanted to show that the hard work they put in throughout the year was worth it and, in the end, four of their competition teams finished in the top five of their respective tournaments at the meet.
The Morgan boys’ saber and épée teams competed alongside its girls’ foil and saber squads at the Team State Championships at North Haven High School on March 13. Heading into the event, Head Coach Jim Barnett knew that the Huskies’ opponents would be ready for them following their strong performance at Individual States and that his fencers would have to raise their game.
“They were excited about Team States. They worked hard all week,” Coach Barnett said. “They knew it was going to be a tough time, because they did so well at Individual States. They knew that there was a target on their backs. We wanted to take it to the next level.”
The Morgan boys’ saber team entered the competition as the No. 2 seed in its tournament. The Huskies earned a 5-0 win versus Cheshire in the first round before taking a 5-1 loss to Hopkins, setting up a third-place match against Hand. Morgan defeated the Tigers by a 5-2 final to take third place.
The athletes who competed for the team at the state meet were seniors Connor Loth and juniors Ben Auletta and Addison Auletta. However, Coach Barnett said that it took a complete team effort for the Huskies to finish in third.
The Morgan boys’ épée team also entered its tournament as the No. 2 seed, opening the competition with a 5-2 win over Fairfield. Junior Oliver Baker, who had recently finished first at the Individual State Championships, went 2-1 during the match. The Huskies ultimately took a 5-4 loss to Hand and then a 5-4 defeat against East Lyme to finish in fourth place.
The girls’ saber team entered its tournament as the No. 1 and started off with a 5-0 victory over East Lyme. The Huskies took a 5-1 loss to Guilford in its next match, followed by a 5-3 defeat against Hopkins to finish in fourth place. Senior captain Kyra Savage, who was coming off of a first-place performance at the Individual State Championship, proved a key fencer for the Huskies throughout the tournament.
The Morgan girls’ foil team had the No. 8 seed in its tournament. The Huskies took a 5-0 loss to Guilford in their first match, but battled back to get a 5-3 win against Guilford in their next contest. Senior captain Maggie O’Donnell went 3-0 in the match with her third win marking her 100th overall for her career. Morgan ended the tournament by defeating Hand 5-3 to earn fifth place.
Coach Barnett said that his fencers were eager to step on the strip and take on some of the best teams in the state. Barnett felt that everyone was ready to compete in the meet and that their performances exceeded his expectations.
“It was a great day. It was nice to be able to have both Individual and Team championships. It was something these guys haven’t experienced for a couple years,” said Barnett. “Their energy was high. They were ready for it. I’m happy with their performance. As a team, we exceeded my expectations, and I’m really excited for the next couple of years.”
Prior to the Team State Championships, Morgan participated in the Individual State Championships at the Jewish Community Center in Woodbridge on March 5. Baker placed first in the boys’ épée competition, while Savage took first in girls’ saber tournament. Both athletes were named to the All-State First Team.
On the girls’ side, sophomore Samantha Way joined Savage on the All-State First Team after placing fourth in the saber competition. For the boys, Ben Auletta earned second place in boys’ saber, garnering All-State First Team accolades in the process. Junior Nick Basuch placed sixth in épée, and Loth finished seventh in saber with both fencers making the All-State Second Team.
One week before the state meets, Morgan hosted the Connecticut Coast Conference (CCC) Championships on Feb. 27. The girls’ foil team finished in second place after losing to Guilford in the championship match. The girls’ épée and saber squads both claimed third place by virtue of their respective wins versus North Haven.
The boys’ saber team posted a second-place finish for the Huskies, taking a defeat to Guilford in the title bout. The boys’ épée team finished in third place with a victory over North Haven, while the boys’ foil team came in fourth place.
Morgan saw several athletes earn All-Conference honors by virtue of their performances at the CCC Championships. O’Donnell and Morrissey made the All-CCC First Team for foil; Savage and Loth made the First Team in saber; and Baker earned First Team accolades in épée. O’Donnell, Savage, and Baker were also presented with All-Academic awards on behalf of the Huskies.
Then on March 1, Morgan finished its dual-meet season with a road meet against North Haven. The girls’ team defeated the Nighthawks 19-8, and the boys’ team prevailed by a 22-5 final as both squads finished with a 10-4 record for the regular season.
This year, the Morgan fencing program was led by three senior captains in Savage, O’Donnell, and Brendan Daly, a member of the boys’ foil team. Coach Barnett said that each one of his captains brought something different to the table.
Barnett credited with Daly with being an organized and detail-oriented leader, saying that the senior captain has set big goals for himself and did a great job in helping develop the younger members of the team.
O’Donnell is also a captain on Morgan’s field hockey and girls’ tennis teams. Barnett described O’Donnell as an excellent teacher who is able to quickly pick up on weaknesses and used that skill and help both herself and teammates grow.
Barnett said that Savage is the quietest of the third captains, but that she shined through her ability to work with her teammates, adding that she knows how to get things done and do them efficiently.
As Morgan looks ahead to next season, Coach Barnett is expecting to see progress from numerous returning Huskies. The boys’ épée team will be returning Baker, Bausch, fellow junior Brayden Esler, and freshman Joseph O’Brien. The returning athletes for the girls’ épée team include junior Muntara Singh and sophomores Gavin Gersz and Alessa Strunjo.
Freshman Henry Tessman will be coming back for the boys’ foil squad next year. Morrissey will among the athletes returning for the girls’ foil team.
The girls’ saber squad is graduating two seniors in Savage and Ava Rapini, but will be bringing back Way on the heels of her fourth-place performance at Individual States. Ben Auletta, Addison Auletta, and fellow junior Noah Borkowski are among the fencers coming back for the boys’ saber team.
No matter in which competition his athletes are fencing, Coach Barnett wants to make sure the Huskies are always in the zone. Barnett noticed that the best fencers in the state don’t get distracted. Morgan’s coach wants the Huskies to adopt that mantra and feel confident whenever they’re competing.
“The teams that seem to win are always the ones that are in the zone, and nothing gets to them. When they get on the strip, they’re so focused, nothing can penetrate that body of armor,” Barnett said. “That’s the big thing I really want them to remember. They need to be in that zone every time they’re on the strip. The hard work they put in this year paid off, and they’ll continue to work hard.”
Coach Barnett said that the Huskies had a strong desire to win and better themselves as a team throughout the season. Barnett said that his fencers never complained and wanted to be their best. If someone struggled, their teammate was there to pick them up. For Barnett, that camaraderie was crucial to the Morgan fencing program’s overall success this year.
“They exceeded my expectations. If they were out, they came back and worked extra hard. Their dedication and their desire was a big part of this team,” said Barnett. “They were committed to each other and always covered each other’s back. When one was down, the next one stepped up.”