As the fencing team gathers on stage to present championship trophies, one may notice that those on stage, generally speaking, are not the stereotypical athletes. Unlike the majority of other sports wherein the players either play, or have an expressed interest in, another sport, a significant number of fencers count fencing as their sole sport.

“Fencing is different than many other sports,” Pixel West, captain of the Girls Saber team  said. “It is like a really fast game of chess. And while you do have to be somewhat athletic, you also need a sharp mind; you have to be able to deceive your opponent, not necessarily outrun her.”

It is fascinating how many who have never fenced before come under the tutelage of Coach Martin, and are quickly transformed into competitive players, bringing home trophy after trophy.

For the 2014 season, the fencing team emerged victorious. Indeed, four of the six teams—boys and girls epee, saber and foil—won the league title.

West was very content with the outcome of the season. “We were undefeated up until the last match, and we lost that, though we really shouldn’t have. We went to the league tournament and we won second, but we won first overall in the league,” she said.

Santi Rozas’s sabre team shared similar success with their female counterparts—they too won the League championship as well as the vast majority of their matches. Rozas said he was proud of his team especially as they lost vital players last year. “The team this year really stepped up to help fill the shoes of those who left. We may have been less experienced, but we won the same number of trophies,” he said.

Despite the continued success of all the fencing teams, some continue to lament the lack of spectators.

Stephanie Sherman, a member of the girls’ sabre squad, said that people are often impressed to hear that her team—and other fencing teams—has accomplished so much. In reality, though, this is nothing new, as they win consistently. “Most people never attend a fencing match; they would rather go to a basketball game,” she said. “And so, many are ignorant about the status of the fencing teams, which is sad because we do very well.”

The official and final record for the season is as follows: Boys’ foil won 11 matches and lost 1, girls’ foil won 8 and lost 6, boys’ epee won 11 and lost 1, girls’ epee won 9 and lost 5, boys’ sabre won 10 and lost 2 and girls’ sabre won 9 and lost 1.