MADISON, N.J. – The Haverford College men's fencing team placed fourth overall out of 15 teams at the Mid-Atlantic College Fencing Association (MACFA) Championships on Sunday. The weekend's success was highlighted by the sabrists finishing runner-up in the squad championships, while Kadan Lottick was a bronze medalist in epee. Haverford defeated second-place Johns Hopkins and third-place Stevens in the head-to-head battles, but those two foes accumulated more victories throughout the day to edge the Fords out of a silver medal team placement in the final standings.
Haverford's sabrists finished runner-up in the squad standings for the second straight year after capturing the squad title in 2016. First-year Nicholas Conroy posted the squad's strongest record out of the "C" slot with a 13-1 mark during team competition. Senior David Parker went 11-3 in the "B" spot of the lineup, while John Hare was 8-6 fencing in the "A" lineup. Each of those three fencers advanced to the direct elimination draw where Parker ended up with a fifth-place showing for the best finish of his MACFA career. Hare and Conroy were credited with 13th and 14th place finishes, respectively.
Led by Lottick's medalist performance, Haverford's epeeists placed seventh as a squad but were just two victories short of a fourth-place finish which would have matched the squad's highest place dating back to the 2015 season. The Fords' junior fenced the "A" spot in the lineup and went 11-3 against his opponent's best during the team competition. He followed that up by fencing his way into the semifinals of the direct elimination draw where he was credited with a third-place finish, replicating his bronze medal showing from a season ago. Raynor Bond-Ashpole also collected nine bout victories for his squad in the "C" slot of the lineup while co-captain Gabriel Braun came out victorious on five occasions against his fellow "B" opposition.
The Fords' foilists placed fourth to match that squad's highest finish since the 2014 season as they were also fourth during both the 2017 and 2019 championships. Alton Wiggers and Carter Langen each collected 11 wins against just three defeats out of their respective "B" and "C" slots. Ace Jack Leighninger finished with nine bout victories in the top spot of the lineup and finished his day with a 12th place finish to lead his squadmates. Wiggers was also a qualifier to the direct elimination bouts where he was eventually credited with a 14th place showing.
Championship season continues this coming weekend as the Fords head to Lafayette where they will compete at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional Championship on Saturday, March 9. Widely considered the toughest of the four regionals, Haverford has qualified five individuals to this championship event on the men's side with two more alternates hoping to get into the field.
John Hare will enter this weekend as the top-ranked Division III fencer in the sabre field as he is seeded 17th overall. Hare is the third different fencer on this year's team to enter as the highest rank Division III sabrist, joining David Parker and Gabriel Braun (who switched to epee this season for the team's benefit mid-year). Parker (29th seed) and Nicholas Conroy (35th) give the Fords three sabrists at the regional championship. Jack Leighninger (No. 30; foil) and Kadan Lottick (No. 34 epee) are also in the field, while Alton Wiggers and Carter Langen are alternates to the foil competition.