M. Fencing boosted by super sophomores

You won't find packed bleachers or people scrambling for tickets when the Hopkins men's fencing team suits up for a match. You won't see their latest victory scroll across the bottom of ESPN. What you will see when you walk through the doors of the fencing room is some of Hopkins most talented, hardest-working athletes crossing blades late into the night, fighting toward the goals they have set before them.

The Blue Jay fencers recently made a trip up to the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Maplewood, N.J., for a long series of matches against four rival Mid-Atlantic Conference teams. Among the four, Hopkins faced one of the better teams in the conference in Drew University. Last year's contingent defeated Hopkins 15-12 in a close contest. That having been said, there was a burden on the backs of the fencers who remembered the match. But the Blue Jays rose to the challenge in full force, winning all four matches and improving their record to 16-7.

"We had an exceptional day there," Head Coach Austin Young said.

The men's squad has had an fine season thus far and has only shows signs of improvement. The team will graduate just one starting senior, team captain Nick Marchuk, and already has three more prospective freshman from Early Decision.

"The strength of our team is in our sophomore class," Young said.

Seventeen of the 23-man roster are freshmen and sophomores, leaving the door wide open for improvement upon an already stellar squad.

"It's really exciting going through the next couple of years with the same team and constantly improving," sophomore foil Dave Ferguson said.

The boys are on the right track, getting better with each match as they face some of the toughest teams not only in the Mid-Atlantic Conference, but also some of the top Division I schools in the country.

A home match earlier this year showed the Blue Jays' prowess as they toppled the competition, winning all five matches against powerhouses Virginia, Maryland, St. John's, Virginia Tech, and William & Mary. Three of the Hopkins fencers even went undefeated throughout the five-match series.

One of the major highlights of the season came on Jan. 20, the day of the Philadelphia Invitational. The Jays handily defeated the University of North Carolina, 15-12. It was the team's first victory over the Tarheels in over 50 years. To many this watermark victory was concrete proof how far the team had come, and how much farther they are capable of going.

With the season winding down to a close, the men's fencing team has its eye on the Mid-Atlantic Conference Championship. Sophomores Ben Dorfman and Dave Ferguson both stand excellent chances to qualify for the NCAA Championships in March, but the journey to Madison, N.J., is especially crucial for Marchuk. Facing his last season as a Blue Jay, Marchuk will soon hang up his equipment for good; but not without one last fight.

"I qualified for the NCAA's two years ago, and I'd like to do it again," Marchuk said.