The weekend after Winter Carnival, the Dartmouth men's and women's fencing team will compete in the New England Championships.
Men's Co-Captain Matt Richardson '97 is guardedly optimistic about the men's team's chances, saying that there is a "really good" chance that they will finish amongst the top three, and possibly win.
Women's Captain Bethany Marston '97 also predicts an improved performance this year, as the women's team, "will fence a full team this year." Last year only two women competed.
The men's team is currently ranked fourth in New England, and Richardson said that, "since that time we have really been coming on." At last year's Championship, the men's team finished seventh in a competition of 15 teams.
Both the men's and women's teams have improved over the last three years since Josh Marks '96, Zach Stein '96 and Vanessa Butnick '95 brought fencing back to Hanover. Dartmouth had a NCAA fencing team until the 1970's.
In order to improve the fencing team has had to increase its numbers. To that end the fencing team sets up a table in the Student Activities fair, and recruits new members by word of mouth and from the physical education class team members teach, Richardson said.
Richardson came to the team from a fencing class taught by Coach Jim Carter. Richardson called the growth of the team "heartening."
The men's team now has 14 regular members, and the women's team eight. For most meets the men require nine competitors, the women seven. The women compete in the foil, and epee. The men add the saber.
Individual bouts are won by the first competitor to score five points, as judged by a combination of electric sensors and the referee. The team competition is determined by the number of bouts won by each team.
The different specialties differ in the type of weapon used, the target area and the specific rules. The foil and saber disciplines are also complicated by a rule of "right of way," which makes determing points among the furry of action difficult and can befuddle spectators.
Leading performers for the woman's team are Chris Campo '98 - epee, Bethany Marston '97 - foil and Amy Wolfe '98. The men's team is lead by Brian King '97 - foil, Zach Stein '96 - epee, and Ben Herman '96 - saber, who Richardson calls, "the backbone of the team."
Dartmouth's three member epee team is ranked number one in the northeast.
The ascendancy is impressive for both the men's and women's team. As a club team, the fencing team faces many disadvantages which Richardson is quick to point out are common to all club sports at Dartmouth.
The most glaring problem is lack of money. Most of the funding comes from alumni support and each member pays $35 each term to make transportation possible.
However, in a sport as equipment intensive as fencing, which requires electronic scoring devices, the money does not go all that far.
Due to the lack of funding, road trips are adventures. Marston said that it is not unusual for the team, "to squeeze as many people in the van as possible" while men's co-Captain Patrick Craven '97 follows behind in his car.
This year both teams spent a night on the floor of Carter's brother's house. Last year they bunked at junior Ben Herman's house. Richardson characterized the traveling experience as "freeloading."
The lack of funding also means that the team is unable to pay its coach. Carter volunteers his time both to run practice, which last two hours a day, five times a week, and to go to meets, which can mean three-day road trips. Richardson says that team members "kind of marvel" at Carter's dedication to the team. Maston and Craven concurred, and aknowledged the time Carter puts into the team.
A less well known problem of club status is finding competition. Although there are a number of fencing club teams in the northeast, NCAA teams usually refuse to compete against club teams.
Of the Ivy League schools which have NCAA level teams, only Brown competes against Dartmouth. Richardson hopes to create an Ivy League Invitation which would pair all teams, club and NCAA together.
Still the negative aspects of being a club team add a sense of unity to the team.
Despite having meets at different venues, both the men's and the women's teams travel together, going to a men's competition one day and a women's the next. Richardson said that the team on the sidelines watches, "to cheer and fix weapons."
Teamates also coach each other. More experienced fencers teach newer members of the team, one on one explaining moves with loud voices to penetrate the protective head gear each fencer wears.
