The captain of the team, Padraic Gerety '07, was coming off a number-one placing at a local United States Fencing Association tournament and the Five College Scrimmage (the "Little One"), and had high hopes entering the "Big One." However, Gerety was not quite himself during the course of the tournament due to a viral infection. "I had serious doubts as to whether I would compete, but when the morning came I felt a bit better, and decided to give it a shot," he said. "Needless to say, I felt I could have done better had I not gotten tired so quickly during my direct elimination bouts."
Gerety finished 13th out of 58 in the men's foil; a remarkable feat given his physical condition. Tim Shapiro '07 recognized his team member's tremendous leadership and performance, regardless of his physical health. "Much of the credit for our team's performance goes to Gerety," Shapiro said. "His energy and organization are a major factor behind our team's continuing success."
Gerety, however, was not the only member of the team battling sickness. Ben Purkis '07 also did not feel up to par during the tournament, and both fencers claimed that their reaction time suffered and that their blade work was not as clean as usual.
In the men's foil, Gerety and Dan Lee '08 led the way for the Jeffs, both finishing in the top 30. Jesse Rasowsky '08, Purkis, and Steve Xue '06 rounded out the men's squad, placing 34th, 42nd and 53rd, respectively.
The women's foil proved to be more of a challenge as the Jeffs failed to crack the top 30 rankings. Out of 56 competitors, Laura Sarli '08 and Lidya Tarhan '08 led the way for the Jeffs, placing 31st and 38th, respectively. Following right on their heels was Iris Hartley '08, finishing 48th, while Erin Chung '09 grabbed 51st.
The Jeffs showed great promise in the men's sabre category. Leading the pack for Amherst was Shapiro, who locked up 30th place overall. Following right behind were sophomores Kyle Virgien and Ryan Kao, who finished 35th and 36th, respectively. Cong Geng '08 and Ben Kauffman '07 rounded out the squad.
Overall, the tournament was a successful experience for the members of the team. Reflecting on the high level of competition at this tournament, Shapiro felt it was a great opportunity to gain experience and put their practice to work. "It was great to finally use the technique and strategy we have been practicing in actual competition," he said. "It was also helpful to see how our tactics held up against opponents in this intense setting."
The team will continue to train over the course of the fall in anticipation of the New England Team Championships on Feb. 19, hosted by Wellesley College.