Fencing Picks up Hardware at IFAs

The Heisman, the Hobey Baker, and the Naismith all pale in comparison.

In last year’s storybook season, one prestigious medal eluded the decorated Harvard fencing team: the Iron Man, the oldest consistently awarded trophy in collegiate history, bestowed upon the top foil squad at the Intercollegiate Fencing Association (IFA) Championships each winter.

At Saturday’s edition in Lawrenceville, N.J., the squad checked off its final to-do item with a men’s foil victory and added wins in the combined men’s and women’s, the women’s three-weapon, men’s saber, and women’s epee.

That is all before even mentioning the individual achievements. Or the fact that the men finished second in the three-weapon event.

“At least on the men’s side, we had a lot of momentum from last week,” said captain and saber fencer Tim Hagamen. “We really came together as a team. Especially after all of the trials and tribulations of the year, between Sam Cross’s illness and people leaving the team, it was great to overcome those obstacles.”

Prior to the event, Crimson coach Peter Brand was not sure who he was going to put into the field of play. Riddled with injuries over the past weeks, Saturday looked to be a day of rest, a day for backup fencers in the relaxing IFA events.

But healed hands and strengthened knees allowed the squad to play at full strength, a necessary step towards making a statement and preparing for next week’s NCAA Regionals.

“Considering the fact that we were weaker this year overall, this was an incredible performance by our fencers,” Brand said. “They were clearly dominating today...it shows the character of our team, that they’ll take their lumps but they’ll come back and fight. They’re very good fencers, and any day, they have a chance of winning—and winning big.”

After finishing second in the Ivy League to Columbia, the women needed a solid showing to bounce back and enter Regionals with momentum. They did so by placing first in two weapons and second in the other.

Freshman Artemisha Goldfeder showed her once-aching hand is a barrier no more, taking the title in women’s foil, with classmate Arielle Pensler tacking on a third-place finish.

In the saber, junior Alexa Weingarden took second in the event she won the previous year.

Women’s epee continued to be the rock of the team, with senior Jasmine McGlade topping the list.

“For a couple of our seniors, it was their last IFA meet,” said junior co-captain and saber fencer Samantha Parker. “It’s a really fun meet, so people were a lot more relaxed and just fenced their best, turning up the heat. It was great to see everyone fencing at a high level.”

The men were not to be outdone, also winning two weapons, but finishing third in the other.

Junior Edward Sherill and Hagamen were crowned champions in the epee and saber, respectively. Senior Enoch Woodhouse wore the bronze in the foil at the end of the day for Harvard.

“Enoch Woodhouse fenced probably better than I’ve ever seen him fence,” Hagamen said. “It was really great to see him fence up to his potential. As a senior, he’s really given a lot to the team, and it’s really great to see him perform that well.”

Harvard travels to Medford, Mass., next Saturday for the NCAA Northeast Regional where the number of fencers that will compete in the search for a second consecutive national championship will be decided.