The night of March 7, as fans funnelled out of the Hale Ray vs Morgan girls basketball game to go to sleep, the Morgan fencing team shuffled into the gym to begin the hour-long process of setting up for the team fencing tournament that was set to take place the next day.
Working together, as they always do, they set up eight strips, machines, and reels. Their parents set up tables, waffle machines, and crockpots for the concession area. The Morgan fencing team was ready to take on the State Team Championship.
The next day, the Morgan fencers that participated in the tournament arrived at the school by eight and did not leave until around five that night.
The time invested was worth it, though, as Morgan was one of only two schools (Morgan and Hopkins) to qualify all six squads to compete in the State Team Tournament: men’s foil, men’s épée, men’s sabre, women’s épée, women’s foil, and women’s sabre.
Sophomore foil fencer, Taylor Breen, a member of the women’s foil squad in the tournament, shared, “I was really proud that we qualified all six squads. After doing it last season, I am glad we could do it again.” Over the past two years, only Morgan achieved this goal consecutively.
The day of the team tournament, a member of the women’s foil squad and varsity starter, junior Ava Nettleton, enjoyed her experience this year. “I love being able to see how we’ve progressed throughout the season when we come together and put all our hard work into teams,” she shared.
After a day of fencing, women’s foil placed fourth, women’s saber placed fourth, women’s épée placed seventh, men’s épée placed fifth, men’s foil placed sixth, and men’s saber placed sixth.
The State Team Tournament competitors were determined the week before, on March 1; via the State Individual Tournament in
which three fencers from each squad competed. Based on how well each squad’s individuals did, determined which eight schools would be competing in the team championship for first in each weapon. Seniors Henry Tessman and Nicole Zi Yue Zhou finished in the top four of individuals. This earned them First Team All-State. Tessman, who has fenced for four years, shared, “I have really been working for it all my high school years in fencing, so it was extremely relieving to finally achieve it.” This was Tessman’s first time earning this award.
Although the State Team Championship tournament marked the end of the fencing season, for the seniors, it meant the end of their high school fencing career. Senior captain Meredith O’Brien, a member of the team for the last four years shared, “I wish I had done better with my personal fencing, it was my last time fencing for Morgan and I wish I could’ve done better to help my squad go farther, and also to end of my season on a more positive not.” O’Brien shared, “our team and my squad had such a good ending to the season, and it definitely was a good end to my high school fencing career.”
For those returning, the end only highlighted the teamwork that went into the season. Breen also had a great experience. This was her first time dressing for the Team Championship. She shared, “It was a great, positive experience, even if we didn’t take home the big medals.” Breen thought that experience was very different from last year. From cheering on the team last year as a novice to now being one of the fencers, but she wanted the same thing as last year, her team doing as well as they could.
With the season over, Nettleton shared, “Everyone was very supportive throughout the competition. The energy is always great but especially amongst my squad.” She said, “the team has a very ‘everyone supports everyone’ type of bond. We have teammates from all different backgrounds but everyone is super close despite that.”
