Jan. 11, 2008
The Notre Dame fencing program – for years one of the nation’s elite champions – could be in line for a surprising season in 2008. With seven returning All-Americans and two other NCAA Tournament veterans, the Irish already had the makings for a strong showing in the upcoming season. But the team’s chances to improve on its fourth-place finish from a year ago could hinge on the productivity of a freshman class that has the talent and potential to be one of the best in the storied history of Notre Dame fencing.
The Irish have more returning All-Americans (five) on the men’s side than on the women’s, but the programs two veteran women’s All-Americans are leading contenders to claim individual NCAA titles at the 2008 NCAAs. Junior foilist Adrienne “Adi” Nott placed sixth at the 2006 NCAAs and then was third in 2007 while Olympic hopeful Kelley Hurley could be considered the women’s epee favorite in 2008, after reaching the NCAA title bout in her rookie season.
Notre Dame’s returning men’s All-Americans include: junior sabreist Bill Thanhouser, the foil duo of senior Jakub Jedrkowiak (a three-time All-American) and Mark Kubik, and veteran epeeists Greg Howard and Karol Kostka. On the women’s side, juniors Emilie Prot (foil) and Ashley Serrette (sabre) also gained valuable experience as 2007 NCAA entrants.
The program was hit hardest by graduation on both sabre squads, as four-time All-Americans Patrick Ghattas and Valerie Providenza concluded their stellar careers in 2007, as did two-time All-American Matt Stearns. Ghattas, who reached the NCAA title bout every year from 2005-07, remains with the program as an intern assistant coach and could be a valuable resource and practice partner for the young sabre group.
Plenty of sabre reinforcements have arrived, in the form of four highly-rated newcomers who quickly are making their mark on the youth fencing ranks. Three of those young sabreists – Avery Zuck, Sarah Borrmann and Eileen Hassett – are the latest products of the Portland-based Oregon Fencing Alliance sabre academy (which also has produced Ghattas, Providenza and their former Notre Dame teammate Mariel Zagunis, among others). The fourth newcomer, Barron Nydam, also is a west-coast native from southern California.
The team’s other key graduation loss is three-time All-America epeeist Amy Orlando, with Poland native Ewa Nelip appearing poised to join Hurley in forming one of the nation’s top women’s epee duos.
Three additional newcomers also could emerge as key contributors during the 2008 season, with those promising additions including foilists Haley Reese and Zach Schirtz along with epeeist Jacob Osborne.
(fencing capsules of each team follow below, as do detailed looks at all six weapons)
2007-08 Notre Dame Women’s Fencing Capsule
Returning All-Americans (2007 record)
Foil: Adi Nott, Jr. (57-6)**(c)
Epee: Kelley Hurley, So. (51-4)*(c)
Other Top Returners (2007 record)
Foil: Emilie Prot, Jr. (40-16)# and Rachel Cota, Sr. (29-10)(c)
Epee: Kim Montoya, Jr. (43-24)(c)
Sabre: Ashley Serrette, Jr. (61-22)#(c)
Top Letterwinners Lost (2007 record)
Epee: Amy Orlando (43-22)**#
Sabre: Valerie Providenza (51-7)****
Top Newcomers
Foil: Hayley Reese, Fr. (Crestwood, KY)
Epee: Ewa Nelip, Fr. (Katowice, Poland)
Sabre: Sarah Borrmann, Fr. (Portland, OR) and Eileen Hassett, Fr. (Beaverton, OR)
* – All-America honors … # – NCAA participant (non-All-American) … c – indicates team captains
Junior sabreist Bill Thanhouser impressively tied for fourth-place at the 2007 NCAAs.
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2007-08 Notre Dame Men’s Fencing Capsule
Returning All-Americans (2007 record)
Foil: Jakub Jedrkowiak, Sr. (42-16)*** and Mark Kubik, Jr. (39-21)#*(c)
Epee: Greg Howard, Sr. (47-17)*(c) and Karol Kostka, Jr. (48-18)#*
Sabre: Bill Thanhouser, Jr. (51-12)*(c)
Top Letterwinners Lost (2007 record)
Foil: Frank Bontempo (41-18)#
Epee: Aaron Adjemian (39-19)##
Sabre: Patrick Ghattas, Sr. (27-3)**** and Matt Stearns, Sr. (36-16)#**
Top Newcomers
Foil: Zach Schirtz, Fr. (Rochester, NY) and Steve Kubik, Fr. (San Antonio, TX)
Epee: Jacob Osborne, Fr. (Colleyville, TX)
Sabre: Avery Zuck, Fr. (Beaverton, OR) and Barron Nydam, Fr. (Rancho Santa Fe, CA)
* – All-America honors … # – NCAA participant (non-All-American) … c – indicates team captains
Here’s a look at the Irish, by weapon:
WOMEN’S EPEE
The lefthanded Hurley (San Antonio, Texas) easily could have opted to take a leave of absence during the 2008 spring semester, in order to chase her Olympic dream – but the talented 19-year-old instead opted to remain with the Irish for the 2008 college season while navigating a hectic schedule that includes balancing academic requirements with international competitions.
“Kelley loves being a part of Notre Dame fencing and fortunately she was able to work out a situation where she can remain in school while also trying to make the Olympic team,” says sixth-year Irish head coach Janusz Bednarski, in reference to the fencer who went 51-4 in the 2007 regular season and then won conference and regional titles before losing the NCAA final by two points (versus departed three-time champion Anna Garina, of Wayne State).
“With Kelley, you get the full package in an epee fencer. She is a passionate fighter on the strip and has key physical attributes, due to her height [5-foot-9] and being lefthanded. She has quick acceleration and is confident in her parry actions, with the ability to quickly process information during bouts and accurately read her opponent’s actions. We all are excited to see what Kelley does this year and on into the future.”
Hurley was set to close the book on the year 2007 listed second on the USFA national rankings for women’s epeeists, trailing only her 17-year-old sister Courtney. The fencing configuration for the 2008 Olympics will not include a team competition in women’s epee, meaning that countries can send only two (rather than four) entrants in that weapon. By early April, the Hurley sisters should know if they will be heading to Beijing to fence for their country and for Olympic gold.
Despite not yet reaching the age of 20, Hurley already has risen to 34th in the FIE world women’s epee rankings (10 spots behind her little sister), as she adds to an impressive career resume of unprecedented accomplishments in the sport of fencing.
The 5-foot-8 Nelip (Katowice, Poland) continues Notre Dame’s recent trend of adding fencers from Poland, which is Bednarski’s homeland. A bronze medalist at the 2007 European Junior Championship, Nelip also has finished first or second at three recent World Cup competitions and is well on her way to making a smooth transition into college fencing.
“Ewa has tremendous speed and reactions for her size,” says Bednarski. “Her athleticism and agility when changing direction make her very tough to beat and – even when she is down in a bout – she has a strong drive and belief to battle back.
“I have been very impressed with the high level of Ewa’s adjustment to life in America and the academic demands here at Notre Dame. She has quickly merged into our team and I think she and Kelley will be a great epee pair for years to come.”
Junior Kim Montoya (79-31 career record) has made key strides in her recent work with first-year assistant coach Marek Stepien, a highly-regarded and spirited epee coach. Montoya, a Las Vegas native, has trained under former Irish head coach Yves Auriol at the Fencing Academy of Nevada and could be a key factor to several Notre Dame team wins during the 2008 season.
“You can see with Kim that she has become more confident in her bouting while improving several aspects of her fencing – from timing to speed and coordination,” says Bednarski. “Kim has a smaller frame than other top epeeists but she is a very patient and smart fencer, with some classy moves and effective deception in her technique.”
MEN’S EPEE
The six-foot lefthander Howard (127-34 career regular-season record) narrowly missed qualifying for the NCAAs in his first two seasons before finally breaking through in 2007, when he placed eighth at the national meet for All-America honors. The local product (Granger, Ind.) will captain the epee squad for the third straight year and again is a top Academic All-America candidate, carrying a 3.67 cumulative GPA as an economics major.
“Greg has developed into a great leader for the program and is a fine example due to his work ethic and focus on our team goals,” says Bednarski.
“Many opponents end up being off-balance when they fence against Greg because of the unorthodox timing in his attacks. He is able to maintain proper distance and has a good arm extension, to go along with a precise point on his touches. Greg makes great use of his modern style and is a classic intellectual battler. I think he is set to have another great year for us as a senior in 2008.”
Kostka (Krakow, Poland) – who hails from the same hometown and club (AZS-WAF) as former Notre Dame epee standout Michal Sobieraj – had his own breakthrough at the 2007 NCAAs, earning All-America status after improving his finish by seven spots (11th, after being 18th at the ’06 NCAAs). A former member of Poland’s Junior National Team, Kostka compiled a 91-29 record in regular-season bouts during his first two years with the Irish and had a solid third-place finish at the 2007 NCAA Midwest Regional.
“Karol has begun to become more consistent and is making good overall improvements, in large part due to his regular work with coach Stepien,” says Bednarski. “He is a very relaxed fighter who is so light on his feet, with elegant movement and good control of distance. Karol also is very effective in the continuation of his lunge. We could see him make a run at being an NCAA semifinalist in the future.”
Osborne (Colleyville, Texas/Golden Blade Fencing) is one of several newcomers who are relatively new to fencing, after not picking up the sport until he was 15. A former roller hockey player during his youth, Osborne incorporates some skills from that sport into his more freewheeling epee style.
“Jacob provides a different look to our lineup due to his German style of fencing, which he developed while training with former U.S. Olympian Jim Carpenter,” says Bednarski of Osborne, who began his college career listed ninth on the USFA national rankings for under-20 men’s epeeists.
“His style is very offensive-oriented and relies more on blade speed and parries. Jacob has a shorter attack but can quickly close the distance – he adds a level of excitement to epee competitions and we are excited to watch his development over the next few years.
Fellow freshman Andy Seroff (Boulder, Colo./Northern Colorado Fencers) – who holds the #16 spot in the USFA U-20 rankings – is more in the traditional epeeist mold, with a lanky 6-3, 150-pound frame. “Andy uses his long arms for a very classic defensive style, but we would like to make him a little more attacking-oriented while developing his strength and fitness training. In the future, I think you will see him develop into a very successful fencer on the college level,” says Bednarski.
WOMEN’S FOIL
The lefthanded Nott (Pittsford, NY) – who joins senior Rachel Cota as second-year co-captains of the women’s foil squad – could be in position to contend for the 2008 NCAA title. A product of the Rochester Fencing Club and former member of the U.S. Junior National Team, Nott has compiled an .894 career winning percentage in regular-season bouts (101-12) – good for 10th-best ever by any Notre Dame women’s fencer.
“Our assistant coach Gia’s work with Adi has allowed her to become more patient on the strip, so she can pick the spots where she can be most effective,” says Bednarski of Nott, an Academic All-America candidate due to her 3.76 GPA as a double major in Japanese and psychology.
“Adi is very devoted to film study so she can self-correct her mistakes and she is one of the most mentally-tough fencers you will find. She does have a small frame but is very quick and can make up for her smaller size with consistent prebout preparation, from both a physical and technical standpoint.”
Junior Adi Nott should be among the top contenders for the 2008 NCAA women’s foil title.
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Reese (Crestwood, Ky./Louisville Fencing Center) did not begin fencing until age 12 but she has rapidly climbed the ranks, with a most recent ranking of eighth among the nation’s under-20 women’s foilists. A former member of the U.S. Under-17 National Team, Reese has lofty goals that extend beyond college and on to the Olympic Games.
“Haley has tremendous speed, great technique and a unique style,” says Bednarski. The most special quality is her unmatched analytical skills, as Haley can identify and make the key mid-bout adjustments that most fencers her age would not recognize.
“She is just such a resilient and mentally strong fencer – we’re glad she’s part of our team and not a member of the opposition.”
Prot (Limoges, France) nearly earned All-America honors (top-12) at the 2007 NCAAs, after tying for 10th but placing 14th based on totalpoint indicators. She won nearly 100 regular-season bouts (96-28) during her first two years with the Irish and had flashes of brilliance, including her title-winning effort at the 2006 Midwest Fencing Conference Championships.
“The key factor for Emilie is being able to control her emotions and consistently rise above the pressure,” says Bednarski of Prot, who previously was a top-10 junior-level fencer in her homeland of France.
“If Emilie can take her past experiences – both good and bad – and use them to her advantage, she will have another strong year. She also has been very effective at anticipating her opponent’s actions and reading the distance – but Emilie also now has incorporated more actions into her fencing and that should make her an All-America type of fencer in 2008.”
MEN’S FOIL
The 6-foot-1 Jedrkowiak (Leszno, Poland; 128-35 career record) could become the fifth Notre Dame men’s foilist to be a four-year All-American, after finishing in the NCAA top-10 every year from 2005-07 (7th-8th-9th). The fencer affectionately known as “Kuba” has proven that he can defeat the nation’s top foilists, as evidenced by his runner-up finish at the 2004 Penn State Open before winning that event in the fall of 2005 (each year knocking off Ohio State’s Boaz Ellis, a three-time NCAA champion).
“Kuba clearly has the talent and track record to make a run at the NCAA title in his final season, but the question will be whether he can be consistent enough within his bouts to make that happen,” says fellow Poland native Bednarski.
“He has the makings of a complete foilist, particularly on the technical side, and is very clever in his bouting with a wide range of actions. It would be great to see Kuba go out with the best season of his career.”
The Notre Dame foil squad will feature a brother combination in 2008 that is composed of two distinct personalities – with older brother Mark Kubik exhibiting a more reserved and younger brother Steve is an extroverted free spirit, on and off the strip. The San Antonio natives have a diverse fencing background, after spending several years of their youth living in Germany while also being tutored throughout their life by their father Wendall Kubik (the former head coach of the U.S. Air Force Academy).
The Kubik brothers have been reunited at Notre Dame with their former club coach, Kvaratskhelia. The Kubiks were members of the Kanza Fencing Club men’s foil team that brought home the bronze from the USFA 2006 Junior Nationals, with Kvaratskhelia cheering them on as their proud coach.
The elder Kubik brother – a top Academic All-America candidate thanks to his impressive 3.67 cumulative GPA, as a chemical engineering major – made a huge jump on the NCAA stage, surging to an All-America finish at the 2007 event (7th) after a disheartening 21st-place showing among the 24 men’s foil competitors at the 2006 NCAAs. Like many of his teammates, Kubik now sets his sights on contending for an NCAA individual title.
“It took Mark a while to adjust to the new timing changes in foil fencing but he recently has made some key improvements in his approach, by using his size [6-2] and hand speed more to his advantage,” says Bednarski of Kubik, who owns an 82–38 career record with the Irish and a #21 USFA national ranking among all men’s foilists.
“Mark also has become more effective by narrowing his actions and now is more calculating and mentally-tough in his bouting. His approach has several similarities to epee fencing, which sets him apart from our other foilists. Mark is very driven in his daily training and his competition, and I see no reason why he can’t be one of the top foilists in collegiate fencing.”
The younger Kubik brother began his college career with a #18 USFA ranking among under-20 men’s foilists, but many of his fencing attributes – aside from his excellent combination of a 6-foot-3 frame, speed and strength – are those that can’t be quantified.
“Steve is the type of resilient battler who is well-suited for the five-touch bouts in college fencing,” says Bednarski. “He also has extremely quick hands and reflexes, in addition to making good in-bout decision in regards to distance and actions. Steve is known for his spirited rallies and he will add a lot of life to the foil squad.”
Schirtz (Rochester, N.Y.) – a product of the Rochester Fencing Center, which also counts Nott among its alums – could make a strong impact on collegiate fencing, due to his effective lefthanded style and tremendous physical presence. While the Kubik brothers both are noted for their size, Schirtz packs plenty of talent into his 6-foot-5, 195-pound body.
“Zach is an intense and very well-coached fencer who will be tough for opponents to handle during the college bouts,” says Bednarski of Schirtz, who is listed 11th on the USFA U-20 men’s foil rankings and had an impressive runner-up finish at the Penn State Open in the fall of 2007.
“We are very excited to see the depth of our men’s foil team this season and Zach is a big reason for that excitement. He has a great sense of timing off the touch, with good technique and strong attacking skills. He will be fun to watch.”
MEN’S SABRE
Thanhouser (Beaverton, Ore.) had an impressive sophomore year that included winning better than 80 percent of his bouts in the regular season (51-12) before being runner-up at the NCAA Midwest Regional and tying for fourth at the NCAA Championships (he ended up sixth, based on total-point indicators).
Noted for his excellent leadership and focus on team goals, the lefthander has assumed the role of sabre team captain and will be a leading candidate for Academic All-America honors, with a 3.63 cumulative GPA while tackling a challenging major in the Program of Liberal Studies (a “great books”-based curriculum).
“Billy has grown into a great leader and is a very emotional competitor who loves to battle in the big bouts,” says Bednarski, who has watched Thanhouser compile a 92-22 record with the Irish while also competing with the U.S. Junior National Team and currently owning a #22 USFA national ranking.
“Having Patrick Ghattas here as a coach should help Billy stay sharp and fence at an elite level. They actually have similar styles, even though Patrick is righthanded. Billy combines great footwork and excellent technique with an effective creation of speed on the strip, plus good reaction skills. We expect him to follow in Patrick’s footsteps as a top competitor for the NCAA title.”
The 6-foot-1 Nydam (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) – who joins the shorter Thanhouser in giving the Irish a pair of top lefthanded men’s sabreists – already had posted a pair of impressive finishes during the 2007 fall semester. The San Diego-area native won the Under-20 men’s sabre competition at the USFA North American Cup that was held in Dallas and added a solid fourth-place showing at the annual Penn State Open.
“Barron has tremendous natural speed and has a sturdy frame. He is an emotional competitor who clearly is going to benefit from experience on the college level – we are very excited with the start to his college fencing career,” says Bednarski.
Nydam, who served as an alternate on the 2005 U.S. Under-17 National Team, was listed 28th overall on the USFA men’s sabre rankings and was #9 among the U-20 sabreists. Those rankings nearly mirror Zuck (Beaverton, Ore.), who started his college career ranked 35th among all U.S. men’s sabreists but sixth in the U-20 rankings. Together, they form one of the top young men’s sabre duos in the nation.
“We have fortified our men’s sabre lineup for several years and Avery will be a big part of that,” says Bednarski of Zuck, a former nationally- ranked youth racquetball player who turned heads with his 15th-place finish while fencing against an elite field at the Junior World Cup in Sosnowiec, Poland (Oct. ’07).
“Avery combines a tall, 6-foot-2 frame with long arms and innate speed, with quick thinking on the strip. He is a very talented competitor, technically and tactically, and appears ready to make a quick transition to college fencing.”
WOMEN’S SABRE
The ever-improving Serrette (Orange, N.J.) gained valuable experience as a participant in the 2007 NCAAs and will lend a mature approach and team focus to her duties as sabre team captain in 2007-08. She also knows something about winning bouts, as her first two seasons with the Irish represent the highest victory totals ever by a Notre Dame women’s sabreist (57-25 and 61-22).
“Ashley is relatively new to fencing but she has quickly learned the sophisticated aspects of the sport,” says Bednarski. “She boasts great reaction time, with accelerated actions and the ability to effectively read her opponent’s actions. Ashley also has done a good job quickly integrating new actions into her fencing and we expect her to keep making key strides this year.”
Two of Zuck’s club teammates at the Oregon Fencing alliance round out Notre Dame’s top three women’s sabre fencers for 2007-08. Similar to Nydam and Zuck, they also sit in close proximity on the USFA national rankings – as Borrmann is fourth among the U-20 women’s sabreists (11th overall) while her fellow Beaverton, Ore., native Hassett sits one spot back in the #5 spot to go along with an overall ranking of 10th among all U.S. women’s sabreists.
“Sarah and Eileen both make use of an excellent modern style that minimizes movements, has a different positioning of the blade and a focus on the strategic use of distance,” says Bednarski. “These are two fencers who opt for quick escapes, rather than parries with the blade, and they clearly are ready to be starters for us.”
Hassett, who at 5-9 is one of the taller fencers on the Irish women’s team, did not begin fencing until 2004 but quickly has made her mark – including a third-place finish at the 2007 Penn State Open.