Fencing on the verge of making history

With season records of 19-9 and 24-6, respectively, Vassar's men's and women's fencing teams are prepared in their respective battles for the Northeast Championship. Should either team secure the Championship title, it would be a first in the history of Vassar's fencing program.

For the women, the odds are good, if not already golden. The team controls its own destiny as the only group in the Northeast Conference with fewer than two conference losses. If they are able to conquer the field at Wellesley College on Sunday, they will win the title. Although facing a few more obstacles, the men are also in a position to win. A win against rival Sacred Heart University Feb. 6 will nearly assure them a second-place finish in league. Currently, Vassar has just one conference loss, while Sacred Heart is undefeated in league play.

Presently, the biggest challenge looming over the teams is a newfound sense of pressure. "There are stakes involved," said Sophie Courser '11 with a grin. She is confident that Vassar can beat Wellesley and Sacred Heart, as they already have this season, "but it'll be tough. We feel pressure we've never felt before," she said.

Recently, the men lost to conference rival Sacred Heart 17-10 in a match that did not count in the conference standings, but on Jan. 22 finished 4-1 against Brown University, Tufts University, Boston College, Brandeis College and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), losing only to Brown. And the women, who also competed that day against the latter teams and Smith College, went 5-1, only losing to MIT. On Saturday, Feb. 6, both Vassar teams will have another go at Sacred Heart, this time in a match that counts towards the conference standings, along with the remaining Northeast Conference teams.

Although the women's team has six losses, these defeats have nonetheless been impressive, coming against three teams currently ranked in the top five nationally: No. 2 Penn State University, No. 3 Harvard University and No. 4 Princeton University.

To build endurance, to be in the best physical shape possible, Vassar's men and women combine hours of technique training with conditioning: foot work (building leg-muscle strength), stretching, running and swimming.

Fencing requires an all-day commitment to the sport. "On competition days we usually leave around 3 or 4 a.m. and fence until 6 p.m. with long breaks in between battles," said Courser. "So keeping up the mental and physical energy all day is difficult."

Courser explained the range of competition Vassar encounters—spanning from club teams to Division I (DI) teams such as the University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia, Harvard, Yale and Brown Universities—and the need to switch strategies based on the skill level of one's opponents.

"Switching strategies can be difficult," conceded Courser, "but it's beneficial to have to switch from competing against DIs to club teams, or vice versa, because overconfidence can be deadly."

By developing its newer athletes at the club level, and challenging more highly skilled fencers at the DI level, the team doubtlessly possesses strength in its depth. "Some of us need more of a challenge and want to establish good records for NCAA competition; but it's nice to have club competition, as well," said Courser, "because people who are newer to fencing have a chance to gain experience and build confidence."

Courser believes the sudden success the program is experiencing is due to Gillman, who has been coaching at Vassar for six years. She also credits the development of the freshmen and the recruitment of more and more experienced fencers over the years factored into Vassar's success this season.

Focusing on this season, Courser explained, "There's a lot more strip-side coaching this year." In fencing, you're allowed to take one timeout per bout, "and just having a breather can be critical," said Courser. These breaks also allow teammates and coaches to share their observations and strategic advice with teammates and for cross-squad communication. For example, an epeeist can check how many points the foil squad has and determine what its next move should be.

Individual training sessions and battles are central to fencing, and in the past many of Vassar's fencers have come from individual training and competition backgrounds, Courser points out. This has made it difficult for team cohesion to build in previous years, which may have caused underwhelming past team performances. This year is different.

Even though the pressure is on as it has never been before, if Vassar's men's and women's fencing teams keep their cool, find confidence in their victories so far and remain focused on the task at hand, a fencing championship and Vassar history is within reach.