Blue Devil Fencing Coaching Staff Appointed
The Huntington High School fencing program is fully staffed. Huntington School Board members appointed Jillian Melnick as head coach and Valinda O’Garra and Michelle O’Brien as assistant coaches for the 2015/16 season.
Blue Devil fencers began practice sessions this week. The team trains and hosts meets in the Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School gymnasium. Several talented male and female fencers are returning for Huntington.
A graduate of Walt Whitman High School, Melnick obtained a bachelor’s degree in physical anthropology and gender studies at CUNY Hunter College. She was a National Merit commended scholar in high school.
Melnick has been associated with the sport of fencing for many years, exceling in sabre. Her resume includes the U20 World Cup national team, Junior Olympics, Summer Nationals Division II champion and Empire State Games scholastic champion. She owns a long list of college honors.
O’Brien earlier coached the Commack High School varsity fencing team for four years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and audiology at St. John’s University, a master’s degree in audiology at Adelphi University and a master’s degree in special education at LIU Brooklyn.
O’Garra has been a Blue Devil assistant coach for many years. One of the greatest female Huntington fencers ever, she was coached by Alan Kuver, who piloted the program for decades before passing away on July 1, 2014 from esophageal cancer at 47 years of age. O’Garra returned to her alma mater to serve as one of Kuver’s assistants and has continued to be a member of the staff.
Melnick is taking over the program from Huntington alum Michael Fabio, who assumed the head coach position for the 2014/15 season after Kuver passed away. He was one of Kuver’s assistants for any seasons.