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01/13/2013 11:00 PMIt didn't take long for Coach Pete Solomon to recognize that Li Sun would be an effective foilist when he first stepped on the strip for North Haven as a freshman. Solomon says he immediately took note of how Li was quick in terms of both his footwork and ability to learn, which helped him start for Indians' varsity as a sophomore.
Three seasons later, Li Sun has risen to the top of Indians' lineup, having proven a fencer who delivered with a crucial victory in states as a junior and is now guiding North Haven as a captain in his senior season.
"It took about a week of practice to notice that Li was a kid we'd be excited to work with the next four years and he's one of just a handful of kids who started varsity as a sophomore," says Coach Solomon. "Li is a smart kid, a quick learner, and a hard worker who held his own his sophomore year and then had the big breakthrough last season."
Li says he enjoys all aspects of fencing, from the physical component with how one needs to hold his or her low stance for three straight minutes, along with the sport's mental component, which requires one to think steps ahead of his or her opponent in order to prevail. Li has worked diligently on improving these aspects by increasing his stamina through offseason workouts, as well as gaining experience from competing in tournaments year-round.
"If you don't maintain your stance and can't lunge with explosiveness for three minutes, then you will get tired and won't perform as efficiently, which is why we go on those offseason sprints," Li says. "But the mental aspect is the hardest part because you have to think three steps ahead and react fast enough so you can outmaneuver your opponent. That's why you have to do fencing over the offseason so you know what to do when certain situations come up."
Last winter, a situation came up that forced Li to come up with a victory when his team's season was on the line. North Haven was facing Ledyard in the first round of states and the match stood tied 4-4 when Li took the strip for a winner-take-all bout. With all eyes fixed on him, Li came up huge, controlling his opponent from wire to wire to advance his team to the next round.
"The guy I faced was a great fencer, but because my teammates had already faced him that day, I was able to analyze what to look our for and what I could do against him," says Li. "I told my teammates not to worry about it because I felt I was going to win and it was definitely exciting after I did. It felt great to deliver for my team."
Solomon says he felt confident Li would prevail in that duel and adds that the senior captain "is a great kid who it's been a privilege to coach for four years."
Li also feels privileged to compete for a program with such a storied history as North Haven fencing and wants to help the Indians make more history this year by capturing a state crown.
"It's a great honor to be part of a program with a legacy like North Haven fencing. We always look up at the banners in the gym and see so many years of winning championships," Li says. "I will always cherish my memories with this team and hope to be part of the legacy this year by helping our team win a state title."