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2019-20 Season Review

Season overview: The Haverford College men's fencing team took on all comers during the 2019-20 academic year, maintaining a schedule that is filled with the toughest competition throughout the country. Nevertheless, the Fords racked up 18 dual meet victories as a team, including a 13-3 record against MACFA foes and eventually placed fourth at their conference championship.

Starting off its conference schedule with a strong showing at the Dan Arnstein '09 Invitational, the Fords took down perennial power Johns Hopkins as part of a 3-0 start in the MACFA "C" round robin. That success continued into the second semester as the Fords won their first five conference duals, and eigth of nine overall, to start the year. That momentum carried right into the MACFA Championship, highlighted by senior Kadan Lottick capturing the silver medal in epee while classmate Jack Leighninger was the bronze medalist in foil. Leighninger's bronze was one of two medals for him as the foil squad (also featuring Carter Langen, William Moore, and Alton Wiggers) earned bronze in the final squad standings. Haverford capped its season at the 2020 NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional Championships where five Fords represented the team at the toughest qualifier across the entire country.

Season Notes: Haverford's fourth place finish at the MACFA Championship was the team's third straight year finishing in that position … The Fords' 18 victories marked a three-win improvement from the previous season and gives head coach Chris Spencer 218 wins since he took over the program during the 2007-08 season … Haverford's third-place finish from the foilists at the MACFA Championship was that squad's highest placement since the 2013-14 season when it capped off back-to-back runner-up finishes after winning the squad title in 2012 … Kadan Lottick's silver medal was the highest MACFA placement of his career and makes him a three-time medalist in epee following back-to-back third-place finishes the previous two seasons … Jack Leighninger's individual bronze was the first of the senior's career … Lottick and Leighninger both cap their Haverford careers as four-time regional qualifiers … Lottick achieved a career-best 21st place finish at this year's regional championship while Leighninger's best finish was a 23rd-place showing in 2018 … Fellow senior John Hare led the sabre squad this year and was on pace for the third MACFA medal of his decorated career as he tied for the best record in the team component of the MACFA Championships while fencing the "A" slot before being upset in the first round of direct elimination bouts.

Honors/Awards

Looking ahead: Haverford's Class of 2020 fencers certainly made a huge impact over the past four years with Lottick, Leighninger, and Hare pacing their respective squads. Nevertheless, the Fords will return a number of talented underclassmen who will be charged with carrying on the tradition of strong fencing at Haverford. Juniors Alton Wiggers and Carter Langen gave Haverford a full compliment of foil fencers at the regional championship while William Moore was also a member of that bronze medal squad at the conference championship. Nicholas Conroy is a returning regional qualifier for the Fords' sabrists as he placed 12th in the conference during his sophomore season. Kagan Harris also got another taste of postseason fencing this year on the sabre squad and will return as a senior leader next winter. Raynor Bond-Ashpole is another senior leader on the epee squad which also saw Adrian Velonis and Edward Shin represent Haverford at the MACFA Championship. Jack Crump, Neville Linden, and and Aaron Xu also had strong showings throughout their first-years at Haverford and will look to make an even bigger impact in the coming years as the Fords look to replace their talented graduated class.

 

2019-20 Season Outlook

The Haverford College men's fencing team returns four of its five regional qualifiers from a team that placed fourth at the MACFA Championships a season ago. Looking to reach ever greater heights this winter, the Fords welcome five first-years into the program to bolster the team's depth in search of the program's first MACFA Championship since a run of three straight from 2010 to 2012.

Sabre has been the weapon squad runner-up during each of the past two seasons after a squad championship in 2017. Looking to lead the sabrists back to the top of the conference will be senior John Hare who was just one touch away from earning the "at-large" seat to the NCAA Championships following a 13th-place finish at regionals last fall. Hare is a three-time NCAA Regional qualifier entering his senior season.

Nicholas Conroy, last season's Rookie of the Year, also made an immediate impact on the sabre squad before eventually finishing 25th during his first regional championship. Junior Kagan Harris, who will be abroad during the fall semester, also returns to the sabre squad after picking up some crucial experience throughout his first two seasons as an always reliable option. Harris was fencing his best at the end of last year's campaign with key victories throughout the MACFA Championship season. First-year Neville Linden and Aaron Xu will add reinforcements to one of the Fords' strongest weapons in recent seasons.

Haverford's foil squad will be the most experience weapon on the team as senior Jack Leighninger has qualified to the regional championship during each of his first three seasons, including a career-best 23rd-place finish at the 2018 regional championship. Junior co-captain Alton Wiggers and classmate Carter Langen give the Fords a number of strong options in the foil lineup. Those two fencers filled the "B" and "C" slots behind Leighninger at the MACFA Championships last year, with Wiggers advancing to the direct elimination bouts of the conference championship. William Moore joins the Haverford foil squad this year to bolster a weapon squad which was already returning its top three from a season ago.

Senior co-captain Kadan Lottick leads the Fords' epeeists into the 2019-20 season. Ever since stepping on campus, Lottick has anchored the epee squad as a three-time regional qualifier. Lottick won back-to-back bronze medals during both of the last two MACFA Championships. Raynor Bond-Ashpole, who will be abroad during the fall semester, filled the "B" slot behind Lottck a year ago and really found his stride during the second half of the season. Sophomore Adrian Velonis was another epeeist who came on strong during the second half of last season and will counted on to deliver more key victories this winter. First-years Edward Shin and Jack Crump join that weapon looking to bolster Haverford's tradition of epee excellence.

Men's fencing opens the 2019-20 campaign at the Temple Open. The Fords will host the Dan Arnstein '09 Invitational/MACFA "C" Round Robin on Saturday, November 16 in their only home duals other than the annual Alumni Bouts/Reception on Saturday, January 25. This winter will mark head coach Chris Spencer's 13th season leading the Fords. Already the winningest coach in program history for both genders, Spencer collected his 200th victory on the men's side during a 15 win campaign during the 2018-19 season.

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