It has been quite a year for the St. John’s fencing program. In March it finished second to Penn State in the NCAA Fencing Championships, only losing by a margin of four points (175-171). It also sent two fencers to the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Arlene Stevens and Keeth Smart represented SJU and the United States in the Olympic Games.
Last weekend, it continued its winning ways in the season opener at the Brandeis Invitational Tournament in Waltham Massachusetts. Both teams posted four wins each which was enough to win the tournament.
In men’s action the Red Storm dominated the action. It beat the Brown Bears 23-4 in round one winning the foil 9-0, and capturing the saber and epee 7-2.
In round two The Boston College Eagles fell to SJU 25-2 and 9-0 in saber and epee competition and 7-2 in the foil.
Next up for the men was Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Storm defeated them 24-3 winning all three weapons 8-1.
With the tournament championship at stake it defeated the host, Brandeis winning 24-3, 9-0 in the foil, 8-1 in the saber and 7-2 in the epee.
Alex Roytblat and Doron Levit led the team in the epee by going 9-0. David Meritt led the team in the foil winning 10-0 and Keeth Smart and Darrin Whitmer went 8-0 to lead SJU in the saber.
The women fencers were equally successful sweeping all four rounds of the tournament. The team defeated Brown 21-6 shutting them out in the saber 9-0 in round one. The next round was a win over Boston College 19-8 with a 7-2 win in the epee and foil. The saber match was closely contested with SJU prevailing 5-4.
Against M.I.T. it beat them 20-7 taking the epee 9-0, the foil 8-1 and the saber 6-3. The win sent them to the final round where it beat Brandeis 21-6, taking the foil 9-0, epee 8-1 and losing the saber 5-4.
Olympian Arlene Stevens led SJU in the epee going 9-o. In the foil Irina Khouade finished 12-0 and Marisa Mustilli went 11-1 in the saber.
Up next for the fencing teams is the NAC Open in Ontario California from December 8th to December 10th.
