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03/22/2023 06:34 AMThis past winter, the Hand fencing team kept up its streak of success when it came to manufacturing momentous solo and squad postseason performances, while being a group of 53 athletes that each cared about the person next to them above all else.
Head Coach Michael Ginsburg was extremely thankful to coach such an enthusiastic and hard-working bunch that boasted plenty of successes and hearty moments along the way. He explained that they exemplified the true tenets of high school athletics, where fun and friendship are often prioritized over wins and losses.
“We always have the same goals every season: have fun, learn to be a better fencer than when the season started, and strengthen the bonds of friendship, both old and new,” said Ginsburg. “During the season, we work hard and probably laugh just as much during practice. I personally feel truly lucky to work with an amazing group of student athletes every year, and this year was no exception. These young adults really look out for one another. They help each other through the ups and downs of the season and their lives outside of fencing. We never talk about winning, only improving ourselves as fencers and as people.”
Hand’s coach added that the Tigers had a pair of pivotal instances during the course of the campaign that expertly explained what their team is all about.
“Everyone just cares about everyone else; the winning just becomes a byproduct of the support they have for each other. Two moments that exemplify that philosophy came in the novice tournament and during Team States,” said Ginsburg. “The novice tournament is for our first-year fencers. Sophomore Bella Evans won gold for the girls’ épée event. The whole team surrounded her and were jumping up and down. Similarly in Team States, after [junior captain] Lily Paine had won her bout, she didn’t realize right away that she had also secured the state title. Our focus is on the moment, getting the next touch, supporting the next person up.”
The Team State Championships took place on March 11 at St. Bernard’s High School in Montville, with the girls finishing as the overall runner-up. Hand’s girls’ saber team of junior captain Anna Ferrucci, Paine, sophomore Ella O’Malley, and Jacqui Vyce won the state title for the second consecutive year.
They first dispatched a tough Fairfield team. The score was tied at four with one bout remaining. O’Malley came through with a 5-3 win, putting her squad into the next round. Next up was a talented Greenwich squad. Once again, the score was knotted at four. O’Malley again prevailed with a 5-1 win to put the Tigers in the finals versus Guilford. Paine won it for the team by a 5-3 final in her matchup to cement the ninth state title in the program’s history.
For the girls’ foil team, led by senior captain Red Sullivan, sophomore Maeve Wiles, sophomore Cora Davia, and junior Sarah Hagan, it finished in second place. In the first round, the team quickly dispatched Norwich Free Academy, winning 5-2. For the second round, the Tigers faced New London, with Hand winning again 5-2. In the gold medal round the squad again faced its familiar foe in Guilford, who won over Hand by a 5-2 final.
Finally, on the girls’ side, the épée team was led by the three captains of juniors Arianna Takyar, Addy Morada, and Norah Stotz. They tied for eighth, but lost out on participating in Team States due to tiebreakers with Ledyard, as only the top eight clubs in each discipline qualify for the team competition.
The boys had a strong day as well, finishing third overall behind only Guilford and Hopkins. For saber, led by senior captain Jay Boyer, sophomores Noah Lynch, Will Butler, and Will Cassidy, it finished in fourth place. The unit won its opening round with a very quick 5-0 win against North Haven. The second round saw a close 5-4 loss to Guilford, the eventual state champions. In the bronze medal match, the team lost again 5-4, this time to Morgan.
The men’s épée team, which is comprised of junior Hanley Tapia, sophomores Max Stein and Mason Johnson, and freshman Robbie Ginsburg, lost a heartbreaking opening round match, 5-4 to New London, with three of the losses being on 5-4 bouts. The team rebounded by besting Fitch, 5-2. In the last round, the Tigers took on Fairfield, winning 5-3. Tapia went 9-0 on the day to lead the squad.
The foil team, composed of senior captain Fede Barerra, sophomores Ricky Chamarro and Will Rode, and freshman Noah Enralran, took sixth in the event. The boys lost their opening round bout to Fairfield, 5-3. In the second round, they defeated Morgan 5-2 with Chamarro picking up three of the wins for the team. In the last round, they lost to East Lyme 5-3 to end the day.
When looking at the total season scope for the girls’ squads and disciplines, the saber team went undefeated in the conference and had only dropped two 5-4 meets during the season to Greenwich and Hopkins. They finished the regular season 13-2 and were the conference champions. Ferrucci was 28-5 during the regular season, while Paine went 29-6, and O’Malley finished 21 -11. All three athletes were First Team All Conference and First Team All-Academic.
For épée, the Tigers went 13-4 in the regular season and were the conference runner-up, behind the efforts of Takyar (37-10), Morada (33-13), and Stotz (23-15). The girls’ foil group also finished 13-4 for the regular season and was second in the conference. Sullivan finished with a personal mark of 40-5, Wiles was 33-12, and Davia went 26-11.
Conversely for the boys’ slate, the saber team went 10-5 and finished in second place in the conference. Boyer led the way, going 32-13, plus Lynch was 30-15, and Butler procured a record of 27-18. The épée squad finished 10-7 and went on to place third in the conference. Tapia went 43-5, Stein finished 21-20, and Johnson was all even at 20-20. Lastly, foil went 11-6 to come in third-best for the conference. Barerra finished with a mark of 30-15, plus Chamarro was 23-23, and Eljalran sported a record of 16-17.
For the team awards that were announced on March 16 at the squad’s banquet, Lynch was named Most Improved, while the Sportsmanship Award went to Chamarro and Davia. Wiles was bestowed with the Unsung Hero Award, and then Ferrucci, Paine, and O’Malley shared Team MVP accolades. The Coach’s Award went to Barerra, Sullivan, Boyer, and Stein. Lastly, Evans and Enjarlan were named Rookies of the Year.
With respect to postseason All-Conference and All-State Team selections, in saber, Ferrucci and Boyer were each All-Conference, All-State, and All-Academic, plus Paine, O’Malley, and Lynch were all All-Conference and All-Academic Team members.
For foil, Sullivan was named All-State, All-Conference, and All-Academic. Davia was both All-State and All-Conference, and then Wiles was All-Conference and All-Academic, and Barrera was selected as All-Conference. In épée, Tapia earned a spot on all three squads, and then Takyar was both All-Conference and All-Academic.
The senior departures are minimal in number but monumental in terms of their individual impacts on the Tigers’ close family of a team. Yet Ginsburg remains optimistic with the returning athletes compounded by hopeful prospects out of junior high.
“We are graduating five seniors out of a team of 53, so most of our team will remain intact,” said Coach Ginsburg, “although it will certainly hurt to lose Jay Boyer, Red Sullivan, and Fede Barerra. They have all dedicated themselves to four years of hard work, leadership, and kindness. [They were] true role models for any team. Hopefully there are boys and girls in the 8th grade who are interested in giving fencing a chance, as most of our fencers never fenced before they entered Hand. We are a big family and hope to keep it growing.”
As he heaped additional compliments on his departing athletes, Ginsburg expressed great gratitude when it came to the privilege of coming to coach each day with tremendous competitors and people who serve as ideal templates for the local community.
“Jay, Red, and Fede have given it their all the past four years,” Ginsburg said. “I get asked if I know the athletes on our team well, which I always find funny. We spend four months a year several hours a day, even longer on tournament days, together. I get to know these kids very well and love them all. I am truly lucky to be the coach of a team that supports one another, is kind to one another, and makes me look better than I actually am as a coach. All of the credit goes to the kids on this team, and the seniors led the way for the rest of us.”