EASTON, Pa. – Sabrist John Hare missed a trip to the NCAA Regional Finals and the "at-large" seat to the NCAA Championships by a heart-breaking single touch Saturday afternoon as he led the Haverford College men's fencing team. Fencing at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional, which is widely considered the toughest of the four regions, the Fords were represented by five fencers on the men's side.
Hare was easily the top Division III fencer in the sabre field as he recorded a 13th place finish overall, with the top 12 fencers qualifying to the regional final. In the third round of fencing, Hare defeated Adam Green of Penn and Ben Rabinowitz of North Carolina, falling only to opponents from Duke, Penn State, and NJIT. Despite those wins on his resume, both Green and Rabinowitz advanced to the regional final by virtue of touch differential. Green was minus-three (18-21) for the round while Hare was minus-four (18-22). The Fords' junior had posted a 6-4 record during the first two rounds of fencing to easily earn advancement into the regional semifinals.
Haverford was represented by three sabrists overall for the third straight season. First-year Nicholas Conroy went 3-2 during the first round of fencing at his regional debut. However, he too was eliminated on touch differential when the field was cut to the top 24. Senior David Parker was making his fourth straight appearance at the regional championships. Parker defeated foes from rivals Johns Hopkins and Stevens before being credited with a 29th place showing for his highest placement at the regional championships since his rookie campaign.
Co-captain Kadan Lottick (epee) and junior Jack Leighninger (foil) both recorded 30th place showings in their respective weapons. Lottick, a junior, was making his third straight appearance at the regional championships. He defeated Penn State's Joshua Cole during the opening round but dropped three other hard-fought bouts to conclude his stellar season. Leighninger, also making this third straight trip in as many seasons, defeated opponents from Stevens and Johns Hopkins. However, he was placed in a very difficult opening pool and finished his day with a 2-3 record.
Saturday's regional championship brought a close to the 2018-19 season for the Haverford fencers. Nevertheless, the Fords appear to have a strong foundation for future success as four of the team's five regional qualifiers return for at least one more season. Haverford will certainly have experienced talent on its side as each of the team's top finishers across all three weapons from this weekend will be entering this senior campaigns next winter.