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03/14/2022 12:00 AMAlthough the North Haven fencing program featured many young athletes this year, that didn’t deter the Nighthawks from entering the season hungry to prove that they could succeed on the strip. Three of North Haven’s fencing teams competed at last week’s Team State Championships, where they had a chance to demonstrate just how far they’ve come both individually and as a group.
The Nighthawks’ girls’ saber team, boys’ saber team, and boys’ foil squad all qualified for this year’s Team State Championships, which were hosted at North Haven High School on March 13. When they found out who qualified, Head Coach Jim Harris’s fencers were eager to outperform their seeds in their respective tournaments.
“Once we had those three squads qualify, we knew we were going to be underdogs. Men’s foil had a very uphill battle. The goal was to try and beat our seeding,” Coach Harris said. “We knew we didn’t have a tremendous amount of experience. It was the last chance they were going to get to fence together, have some fun, and do their best. They fenced great.”
The North Haven girls’ saber team entered the State Championship as the No. 6 seed. The squad lost its first-round matchup against Hopkins, but then bounced back to defeat Greenwich and Fairfield and finish in fifth place. Coach Harris said that the athletes on the girls’ saber team were pleased with their performance and felt like all their hard work had paid off. The fencers that competed for the team in states were junior Audrey Notaro, sophomores Brina Shah and Anita Sajan, and freshman Antonina Novicki.
North Haven’s boys’ saber squad was ranked fifth heading into the state meet. The Nighthawks took a loss against Hand in the first round and ultimately finished in sixth place. Coach Harris said that he was impressed with the team’s heart and willingness to battle until the final point had been recorded.
The athletes on the team are senior Ben Rudikoff, juniors Will Whitcomb and Peter Harkins, and freshman Jaden Nguyen.
The North Haven boys’ foil team was the No. 8 seed in states and took losses against Staples, Guilford, and East Lyme. Coach Harris felt proud to see the Nighthawks leave everything they had on the strip and compete to the best of their abilities against some of top teams in the state. The squad was led by senior captain Andy Cecarelli, fellow senior Ryan DeVaux, and juniors Tai Moffat and Zohaib Saleem.
In order to earn its spot at the Team State Championships, North Haven first needed to compete in the Individual State Championships at the Jewish Community Center on Woodbridge on March 2. DeVaux finished sixth in the boys’ foil competition to earn All-State Second Team honors for the Nighthawks. Sajan finished 16th in the girls’ saber tournament, while freshman Anna Hansard took 16th place in the girls’ épée competition.
For most of North Haven’s athletes, the two state meets marked the first time that they had competed on a stage of that magnitude. With many of those fencers returning next year, Coach Harris felt that the postseason provided valuable experience that will make the returning Nighthawks grow stronger.
“We lose four incredible fencers. It’s going to be a huge loss. But at the same time, we’re really excited seeing all the freshmen and sophomores that got to fence this year,” said Harris. “And they were hungry. It wasn’t enough. They always wanted more. We should have senior leadership and a group of young, hungry fencers.”
North Haven now has the experience that’s needed to succeed in these marquee meets. The Nighthawks also have a sense of continuity with Harris having finished the second season of his second tenure as head coach. Now, as his program moves forward, Coach Harris wants his fencers to continue putting in the work as they strive to climb higher in the state ranks.
“There’s absolutely no reason they shouldn’t be up there getting medals at the end of these tournaments. We’ve been working very hard, but it’s going to take more,” Harris said. “They see what they can accomplish. They’re going to come into the first day of practice knowing what the expectations are and what it’s going to take to bridge the gap.”
The North Haven girls’ fencing team’s roster features junior captain Joline Nguyen; juniors Samantha Adams and Audrey Notaro; sophomores Rachel Adams, Mackenzie Ly, Nesibe Ergin, Ayla Sivri, Anita Sajan, and Brina Shah; and freshmen Hanako Moffat, Anna Hansard, Jannat Imran, and Antonina Novicki.
The North Haven boys’ fencing squad’s roster includes senior captain Andy Cecarelli; fellow Ryan DeVaux, Sal Woyciesjes, and Ben Rudikoff; juniors Mohan Baheti, Max Russo, Tai Moffat, Zohaib Saleem, Jon Chin, Jess Hansard, Luke Hamling, Ellywyn Michael, Will Whitcomb, and Peter Harkins; sophomore Parthiv Patel; and freshmen Jack Giaquinto, Grant Grtozke, Matt Kompare, Jaden Nguyen, Jeff Stalker, and Hashim Ibrahim.