Excitement Abounds at Annual Fencing Tournament
Huntington’s annual fencing tournament featured a gym packed with competitors and fans. It was a chance for the Blue Devils to shine, and they did as both the girls’ and boys’ team turned in fine performances.
The girls’ epee team earned a silver medal behind junior Sarah Conte, sophomore Johannah Clifford and freshman Olivia Weller. The group defeated Half Hollow Hills East, 44-16 and Newfield, 45-40 in early rounds, before falling to Centereach in the finals, 45-40.
The Huntington girls’ foil squad of senior Kaari Casey, senior Nicole Palmer, junior Maya Bengston and freshman Natasha Siegel reached the semifinals, before dropping into the consolation bracket. In one of the most thrilling matches of the day, Casey won 11 consecutive points to force a tie in the bronze medal match, before losing by a single touch in overtime.
The combined scores of the Blue Devils’ girls’ epee, foil and sabre teams placed them fourth in the overall standings.
Two Blue Devil boys’ relay squads also advanced as far as the semifinals, including the epee team of senior Kevin Thompson, junior Vernon O'Garra and freshman John Ferraiolo and the foil team of senior Greg James, sophomore Dylan Payne and eighth-grader Nicholas Maiarelli.
The tournament, which has a long history in Huntington, attracted more than 350 fencers from eight Suffolk high schools and from Concord-Carlisle High School in Massachusetts.
The Blue Devils are lead by rookie head coach Mike Fabio.
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