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03/11/2015 12:00 AMHalfway through her high school fencing career, Morgan's Erin Barnett decided to switch to a different sword and that change has helped her progress into one of Connecticut's top competitors the last two campaigns.
The Huskies' senior co-captain started as a foilist in her freshman year, yet she felt that weapon wasn't quite the right fit. Consequently, Erin moved over to épée last season and finished seventh in her new discipline at the Individual State Championship to garner Second Team All-State distinction. Erin was also named Morgan's Most Valuable Player last year before earning a 24-10 regular season mark this winter and finishing ninth at individual states in épée on March 7.
"It [épée] is where I felt I belonged. I'm tall, so it helped me with my height," says Erin. "Everyone else here primarily fences foil, so it was a hard transition, but once I got there, it worked for me because my style of fencing was more for épée."
Huskies' Head Coach and Erin's father James Barnett says that she's not only an accomplished athlete, but also helps lead the team by acting as a second instructor who acclimates her teammates to their new weapons.
"She is probably one of the top fencers in the state and one of the strongest leaders I've ever had for the team," says Coach Barnett. "She knows how to balance her relationship with the rest of the team as both a captain and friend. She's been instrumental in adding épée fencers to the team by helping me teach them the discipline."
Erin finds a good chunk of time to practice her craft while fencing for her ICONN club in Wallingford during the offseason. On the strip at Morgan, she has helped guide two fellow épée fencers to states this year in Caleigh Heske and Paul Nangle.
"Staring out in épée was hard for me because it was difficult to get practice in it on the team that is mostly foil, so I do a lot of training for it with my club team [ICONN]," says Erin, who also runs the mile and two-mile during outdoor track season. "I love teaching fencing. It's been a great experience for me and I help my teammates that I teach épée to like it. It's also fun to help those that are in my former shoes in learning a new weapon."
Competing on the national championship level last year for the United States Fencing Association in Ohio, Erin bonded with fellow competitors from all around the land. Erin formed some friendships with those fencers, just as the three-year captain has done with her tight-knit Huskies' group.
"Going to nationals was a great experience because it was great to see all different fencers from across the country and I made some friends through it," she says. "As a captain, if anyone has any problems, they can talk to me for help, whether it's about fencing or something else. It's been a great time because we are all so close with each other."
As Erin and the Huskies began their first postseason run as a varsity squad at the individual state meet last weekend, she can't help but look back on the early, formative days of the program.
"At states, it's been a great year for girls' foil, so they should do well. Our boys' foil is also young and growing. For me at states, I'm excited and looking forward to doing well," says Erin, who thanks her father and her brother Stephen. "I can still remember us practicing at the Parks and Recreation building and it being just myself and four other boys. Now, we have grown into 17 members and it's been a huge difference to be recognized for what we do by the whole school."