Fresh Prespective
By MATT LOZAR
Sports Writer
Most college teams do not expect significant contributions from their first-year team members.
Football teams regularly red-shirt their star freshmen. Basketball teams usually ease their freshmen into the playing rotation.
However, the Notre Dame fencing team has relied on its freshmen to make significant contributions throughout the entire season. This weekend's NCAA Championships will be no different.
The Irish national championship fencing squad features six first-time qualifiers: four freshmen, one sophomore and a junior.
But these newcomers feel they are ready to bring Notre Dame its first national championship in fencing since 1994.
"With the team, there is more pressure to perform well," said Kerry Walton. "I will do the utmost to help get the most points for the team to help win the title."
In men's sabre, junior Matt Fabricant claimed the second spot on the team. His fifth-place finish at the regional competition enabled him to earn one of the two NCAA at-large berths.
At Regionals, Fabricant did what he and his teammates will need to do this weekend, beat their lesser opponents and even pull a couple of upsets.
The scoring system at the NCAAs is simple: win a match and the team gets a point. The team with the most points at the end of the competition wins the national title. Therefore, Fabricant, and the other new members of the Irish national championship team cannot fence below their best in even one match.
Senior sabre captain Andre Crompton learned the hard way last year and has given Fabricant some advice.
"I was telling Matt to beat the people that are definitely less talented than he is," Crompton said. "Last year I lost to two MIT guys that were definitely way less talented. Every bout counts for one point. Whether you lose to [2001 national champion] Ivan Lee or MIT, it's still one bout. You can't lose stupid bouts."
With the scoring system counting each match, the NCAAs are very demanding both physically and mentally. The fencers new to this meet will have to learn how to keep their focus on only the current bout.
"You just have to relax and fence up to your capabilities," said Crompton. "As soon as you lose a bout, you have to put it behind you. As soon as you lose focus, you are in trouble. If you stay focused on that one loss all day, it is going to hurt you."
The experience these fencers bring to the team, both on the collegiate and international levels, is very impressive.
Freshman Derek Snyder is ranked second nationally in junior foil. That experience he has gained from the international competition will be valuable at the national championships.
"All the international and national experience I have will help out with the pressure issue this weekend," said Snyder. "I am definitely nervous since there is a lot of pressure. [If I] stay calm and focused, then I will be OK."
With junior Forest Walton studying abroad this semester, Snyder has to replace a 2001 All-American. But, Snyder feels confident in his abilities to help the team and gain individual awards.
"Since Forest Walton isn't here this year, I have the extra pressure of trying to fill his shoes," said Snyder. "My first goal is that we win. My personal goal is to finish in the top four. I think there are only three other people I have not beaten. If I fence my best, then I should be able to accomplish that."
Michal Sobieraj is the other new fencer on the men's team in his NCAA Championship meet. The freshman epeeist earned a 26-1 season record before hurting his foot at the Air Force Duals in early February. He missed the Midwest Conference Championships but returned two weeks ago to win the epee title at Regionals.
On the women's side, Walton, in her first year of collegiate fencing, leads the women's epee team. The sophomore won the Midwest Conference Championship at the beginning of the month and finished third at Regionals a week later.
Her attitude toward the weekend resembles more of a seasoned veteran, than a first-time competitor.
"I'm not really nervous," said Walton. "I know the whole team will be there together. The main thing is don't get nervous and stay focused. If you do screw up something little, [you can't] let it affect you for the rest of the day."
Walton knows when she is alone fencing on the strip, her team will be right there supporting her.
"Being on a team is different than fencing individually," Walton said. "I think my team experience on club teams at home and the world team will help a lot."
Two freshmen will compete for the Irish in women's foil. Andrea Ament compiled a 27-2 record on a talented Irish foil squad. Ament is also the top-ranked junior foilist in the United States.
Her classmate Alicja Kryczalo has been even more impressive. After a 39-2 regular season, Kryczalo won the conference and regional championships.
Despite all of their collegiate success the new fencers have gained this year, and the international accolades they have achieved, nothing will prepare them for the intensity of the NCAA meet this weekend.
"To describe the pressure at NCAAs, I am speechless. There is not a greater pressure for a fencer than NCAAs," said Crompton. "National tournaments, you are only fencing for yourself. Even at World Cups or team event World Cups, there is not really the pressure of fencing at NCAAs.
"Fencing at NCAAs is like fencing for the 50 people on the fencing team. Every bout, there is entirely so much pressure, it's hard to describe."
Despite all the pressure head coach Yves Auriol said the intensity of the meet is no excuse for not fencing well.
"If you have a good team, they will be able to take the pressure," said Auriol. "If we lose because we can't take the pressure, then we didn't have a championship caliber team."
All Sports Stories for Thursday, March 21, 2002
