Championship or bust.
That’s the mentality for the Great Neck South girls’(10-0) and boys’ (8-2) fencing teams, as the program as a whole continues to etch its name into Long Island sports history.
On Feb. 10, the girls’ team won their 10th Nassau County title against Jericho and on the same night, the boys’ team won their 17th over No. 4 Wheatley/Roslyn, 14-6.
Fast forward two days, and the boys’ team brings home their third Long Island Title with a win over Commack/Northport, while the girls’ team matched the boys and beat Ward Melville.
“We’re not big on the ‘let’s just go out and have fun’ mindset,” said Great Neck South boys’ fencing coach Joshua Baravarian. “Our goal is to win and be the best. I know in today’s environment that mentality sometimes gets frowned upon, but it gives the kids something to focus on. It creates a goal-oriented program and a championship culture. The kids understand they’re part of Long Island fencing history, and there’s an expectation to perform at a high level.”
“In past years, that had been the attitude because we won seven Nassau County titles in eight years,” said Great Neck South girls’ fencing head coach Catherine Sagevick. “Last year, there was a lot of pressure to maintain that streak. This year felt more like a rebuilding year. The goal was to get back there again. But the girls took that and said, “Not only are we getting back — we’re going to surpass it.”
It took all nine boys to make an impact and turn a rebuilding year into a championship-caliber roster. It started with all-national epee Max Tse and all-national junior epee Amir Karimov. Even though they had a national tournament that they couldn’t miss, South managed to take home the Long Island title.
“It says a lot about our program,” Baravarian said. “Even without two of the top fencers on Long Island, we still had the depth to win a Long Island championship.”
The next-man-up mentality guided the boys to victory. Eighth-grade epee Matthew Wu and seventh grader Jasper Zheng replaced the All-National fencers in the win. Every bout mattered, as South won 14-9. Foil’s in freshman Rhan Zhao, junior Qinrui Zhang and sophomore Eugene Lee, along with the three sabers in sophomore Brendan Chen, senior Brandon Reed and junior Lawrence Lam, impacted this team all season.
The girls defeated Ward Melville/Port Jefferson/Rocky Point/Comsewogue, 14-6. Freshman foil Emma Kandalaft, sophomore epeeists Surabhi Deiz and Seling Wang, and three senior captains in epeeist Ashley Nguyen, saber Justina Hom and foilist Annabelle Qi.
“Our success really developed throughout the entire season, and a large part of that is due to these three captains,” Sagevick said. “Each of them took time to build relationships with the athletes on their squad. They led by example and worked toward our common goal of returning to Nassau County and Long Island [championships]. They also helped work on the mental side of fencing — confidence, supporting each other, and pushing through difficult situations. During the playoffs, I was probably more nervous than the girls. I think I went through a bottle and a half of Tums. But the girls kept telling me, “Coach, we’ve got this.”
Both coaches viewed this season as a rebuilding one, one in which they wouldn’t end up champions. But the boys and girls surprised their coaches.
“This one ranks very high because early in the season, I wasn’t visualizing that we would end up here,” Sagevick said. “But halfway through the season, I realized these girls really wanted it. Watching them put in the effort and achieve that goal together meant a lot.”
“We knew teams like Herricks and Syosset were very strong this year, and we thought there was a chance we might lose in the semifinals,” Sagevick added. “About halfway through the season, we realized that if we filled a few holes and the matchups worked in our favor, we could actually win it. Fencing is all matchup-based and we realized we had the right matchups.
It wasn’t smooth sailing for either team throughout the playoffs. If one bout goes a different way, they’re not county champs. The boys have faced off against Syosset in the last five county title matches. This season, as the only exception, South had to go through No. 2 Syosset to reach the semifinals. South won 14-13.
“Then in the semifinal we fenced Syosset, which has been our toughest competition for the last five years,” Baravarian said. “That was a really tough match. Syosset has the best saber team in Nassau County, so we were hoping to steal one or two wins there if we were lucky. We ended up getting one upset early. The match ultimately came down to the last bout of the day. It was tied 13–13, and one of our captains, Tse, came through with the win to send us to the finals.”
The girls, on the other hand, beat No. 4 Herricks in the semifinals 14-12 and No. 2 Jerricho in the finals 14-12.
“For me, the most memorable moment was our semifinal against Herricks,” Qi said. “It was really intense, and seeing the entire team come together at the end after the final touch was amazing. We were all celebrating together and it was just a lot of emotions.”
Nguyen and Hom shared their most memorable moments from the season.
In addition to a surprising outcome to a season with increased expectations, as the year went on, South had four boys and four girls compete in the first-ever Hill Fencing Institute (H3 located in East Northport, New York) All-Star event. This event showcases the best fencers on Long Island in a bout between Nassau and Suffolk County. Sagevick coached the girls and Barvarian coached the boys.
The girls’ team sent Wang, Dietz, Hom and Kandalaft, while the boys’ team sent Tse, Wu, Karimov and Zhao.
“For me, I really enjoyed being at practice every day,” Hom said. “Even though it might sound boring, we spend about an hour and a half to two hours together at practice every day, so we really bond as a team. I liked being able to talk with everyone, help lead practices, and support the younger girls while they supported me as well. I also switched weapons this year, so that was a big adjustment.”
“One of the most memorable moments for me was our senior game,” Nguyen said. “I’ve been on the team for the past few years, and having that experience for myself was really special. The girls made posters and gifts for us, which was really endearing. A lot of our friends came out to support us, too, even if they weren’t involved in fencing. It was a tough match, so seeing that support meant a lot.”
Some of these boys and girls get to add to the legacy of Great Neck South fencing, while others graduate and leave their legacy behind, with multiple county and Long Island championships to their names.
