Mendham High School Fencing

Head Coach Tishman Named the Star-Ledger's State Girls Fencing Coach of the Year, 2010-11

Congratulations to head coach Tom Tishman, who has been honored by the Star-Ledger as the State Girls Fencing Coach of the Year!

Be sure to read the full article here.

Press Coverage of Girls' Win over Columbia

A brand new weblog entitled, "North Jersey Girls and Women's Sports" covered Mendham's win over Columbia.  Scroll down to the weblog to a great slide show of action and candid shots from the meet.

Historic Day for Mendham Fencing

Coverage of Mendham HS Fencing's historic day:

Star Ledger: Boys at Ramapo - Star Ledger: Girls hosting Holy Angels

Bergen Record: "Holy Angels Falls Short Against Mendham"

Boys Brackets - Girls Brackets

The Boys' Team fences in the semi-finals against Columbia High School, Maplewood, at New Jersey Fencing Alliance on Wednesday, February 23.  The Girls' Team is scheduled on Tuesday, February 22, to host Columbia High School.  In initial discussions with Columbia, we have learned they, too, have girls traveling on Tuesday afternoon from Dallas, but their coach will not be available on Wednesday.  So, it increasingly looks like we will be hosting on February 22, at 7:00pm in the small gym.  This is not yet official.    

Both teams will definitely be competing on Wednesday, March 2, at Morris Hills High School, fencing for either a state championship bronze medal at 4:30pm or the gold medal at 7:30pm.

Good luck to Kaitlyn Wallace, Alexandra Boden and Ryan Western at the USFA Junior Olympics this weekend in Dallas and Alexander Andriatis who will be competing at the BCAF Ironman Epee Open.

Mendham Boys Named 'Team to Watch' by Star-Ledger

In case you missed it, the Star-Ledger named Mendham High School Boys' Fencing the team to watch this week after their thrilling victory over Randolph, 15-12.  Click here to be whisked to the article.

MCW This Week Athlete Profile: Alex Boden

In case you missed it, girls' sabre squad captain Alex Boden is this week's athlete of the week in the Mendham-Chester supplement to the Daily Record. Click here to read the article.

In Case You Missed It ...

... the Observer-Tribune carried the following story in the paper dated Thursday, January 27, 2011: "Boys and Girls Fencing Teams Come on Strong at County Championships."

Vote for the Best Sports Teams

We in the Mendham High School fencing community, of course, know who the best male and female sports teams are. 

Make sure the rest of our larger community knows, too. Vote for the best male and female sports teams on the 3rd annual "Mendies Best of ..." ballot.  The ballot is due back at Mendham TV, local channel 25, by February 15.

Photos from Boys' Foil Squad at MCHSFC

Click on the picture to see it full-size in a pop-up window.

   
Adam Campos            Adam Pollack                Julian Campos
Infights                      Corp-a-corp                  Attacks

 

Photos courtesy of Anne Zimmermann

Media Coverage of Morris County Championships

Star-Ledger, Girls' Fencing Week in Review

Star-Ledger, Boys Fencing - Results in Both Genders

Daily Record

Western Named "Fencer of the Week" by Star Ledger for Santelli Performance

The Star Ledger this week named Mendham High School senior and girls' fencing captain Ryan Western "Girls' Fencer of the Week" for her undefeated performance on the A-strip at the Santelli Relay Championships leading Mendham's foil squad to the gold medal.  Western won 13 encounters and tied twice.

Observer-Tribune: Mendham Fencers Come On Strong at Tournament

In case you missed the sports section of the Observer-Tribune on Thursday, December 2, it carried an article about the team members' success at the Junior Olympic Qualification Tournaments.

Fencing Masters NYC on TV

The Fencing Masters NYC will be shown on TV this Sunday, December 5, at 12:00 noon on SNY-TV channel 78 on Comcast.

Sewing Instructions for Team Patches

If you are a new fencer or fencing parent, you might wonder where to sew the team patch purchased at practice.  
 
Epee and foil fencers wear their patches on the sleeve of their non-weapon arm.  If the fencer is right handed, the patch would go on the left sleeve.  If the fencer is left handed, the patch would go on the right sleeve.  The top of the patch is sewn about 2.5 inches from the shoulder seam and centered on the arm.
 
Saber fencers wear their patches on the back leg of their knickers.  If the fencer is right handed, the patch would go on the left pant leg.  If the fencer is left handed, the patch would go on the right pant leg.  Patches are sewn centered on the outside of the pant leg on the upper thigh.
 
If you need clarification on the placement of the patch, please ask a coach at practice or contact Anne Zimmermann. 
 
All patches should be on whites for picture day.

Socks ($7) and patches ($3.50) will be on sale before and after practice Monday, November 29, and Tuesday, November 30.

Third Annual Captains Party Held

Randolph, Saturday, September 11 - Following tradition, Girls' Team Captain Ryan Western and Assistant Captain Bea Jacobson and Boys' Team Captain James Flanagan and Assistant Captain Kyle Doyle hosted the third annual Captains' Party at Morris Fencing Club/American Fencing Coalition in Randolph.  The girls' and boys' teams gather at the beginning of the new school year to share summer camp experiences with each other and welcome the incoming freshmen to Mendham High School.  Here's a group picture.

All-Conference Teams Named

The fencing coaches of the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference met on Monday afternoon, March 8, to name the 2009-10 All-Conference Teams.

Change in Start Time of Saturday Practice

The first practice of the new year, on Saturday, January 2, will be begin at 10am and run until 12 noon.  This is an hour later than originally planned to accommodate Trainer Angelo Scarparti.

During the week, Mendham freshman and sophomores won 13 medals at the Morris Knolls Invitational Tournament, third most of the eleven teams competing. All medal winners should bring their medals to practice on Saturday for a publicity picture.

 

Second Annual Captains' Party

Following the tradition, Girls' Team Captain Sarah-Emma Graham, Boys' Team Captain Zia Zaidi and Assistant Girls' Captain Kim Morsch jointly hosted the 2nd Annual Captains' Party at American Fencing Coalition, Randolph on September 8th.  They gather to celebrate the beginning of a new school year and share their summer camp experience with each other and welcome the incoming freshmen to Mendham High. The group picture is posted on the right and check out the size of the crowd.

Mendham Fencers Honored at 5th Annual Awards Banquet

Thursday, March 26, Mendham – During the MHS Fencing Awards Banquet, numerous fencers received awards for their outstanding performance during the 2008-09 season. The awards were presented by the coaching staff: Tom Tishman, Barb Dunnick, Steve Dultz, Meimee Persau and Patric Wallace.

 

Jung Most Dedicated Fencer Awards were selected by the team: James Flanagan and Beatrice Jacobson. Most Improved Fencers were selected by the coaching staff: Sarah-Emma Graham and Brian Stellingwerf.

 

The Jillian Mahen Scholarship was awarded to Daphne Kolios and the PJ Verona Scholarship was awarded to Andrew Jung.

 

Fencers receiving Varsity Letters for the first time were: Kyle Doyle, James Flanagan, Chris Franklin, Sarah-Emma Graham, Beatrice Jacobson, Tyson James, Sophie Kaplan, Daphne Kolios, Nick Lamont, Harrison Morris, Shawn Osarczuk, Adam Pollack, Andrew Sprague, Kaitlyn Wallace, and Zia Zaidi.

 

Fencers receiving Junior Varsity Letters for the first time were: Lea Fuscaldo, Kaitlin Leung, Andrea Lisky, Alexandra Boden, Max Condie, Brian Gamgort, Shawn James, Tom Myers, Robin Rizal, and Seth Valenziano.

 

Graduating seniors(with years on Varsity) were: Chris Bonner(3), Meghan Brennan(3), Michael Cassera, Lauren Ide(2), Tyson James(1), Andrew Jung(4), Daphne Kolios(1), Julia Melvin(2), Ben Morris(2), Katherine Riculli(2), Genele Streitz(2), and Brian Stellingwerf(3).

 

Elected by the teams, the 2009-10 season Boys' Team Captain will be Zia Zaidi, Girls' Team Captain will be Sarah-Emma Graham and Girls' Assistant Team Captain will be Kimberly Morsch.

 

Congratulations to all and our coaching staff for a job well done and best wishes to the teams.

Mendham Girls Stun Gov. Livingston with thrilling victory

Mendham, February 7, 2009  -  The Mendham Girls Fencing team showed that they are a force to be reckoned with by pulling off a magnificent come from behind 14-13 victory over Governor Livingston in Berkeley Heights on Thursday, February 5th.  Governor Livingston, the number one team in the state, jumped out early, building a lead that got to as many as seven points over the Mendham team.  By the end of the 21^st bout Governor Livingston was leading 13-8, one bout away from securing the victory. With the pressure on, Mendham steeled themselves and decided to take their opponent to school. Meghan Brennan started the comeback by getting her first victory of the evening, winning the bout 5-2. Next, her foil squad teammates, Bea Jacobson and Ryan Western continued their dominance by winning the next two bouts, 5-2 and 5-1 respectively to bring the score to 11-13. Bea and Ryan both went (3-0) for the meet giving the foil squad an overall record for the night of 7-2. The momentum shift was evident as epee fencer Shawn Osarczuk took the strip and secured her first win of the evening bringing Mendham to within one point of the lead. Megan Wallace, 2-1 for the evening, tied it up with a brilliant 1-0 overtime win over her opponent.  The final and decisive blow was delivered by Kaitlyn Wallace.  After being down 4-2, Kaitlyn stunned her opponent and shocked the crowded gym of Governor Livingston supporters by scoring three consecutive touches, winning the final bout 5-4 and sealing the victory for Mendham.  Mendham’s victory boosts their record to 11-2 overall and 6-1 in the Iron Hills Conference. Coach Wallace,  thoroughly impressed by the Mendham squad’s determination, said “Sean Osarczuk’s first varsity exposure was courageous under pressure. Most teams would have folded in the face of a 7-point deficit, but these girls fought for every touch and won another Barn Burner.”

 

 

Boys Results

The Mendham boys, despite strong efforts from James Flanagan and Ben Morris in epee and Kyle Doyle and Andy Jung in foil, struggled against the depth of the Governor Livingston team losing 18-9.  Mendham’s overall record for the season is 6-7 and 4-3 in the Iron Hills Conference.

Wallace Girls and Bonner to compete in the Junior Olympics

Mendham, NJ February 7, 2009 – Three members of the Mendham Fencing Teams will be competing in the US Fencing Association’s Junior Olympics tournament in Albuquerque, New Mexico over President’s Day weekend. Freshman Kaitlyn Wallace and Sophomore Megan Wallace will compete in the Cadet Division (Under 17) Women’s Epee Event to be held on Monday, February 16.  Kaitlyn and Megan earned spots in the tournament by finishing first and second respectively in the NJ qualifying tournament that was held at the Medeo Fencing Club last December.  Senior Christopher Bonner will compete in the Junior Division (Under 20) Men’s Saber event on Saturday, February 14.  Christopher earned his berth in the tournament by finishing 8^th in the NJ qualifier event on November 28 held at Rutgers University.  The tournament, which is sponsored by the United States Fencing Association, attracts the top fencers from across the country and is considered to be one of the premier events of the season.  It is one of the tournaments in which fencers accumulate points to make the US Junior and Cadet World Championship teams.

Mendham Fencers Win District Team Championship

Ryan Western and Kaitlyn Wallace bring home gold

Hackettstown, Saturday 31 January – The Mendham Girls’ Fencing Team captured their first-ever over-all District title winning the NJSIAA/Bollinger District 1 Team Championship on Saturday at Hackettstown High School.  Mendham’s epee and foil squads both finished first among the eleven schools and the sabre squad finished fourth to secure the overall title. The team earned a berth and a top four seeding in the first round of the state “Sweet 16” tournament which will begin February 10. All three squads advanced to the state squad championship tournament to be held on February 28, at North Hunterdon High School. Mendham was led by sterling performances from Ryan Western and Bea Jacobson who finished first and fourth respectively in the foil individual competition. Kaitlyn Wallace and Kim Morsch who finished first and fourth respectively in the epee competition matched their foil teammates. Wallace was the only undefeated fencer in the entire tournament in both the squad and individual parts of the competition, going 18-0 for the day. All four of the aforementioned girls will compete in the State Individual Championships on March 14th at Rider University. Also contributing mightily to their respective squad and team championships were Meghan Brennan (10-0) for the foil squad, and Alexis Grant (9-1) for the epee squad.

The title provided a fitting exclamation point to a week where the girls increased their overall record to 10-2 and their Iron Hills Conference Record to 6-1 by delivering two dominating performances in dual meets. On January 27th Mendham defeated West Essex 23-4 at an away meet. Mendham showed a lot of depth by getting wins from 15 different team members. The epee squad went 7-2 behind standout performances by Alexis Grant (3-0), Kimberly Morsch and Kaitlyn Wallace who both went (2-0). Bea Jacobson and Ryan Western both went (2-0) to lead the foil squad to a 7-2 record. The sabre squad nearly delivered a shutout going 8-1 led by Julia Melvin and Genele Streitz who went (2-0) on the night. Two days later, Mendham traveled to West Morris Central to secure a 22-5 victory over their cross-valley rivals. Sophomores Dina Krannich (2-1) in sabre and Sophie Kaplan (2-0) in foil had strong showings in the meet.

Mendham Boys Deliver

The Mendham Boys’ Team had a good showing at the District Championships, finishing in 5th place out of 11 teams for the overall tournament, one spot away from earning a berth to the state team tournament. The performance of the sabre squad led by Chris Bonner (8-2) and, Brian Stellingwerf (10-0) with strong support from Zai Zaidi, Mitch Wetherington and Harrison Morris was stellar, finishing second, one victory away from forcing a tie with Ridge. The foil squad finished third behind standout performances from Andy Jung (7-2) and Kyle Doyle (8-2), who were supported by Tyson James, Nick Lamont and Adam Pollack. Both squads will fence in the Boys’ State Squad Championships on March 1st at North Hunterdon High School. Chris Bonner in sabre and Andy Jung in foil each finished 4th in the individual competitions to earn a ticket to the State Individual Championships on March 14th at Rider University.

Earlier in the week the Mendham boys found their stride grabbing two victories to improve their overall record to 6-6 and their Iron Hills Conference record to 4-3. The boys were firing on all cylinders in their 21-6 victory over West Essex. The boys showed some of their depth by generating wins from 13 members of the team. The foil squad was dominant going 8-1 behind the excellent fencing of Tyson James and Kyle Doyle who both went (2-0). Freshmen foilists Adam Campos, Max Condie and Adam Pollack all had victories, illuminating the fact that Mendham’s future is bright. The epee squad went 7-2, one of their best showings of the season on the strength of Chris Franklin (3-0) and Andrew Sprague’s (2-0) superb bladework.  Mendham’s final warmup for the districts came in their 15-12 victory over West Morris Central.  Mendham maintained control and led throughout the meet. West Morris Central battled back and got to within one point of tying the score in the 25th bout. Kyle Doyle stepped up and secured victory for his team with a 5-3 win in the 26th bout of the meet. Kyle who along with fellow foil squad teammate Andy Jung each went (3-0), leading the foil squad to and 7-2 overall record. Their performance was supported by the saber squad which also went 7-2 behind steady fencing from Chris Bonner (3-0), Brian Stellingwerf (2-1) and Zia Zaidi (2-1).

Tom Tishman, head coach stated, “It was a very good week for Mendham Fencing. I was very proud of the effort and performance of every member of both teams. These kids have worked and trained very hard in the off-season without my help and throughout the season to achieve the results they earned today. The entire coaching staff is excited for them and is working to keep them sharp for the upcoming statewide tournaments.”

In Case You Missed It: Coverage in MCWThisWeek.com

"Brains Over Brawn" - Photo Coverage   

Star Ledger Coverage of NJSIAA District Championships

Girls' Districts One and Two Results

Boys' Districts One and Two Results

Mendham Girls – Perfect!

Mendham – The Mendham Girls were undefeated in two meets last week, extending their overall record to 8-2 and their Iron Hills Conference Record to 4-1. On Wednesday, January 21 at the last home meet of the season, Mendham paid tribute to a dozen of their graduating seniors. The team then got down to business and took on the Morris Knolls squad. The Mendham girls posted a decisive victory winning 19-8. Mendham’s epee squad dominated going  8-1 for the meet with strong performances turned in by Kimberly Morsch (3-0), Megan Wallace (2-0) and Kaitlyn Wallace (2-0). The foil squad (7-2) was led by Meghan Brennan and Ryan Western who both went (2-0) in their bouts.

 

 

Voorhees Thriller

Thursday, January, 22^nd, Mendham took on the Voorhees girl’s team who are ranked number seven by the Star Ledger.  The girl’s match was electric, with each team trading victories back and forth throughout the match.  Voorhees had no answer for Mendham super sophomore Ryan Western who went 3-0 in her foil bouts.  Sarah-Emma Graham (2-1) in saber also delivered key victories in Mendham’s quest to upset Voorhees. At the end it came down to Kaitlyn Wallace at epee in the 27th bout. The freshman phenom who went 3-0 on the night stepped up and sealed the victory for Mendham with a thrilling 4-3 overtime win.

 

 

Mendham Boys

The Mendham boys went 1-1 for the week, and are now 4-6 overall and 2-3 in the Iron Hills Conference.  Mendham faced a challenge from the Morris Knolls boys but held on to win 16-11 The Mendham boys were led by their saber squad which went 7-2 overall, led by seniors Brian Stellingwerf and Chris Bonner who went (3-0) and (2-0) respectively. Andy Jung (2-0) and Ben Morris (2-1) also provided key wins in support of the victory.  The Voorhees boys who are rated number one by the Star Ledger proved to be more than Mendham could handle as they defeated a shorthanded Mendham team 18-9.

Mendham Girl Fencers Make Their Mark

Mendham, NJ, January 17, 2009

– The girl’s fencing team clearly staked their claim as one of the state’s elite teams through their outstanding performance in three dual meets last week. They cruised to decisive wins over their first two opponents defeating Livingston and Randolph, 21-6 and Randolph 22-5 respectively. In what will go down as one of the most dramatic and exciting meets of the season, Mendham was defeated 13-14 by Columbia, the number one team in the state in a contest that went down to the last and final bout of the match. The girl’s finished the week with a record of 6-2 overall and an Iron Hills Conference record of 3-1. The week began with the team travelling to Livingston to face off against the Lancers. Mendham demonstrated that they have wealth of talent with victories coming from 14 individuals. Minutemen had a very balanced attack with each weapon gaining 7 wins against 2 defeats. Kimberly Morsch, Megan Wallace, Alexis Grant and Kaitlyn Wallace each delivered victories for the epee squad. The foil squad led by co-captains Meghan Brennan and Ryan Western were well supported by Bea Jacobson and junior varsity squad members Rebecca Canipe and Juliet Lisky.  The saber squad  demonstrated their depth with victories coming from 5 of its members, namely  Sarah-Emma Graham, Daphne Kolios, Dina Krannich, Genele Streitz and senior Lauren Ide.

On Wednesday, the Minutemen were back in their home gym.  Despite the arctic conditions outside the girls kept the heat on inside scorching Randolph for 13 wins in their first 14 bouts, clinching the meet in the 16th match. Mendham showed that their prospects for success in the coming years looks getting victories from future stars, sophomore Sophie Kaplan in foil and freshman Alexandra Boden and sophomore Olivia DeMattio in saber. The Minutemen headed to Maplewood on Thursday to face the state’s number one rated team and conference rival Columbia . Embolded by their earlier victories in the week, the girls jumped out to take a 6-3 lead.  Columbia battled back reeling off three consecutive victories to tie the score with six wins apiece. These three hard fought Epee bouts were all decided by one point with two going to dramatic overtime wins for Columbia. The match proceeded like a championship boxing match with each team trading victories and neither being able to land a decisive blow. Mendham dug deep and was able to take a 13-11 lead with gutsy performances from senior Meghan Brennan and sophomores Bea Jacobson and Ryan Western in a sweep by the foil squad. Columbia then showed why they are number one and the winner of five straight Santelli Tournaments by bearing down and taking the next three bouts to defeat Mendham 13-14. It was great match between two very talented teams. Assistant Coach Patric Wallace observed, “We witnessed two very competitive teams work for each point.  All of the athletes fenced very well. Columbia however, was the better team today. We just came up in short a few bouts we expected to win. We look forward to another opportunity to compete with them later in the season.”

Mendham Boys

 

The Mendham Boys, in what is clearly a rebuilding year, went 1-2 on the week to bring their record to 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the Iron Hills Conference. The boys defeated Livingston 16-11 behind strong performances from James Flanagan, Ben Morris and Andrew Sprague in epee, Adam Campos, Kyle Doyle, Tyson James and Andy Jung in foil and Harrison Morris, Brian Stellingwerf and Chris Bonner in saber. 

Next, the Minutemen lost a close one to Randolph 13-14 at home. The Minutemen trailed at the end of each of the first two rounds but gained momentum in the third round to get the score to 11-13.  Randolph clinched the meet with a saber victory in the 25th bout of the meet.  

Finally, the Mendham team faced Columbia , the number three ranked boys team. Despite valiant efforts by Andy, Adam, Brian, and Chris, Mendham couldn’t seem to gain any traction against Columbia 's depth and was subsequently defeated 19-8.

Mendham Girls Roll Over Morristown & Boys Upset in Tight Match

Mendham, Thursday, January 8 –  The Mendham Girls’ Fencing Team extended their record to 4-1 over-all and 1-0 in the Iron Hills Conference with an impressive win over Morristown in the Mendham gym Thursday night.  The Foil squad dominated, going 8-1 led by strong performances from senior Meghan Brennan and sophomore Bea Jacobson who both went 3-0 for the evening.  Jacobson’s performance was particularly impressive allowing her opponents only two touches in the three bouts that she fought.  Not to be outdone, the epee squad also had a strong showing going 7-2 backed by  2-0 performances by junior Alexis Grant, sophomore Megan Wallace and freshman Kaitlyn Wallace who shutout both of her opponents. The Minutemen got off to a fast start taking a 5-0 lead behind a sweep and near sweep of the first round bouts of the foil and epee squads.

Morristown mounted a comeback, winning the next 5 bouts to bring the match to a tie. Meghan Brennan stopped Morristown's surge by defeating her opponent 5-0 shifting momentum back to the Minutemen.  Mendham then took over, winning 10 of their next 11 bouts. The match was clinched by Jacobson in the 20^th match.

The Mendham boy’s squad faced a very determined and tough group in the Morristown Colonials. The Minutemen’s sabre squad went 7-2 led by strong performances from seniors Christopher Bonner and Brian Stellingwerf who went 2-0 and 3-0 respectively. The foil squads were fairly well matched with Mendham going 4-5 anchored by senior Andrew Jung's 3-0 record. The match was ultimately decided by the outcome of the epee bouts. The Colonials went 7-2 in epee, with 4 of their 7 wins coming on a margin of a single touch.  The first two rounds went back and forth with neither team dominating. The end of the second round ended with the teams tied at 9 wins each. The Colonials clinched the match in the 25^th bout with a 5-0 win in saber, winning the overall match 14-13 and handing the Minutemen their third loss of the season. The Minutemen (2-3, 0-1) will look to avenge this heartbreaker at the District 1 Championships on January 31^st in Hackettstown.

 

The order of the weapons for the dual meets was foil-epee-sabre, which were picked by random lot, as per Iron Hills Conference rules.

Mendham Fencers Break Bernards Streak

 

by Jeff Hammond

  

Bernardsville, Saturday, January 3 - The Mendham High School girls’ fencing team capitalized on a strong showing by their foil squad to upend perennial power Bernards High School and break the Mountaineers’ 108 match regular season win streak. The Minutemen (3-1) handed the Mounties a 14-13 loss in their home gym Saturday, where Bernards (3-1), which has finished number 1 or 2 in the state rankings for the past five years, hadn’t lost since 2003.

Mendham, just a 5-year program, was looking to improve on its Final Four finish last year. The Minutemen dominated in foil, posting an 8-1 record. Ryan Western, a sophomore, and senior Meghan Brennan were each 3-0 on the day. Bernards, behind 3-0 performances by Kathleen Rand and Shannon Horn, countered with an 8-1 tally in sabre. The epee contingent made the difference, and sophomore Megan Wallace clinched the meet in the 25^th bout with a 5-1 win over Becky Lutz.

“We knew they lost a lot (to graduation),” said Mendham assistant coach Patric Wallace, a fencer himself for the last four years. “It’s evened out now. I think our squad is going to go really far.” Brennan “had a career day,” according to Wallace. “I’m very pleased; a lot of our kids have come a long way,” he added.

“We knew they were a strong team,” said Bernards head coach Glenn Bleckicki, “They have year-around fencers and we can’t compete with that, but a couple of calls different and it could’ve gone either way.”

Bernards Boys Triumph

In a preview of another District 1 showdown, the defending state champion Bernards boys’ team fended off a strong challenge from the Minutemen 15-12. Bernards (3-1) was powered by 3-0 performances by Josh Hammond (sabre) and captain Dan Burke (epee). The match was close at 5-4 after the first round, but the Mounties sabre fencers swept three straight and Bernards opened a 11-7 lead going into the third and final round.

Mendham (2-2), missing its A-strip sabreur, still pushed the Mounties deep into the third round, when Burke clinched the match in the 26^th bout. Foilist Andy Jung was 3-0 for Mendham.

“There are three or four good teams in the district,” said Mendham head coach Tom Tishman, “and today we were without perhaps our strongest fencer.” The two teams will meet again in the District 1 tournament in Hackettstown on January 31.

 

Recent Articles You May Have Missed

The Daily Record and MCWThisWeek.com have carried three articles recently, one previewing the upcoming season and a couple highlighting two of our fencers.  The photographs from those articles are available in our photo album.  Click on the Photos link at the top of the right-hand column.

Download: Daily Record - A Growing Sport in Morris

Download: Daily Record - MySport: Bea Jacobson

Download: MCWThisWeek - My Sport: Adam Campos

Play 'Find the Fencer'

A member of the Girls' Epee Squad was spotted in this picture of the Mendham Minutemen's Tennis Team.  Can you find her? 

Mahen, Bonner, Jung to Compete at St. Louis NAC

Chester, NJ, November 6, 2008 – Three Chester fencers will be competing this coming weekend in the US Fencing Association’s North American Circuit(NAC) competition in St. Louis, MO.  Jillian Mahen, a 2007 graduate of Mendham High School, and Chris Bonner and Andrew Jung, current Mendham High School seniors, will be competing in the National Junior(Under-20) events in their specialties.  Jillian is a women’s sabre fencer at Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.  Chris is boys’ sabre squad co-captain and Andy, boys’ team captain, competes in foil.  Andy is very excited because this is his first time attending a NAC. 

The US Fencing Association, the national governing body of the sport, holds NACs eight times a year in various age divisionsfrom Youth-14 through Cadet(U-17), Junior, Senior and Veteran(Over-40).  Andy will be competing on Friday, November 7, Chris on Saturday, November 8, and Jillian on Monday, November 10.  This NAC is one of four Junior tournaments each season used to select the US National Junior Team that attends the Junior World Championships.      

"Inside Mendham Fencing" Ad Order Form Posted to Weblog Resources <--

The order form for placing business advertisements in the 2008-09 edition of "Inside Mendham Fencing" is now posted in the RESOURCES section at the top of the left-hand column of this weblog.

MHS FPA Looking for Publicist

The post of publicist of the Mendham HS Fencing Parents' Association is now vacant with the graduation of Salim Short.  His dad, Skip Short, had been the organization's publicist since its founding.  The job consists of writing weblog and newspaper articles, reporting dual meet and tournament results to the newspapers, sending bulk e-mails on weekend USFA fencing results for team members and handling inquiries from the media about the MHS Fencing Program.  Those interested in taking over the responsibility should contact MHS FPA co-Presidents Jeanette Jung and Sue Brennan.  Those contemplating the job will have Skip's help in getting set-up with his contacts and procedures.

Thank you very much, Skip, for a job well done.

Season Journal for 2007-08 Created

With the assistance of Kathy Doyle, the Mendham HS Fencing Parents' Association has put together webpostings, newspaper articles and memorable photos from this past season into an electronic Season Journal. 

Jacobson, Jung, Krannich Achieve NJIFA All-State Team Honors

April 16, East Hanover - The New Jersey Interscholastic Fencing Association honored their All-State Teams at the Annual Awards Banquet held at the Hanover Manor.  Three Mendham High School fencers were selected and were the guests of the NJIFA at the banquet: Alice Jacobson, 3rd Team All-State Girls' Foil; Andrew Jung, 3rd Team All-State Boys' Foil; Janelle Krannich, 3rd Team All-State Girls' Sabre.  The three Mendham fencers were among the best fencers in the state to receive their NJIFA trophies.  Please click on the photograph to the right.

Each season, the NJIFA coaches vote for the best fencers in the state and name the NJIFA All-State Teams.  The selection process is based on an athlete's performance in four events: the NJIFA's Santelli or Cetrulo Relays, the NJSIAA's District Championships, State Squad Championships and Individual State Championships.

Genele Streitz Earns An E-rating

Friday, April 18, Maplewood - Genele Streitz joined the ranks of Mendham's USFA-rated fencers at an unclassified sabre tournament held at the New Jersey Fencing Alliance.  Genele has stepped up her fencing by going to one USFA tournament after another.  Her persistence and dedication have paid off.  Genele went 3-2 in the pool and was seeded 7th of 17 competitors going into the direct elimination round.  She won her first DE 15-10 to move into the round of 8.  Then she fenced for her E-rating, drawing the second seed in the tournament, a very significant challenge.  Once more Genele won 15-10, this time earning her E-rating.  She lost a very close 15-13 bout in the semi-finals to the eventual winner of the tournament.

Congratulations to Genele!  The Observer-Tribune picked up the story in the April 24th edtition.

Mendham Fencers Honored at Awards Banquet

Thursday, March 27, Mendham – During the MHS Fencing Awards Banquet, numerous fencers received awards for their outstanding performance during the 2007-08 season. The awards were presented by the coaching staff: Laura Pelizzoni, Tom Tishman, Steve Dultz and Meimee Persau.

Coach Laura Pelizzoni was named "Girls' Coach of the Year” by The Star-Ledger.  Jill Mahen, co-founder of the Fencing Club/Team and ex-girls’ captain, presented the congratulatory card to Coach Pelizzoni and the MHSFPA presented her with a gigantic bouquet of flowers.

Most Improved Rookie Fencers were selected by the coaching staff: Kyle Doyle, Bea Jacobson, and Sophie Kaplan.

Most Improved Returning Fencers were selected by the coaching staff: Dan Chin and Kim Morsch.

Most Improved Squad was selected by the coaching staff: Girls’ Foil, led by the girls’ team captain Alice Jacobson and foil squad captain Shannon Cooley.

Most Dedicated Fencers were selected by the team: James Flanagan, Sarah-Emma Graham and Megan Wallace.

The PJ Verona and Jillian Mahen Scholarships were awarded to: Dan Chin and Kelly Rafferty.

Fencers receiving Varsity Letters for first time were: Will Bruno, Eugene Fasano, Alexis Grant, Lauren Ide, Daphane Kolios, Dina Krannich, Alex Levielle, Julia Melvin, Kimberly Morsch,  Ben Morris, Katie Ricculli, Issac Rizzo, Genele Streitz, Megan Wallace, Ryan Western and Mitch Wetherington.

Julia Melvin and Andrew Jung were elected Captains for 2008-2009 season.  They were chosen by their teammates.  Both won the election by a landslide.

Congratulations to all and our dedicated coaching staff for a job well done. It has been a fantastic season. Keep on fencing!

Star Ledger Honors Mendham Fencing Teams

The Star Ledger acknowledged Mendham's special season with a series of awards.  First, Coach Pelizzoni was named Girls' Coach of The Year. This was a fitting tribute since everyone knows Coach P loves her girls' team.  The article, also, featured the contributions of Coach Tishman, Alice Jacobson, Ryan Western, Shannon Cooley, Janelle Krannich and Megan Wallace.

The Boys' Team finished 9th in the final rankings for the State.  The Girls' Team finished 4th in the final rankings in the State.

Alice Jacobson and Janelle Krannich were both named to the Third Team All-State.

The girls will be losing alot when Janelle, Alice and Shannon graduate.  Still, there is so much depth on the girls' team, and so many girls are now fencing year-round that the girls figure to challenge for the top spot in the State for the next couple of years.

The guys will be challenged to keep up as not as many of the guys have fenced year round.  The challenge will be to see how many of the boys follow Chris Bonner's example and will fence year round to provide the depth that is needed to make a run at the top four in the State.  And following the lead of Megan Wallace, we have all learned that the most important wins are those that come with everything at stake.  The Districts and Sweet 16 fencing are the key events.  This year Chris Bonner was 8-2 at Districts on the A-strip and 2-1 against Ramapo.  Next year he will need company if the boys are to emulate this year's example set by the girls.

Observer-Tribune: "Mendham Fencers Close Season"

The March 20 edition of the Observer-Tribune carries an article entitled "Mendham Fencers Close Season; First Team All-Conference Honors Awarded to Many."

Ten Mendham Fencers Achieve All-Conference Honors

Monday, March 10, Rockaway - The Iron Hills Conference chose its All-Conference teams today.  Ten Mendham High School fencers achieved All-Conference honors.  First team All-Conference selections include Chris Bonner, Brian Stelllingwerf, Janelle Krannich, Ryan Western and Captain Alice Jacobson.  Second team All-Conference selections include Michael Striano, Andy Jung and Salim Short.  The selections were based upon how well the fencers performed in Iron Hills Conference dual meets.  Columbia led the Conference with 16 of the 36 members of the First and Second teams.  Mendham was next with 8 selections.  Morris Hills was next with 4 selections.  Receiving honorable mentions for Mendham were Kelly Rafferty and Hao Du.   To see all the selections, click here.

Girls Lose to Gov. Livingston, Finish 4th in State

Thurs, March 6. Rockaway - The Mendham HS Girls Fencing Team completed an excellent season that saw them climb higher than any other previous Mendham fencing team with a loss to Governor Livingston HS, 15-12, in the consolation meet in the State Tournament.  The Girls finished 4th in the NJSIAA State Team Tournament.  Governor Livingston clinched at 14-8.  Going 2-1 for Mendham in their last dual meet were Alice Jacobson and Shannon Cooley, both in foil.  Also going 2-1 for Mendham were Kim Morsch and Megan Wallace, both in epee.

The Observer Tribune has an article this week about the semi-final meet with Bernards and the State Squad Championships.

Boys Do Well In State Squad Championships

Sat, March 1, Annadale - The boys' fencing squads each re-earned their position as one of the best in the State at the NJSIAA/Bollinger State Squad Championships.  Like the Girls' team, the boys qualified each of their three squads for the Squad Championships as a result of their placement in the District Tournament.  Foil placed 8th of the top 16 squads, saber 10th and epee 12th.

The Squad Championship uses the same format as Districts, where the A-strip fencers fence only other A-strip fencers, the B-strips fence each other and the same with the C-strip fencers.  In foil, Andy Jung finished 8th out of all the A-strip fencers, Mike Striano was 8th on the B-strip and Dan Chin was 6th on the C strip.  In saber, Chris Bonner was 7th on the A-strip and Brian Stellingwerf was 7th on the B-strip.  Alex Laveille contributed a win on the C strip.  In epee, Salim Short was 9th on the A-strip and Hao Du was 11th on the B strip.  Captain Jesse Rappaport contributed three wins on the C-strip. 

The Observer Tribune recently featured the boys' team and their last dual meet with Ramapo.

Observer-Tribune: "Mendham Girl Fencers Advance"

The Observer-Tribune carries an article in the Thursday, February 28, edition entitled "Mendham Girl Fencers Advance."

Mendham Girls Team Ranked 7th in State After MKA and Ramapo Wins

The Star-Ledger of Newark ran an article today, Tuesday, mostly previewing the Bernards-Ridge Boys' Semi-final to be held this evening.  At the end of the article, Fencing Reporter Jeff Karn mentioned the Girls' Semi-Finals.  He has moved Mendham up to 7th-ranked in the State after their wins against MKA and Ramapo in the NJSIAA State Team Championships.

Teams Beat West Morris Central as Columbia Nears

Thurs, Feb 7, Chester - Today both the boys' and girls' teams won their second meets with West Morris Central.  They each won their 6th dual meet in succession and brought their records to 8-1.  The girls won 18-9 and the boys won 17-10.

Up next is Columbia this Saturday, certainly one of the toughest teams in the State.  Both Mendham and Columbia won their other 7 dual meets in the Iron Hills Conference. These meets will be for first place in the Conference.

The Observer-Tribune has just published an article about the boys' and girls' success at the District Tournament.  This week the Star Ledger has the boys rated 8th in the State and the girls rated 10th in the State on the strength of their strong showing in the District Tournament.

Observer-Tribune: Mendham High Fencers on a Roll

Today's Observer-Tribune carries an extensive article about Mendham High School Fencing's 2007-08 season.  Click here to download a PDF of the article.

Star Ledger Features Boys' Team Progress

Today's Star Ledger notebook features the Boys' team and the progress it has made.  It also gives a preview of this weekend's district tournaments.  The Boys' team is 8th in this week's ratings.

Daily Record: Mendham Doubles Up...Girls Win Dramatic Comeback

The Daily Record's Tuesday sports section carries an article about the dual meets at Morris Knolls. 

Frosh-Soph Results Posted On Iron Hills Conference Blog

The teams' showing at the Morris Knolls Invitational(Iron Hills) Freshman-Sophomore Tournament is featured in this post on the Iron Hills Conference weblog.

The boys' team is ranked 9th in the state this week in the Star Ledger's Top-10 rankings.

Girls in Top Ten in First Star Ledger Rankings for 2008

The Star Ledger published its initial rankings for this season today.  The Mendham HS Girls are ranked 10th in the State.  In the preseason article last month, the Boys' Team was listed as one of the "Teams to Watch" in the State, while Salim Short was listed one of the "Fencers to Watch."

Upcoming is one of the most challenging parts of the schedule.  The girls have the Santelli Relay Championship on January 5, at Gill St. Bernards' and the boys have the Cetrulo Relay Championship the next day at Voorhees HS.  The teams face Columbia, currently rated 2nd in the State by the Star Ledger for boys and girls, in dual meets on January 7, at home at 6 pm. 

Last year the relay tournaments helped launch Mendham to its breakout fencing season.  The girls finished 4th of 44 teams in the State, led by the saber squad which finished first and took the gold medal and the epee squad which finished 3rd.  The boys finished 3rd of 44 teams in the State, led by epee which finished 5th and foil which finished 7th in the State.

Both the boys and girls have lost key members from the teams that flourished at the Cetrulo and Santelli Tournaments last year.  Graduated from the girls' team are Jill Mahen, Jess Wallace and all the starters from girls' epee.  Gone from the boys' team are Matt Wetherington and Will Gross.  This year's tournaments and the upcoming match with Columbia will be challenges.  The teams will certainly be looking for everyone's support.

Mendham High School Preview Posted on Iron Hills Conference Site

The Iron Hills Conference weblog has posted a feature preview on the Mendham High School fencing team.