Andy Bastian | Phoenix Staff

Rodrigo Luger and Robert Mohr spar during fencing practice.

BY NOLAN GEAR

In print | Published October 2, 2008

In only their second year as an officially recognized club sport, the Swarthmore fencing team is prepared to demonstrate its versatility and skill this season. Although their season hasn’t officially started, training is already in full swing. This weekend the team had its first event of the year, Camp Capin, a strategy and technique-based clinic taught by University of Florida fencing coach Bruce Capin twice a year at Swarthmore. This is the third time that Capin has come to Swarthmore to give his workshop.

“It’s an opportunity for the team to train intensively for a weekend with a top coach,” Marshal Davis, who serves as Head Coach of the Swat Fencing team, said. “[Capin] was a member of the US National Squad 9 or 10 years in a row. He was the one who held the American flag in the Moscow Olympic festival.” The clinic serves the needs of both freshmen members and upperclassmen desiring to push their technique to the limit. Being coached by such an illustrious fencing expert allows students to focus very intensely on strategy, and allows the freshmen members, most of whom are first-time fencers, an opportunity to truly develop their skills.

The fencing team is now poised to begin its season. With the help of Coach Davis and his wife, Assistant Coach Helen Kaplan, the team is getting ready for its first competition on November 15th: the Temple Open at Temple University in Philadelphia. “It’s a great first tournament because it’s late enough in the school year,” Saber Captain Robert Mohr ‘09 said. “This way, new fencers have already gained some experience. And it’s also good because it’s individually scored; it’s a good diagnostic.”

“There will be a lot of good fencers at Temple,” Foil Captain Fletcher Coleman ’09 said. “It’s mostly Division 1 athletes.” Still, Swarthmore is expected to do well at their first tournament.
“It’s individually scored, so it’s an opportunity for our stars to do well,” Davis said. “Hopefully, we’ll get some finalists in the tournament.” The Temple Open is the second largest collegiate fencing tournament in the world, second only to the championships for the US Association of Collegiate Fencing Clubs, or USACFC, which Swarthmore College will host in 2010.

Although it is less than two years old as an official club sport, the Swarthmore Fencing team has already made a name for itself. Doug Woos, now a sophomore, medaled at both USACFC and SAC championships last year, while sophomores Jing Yi Ng and Natasha Tonge medaled at SAC. At SAC, The Women’s Epée and Men’s Foil teams got silver and bronze medals, respectively.
With these recent successes in mind, the Swat fencing team enters its second season with understandably high expectations. The season will be marked by tournaments such as the Temple Open and the West Coast Collegiate Invitational Fencing Challenge at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Notably, Swarthmore is actually hosting the SAC championships February 8th-9th, 2009.

Despite its immense success, the fencing team remains open to all newcomers. Freshmen fencers, generally with no past experience, vouch that the team is supportive and receptive.
“Most of the practices are more like lessons for the beginners,” Tayarisha Poe ’12 said. “It’s really geared for beginners.”

Coach Davis has extended an open invitation to any members of the Swarthmore community interested in joining the fencing team.

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