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03/30/2022 12:00 AMWhen a physical limitation deterred him from playing other sports, Andy Cecarelli turned to fencing. On the strip, Andy found a sport that he’s passionate about and, with North Haven, he found a team that he will never forget.
Andy recently finished his senior season as a member of the North Haven boys’ fencing team. Andy was a foil fencer for the Nighthawks who led his squad as a senior captain this winter.
At three months old, Andy was diagnosed with congenital nystagmus, which affected his visual acuity and functional vision. While he had played soccer and tee-ball, Andy stopped participating when things got competitive. This happened in 2nd grade, at which point Andy started fencing at the Iconn Fencing Club in Wallingford.
With Iconn Fencing, Andy fenced against other kids who were around his age, and he felt comfortable out there. Andy soon started to succeed and began to enjoy fencing for both the physical and mental sides of the sport.
“Four months into the sport, it really clicked with me. I liked the fact that it was one-on-one,” says Andy. “It was a sport that relies on quick thinking and physical ability. While it requires a lot of physical endurance, you also need a lot of brain power. I was able to excel in fencing more than I would in other sports.”
The Iconn Fencing Club eventually became the Silver City Fencing Club, and Andy continued competing there through his 6th-grade season. Fencing from a young age gave Andy a solid foundation in the sport. When he joined the high school team, Andy had already gained valuable experience that helped him as a freshman.
Andy took a break from fencing in 7th and 8th grade, but in his freshman year, he decided to join the North Haven fencing program. Andy remembered the foundation that he formed and how much he liked the sport, leading him to sign up with the Nighthawks.
“It was something I already had a foundation in. I knew that I could be good at it. I knew that it was something I enjoyed,” Andy says. “Once I saw that the high school had a team for it, I knew it was another way I could get involved at the high school. I was looking forward to meeting new people, making new friends, and competing.”
Andy mostly fencing at the JV level during his freshman season. That year, his entire mentality toward the sport changed. At the club level, Andy was fencing as just an individual. Now, with North Haven, Andy had a team behind him and enjoyed competing alongside people who loved fencing just as much as him.
“The high school fencing style was different. At the clubs, you felt like you were fencing as an individual. You were facing all these people by yourself,” says Andy. “At the high school level, you have the benefit of being with a team. Instead of fencing just one bout, you’re fencing nine bouts with your squad. I really enjoyed the team aspect. I had people behind me supporting me.”
Andy feels that he was “messy” fencer in his freshman year. Andy says that he was too fast, didn’t think enough, and that both his footwork and blade-work were off. Over time, though, he was able to refine those skills. As he did more conditioning, the various movements became a part of Andy’s muscle memory. Once he had the fundamentals down, Andy started focusing on more complex attacks.
Andy’s progression helped him reach the varsity level in his sophomore season, and he remained a varsity fencer through his senior year. As a senior, Andy competed in the boys’ foil competition at the Individual State Championship, finishing in 21st place out of 56 fencers. While he was competing as an individual at the meet, Andy knew that every member of the Nighthawks was striving for the same goal and was determined to make their teammates proud.
“I had a really fun time fencing in the individual competition. Even though we were separate, we were fencing as a squad,” Andy says. “We still had that team aspect in the air. It was difficult, but the coaches really helped us prepare for it.”
Jim Harris became North Haven’s head coach during Andy’s junior season. During the past two years, Harris he has seen Andy grow into leader and become an athlete who the Nighthawks can rely upon in any situation both on and off the strip.
“Andy is an amazing leader and fencer. He is one person that everyone on the team can count on,” says Harris. “Andy is a big reason why the team was able to thrive despite all of the challenges of the past four years. The team is going to miss his leadership, and I am going to miss having him here.”
Andy’s leadership helped earn him the role of captain as a junior. Andy continued in that role through his senior year, serving as one of North Haven’s two captains alongside junior Joline Nguyen. In his junior year, Andy used the season to learn how to be a leader. When he became a senior, Andy was ready to lead and be the captain that the Nighthawks needed.
“As a junior, I was really honored to be given the opportunity to be captain. I was a leader, but I was also using it as a learning experience,” Andy says. “This year, I feel like I really came into my own as a captain. I was really proud of the work that the team put in, that Jolene put in, that I put in. I felt a lot of pride for the team.”
When he got into fencing, Andy loved the one-on-one aspect of it. However, after he joined the North Haven program, Andy realized that fencing was much more than an individual sport. By his senior year, every time that Andy scored a point, he was doing it for his team. As he graduates from the Nighthawks, Andy appreciates how the past four years have given him a plethora of memories that he will forever cherish.
“Fencing for North Haven is an experience I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget. The bond between the fencers, the coaches, and everyone involved in North Haven fencing is one of the strongest I’ve seen,” says Andy. “To have those two hours every day—when you’re with a team, everyone is competing for the same thing—that bond is something that really improved my experience in high school. I’ll never forget this experience on the team.”