By: Jake Veillette, Maddy Vallillo, Samantha Erickson
The shiny épées, the pearly white jumpsuits, and the smell of success was in the air. Woodland fencing knows this feeling well, as they have many major accomplishments in the 2017-2018 season, which has helped them improve as a team and as individuals. Certain Woodland fencers such as Albert Marchant will be competing in the 2018 National Fencing Team Championships in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Fencing is a sport that has been around since the medieval times, but many still do not know how the game works, or how it is played. The format is that your team can fence a total of nine bouts, with each bout having five touches, with another team. If you win five of those bouts you can move onto the next team. If you lose, you are eliminated from the competition.
Marchant and his teammates had a long road to get to states. It took hard work, and determination to get to there.
“We had to have three people compete in a tournament,” said Marchant, “when they scored high enough out of all the other high schools, the team can participate in team states.”
Sandra Marchant, one of the team coaches, told how the Woodland fencers took the competition at East Lyme High School by storm.
“We beat Norwich Free Academy 5-0, then North Haven High 5-2 and then Guilford 5-3. It was an incredibly successful day. It ensured Andrew DeSanti’s placement for colleges he was applying to as he was a key player to the team.”
Woodland put up a fight, and it paid off. They will be joining other state champions in Saint Louis, Missouri for the 2018 National Fencing Team Championships for a week long of competitions.
“You have to compete at tournaments nationwide, if you place high enough and get enough points, you qualify for different categories,” explained Albert Marchant.
Other team members that will be competing in Saint Louis include Andrew DaSanti, Senior, Luke Fenwick, Junior, and Aidan Wolozyn, Junior.
“What makes this team so good is their ability to work together and help each other both on and off the fencing strip,” stated Sandra Marchant. “To say these boys are good is an understatement, they are exceptional and have earned all of their success with very hard work and determination.”
