Story posted Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Paul Wins Title, Five Others Earn All-Conference
By DWIGHT ESAU Journal Sports
The rollercoaster season that Maine West's fencing team has been on the last month ended happily in a big weekend.
First, five Warrior fencers earned all-conference honors and one fencer won a championship at the Great Lakes Conference finals at New Trier last Saturday.
Second, the day before, the team and coach Rachel Dean learned that the High School District 207 board of education has decided not to move the fencing program to intramural status as a cost-cutting move, but will retain it as a varsity sport.
Warrior senior Julia Paul wrapped up an outstanding fencing career with a first place in women's epee at New Trier Saturday.
Senior Vanessa Bagneschi took second, and sophomore Cara Franke took a 7th place in sabre among the women. Junior Ben Haliotis took third in men's epee. Senior Lisa Wille won 6th in women's foil, and she and teammates Tonya Scaramuzza, Cindy Wong, and Katie Malone, earned second in women's foil.
Bagneschi was honored with the conference's Karen Kenyon sportsmanship award. This award is named after the founder and first coach of the Maine West fencing program.
The West fencers had an outsanding year in the Great Lakes conference, according to Dean.
The team's overall dual record was 7-2 and the women's record was 5-4. wThe women's sabre team won third place in the conference, behind Stevenson and Culver Academy. Bagneschi, Franke, Vanesssa Reynoso, and Katie Meyers were key members of this team.
Men's epee also took third. Dan Brissette, Carl Lyday, Ben Haliotis, Mark Wendtland, and Corey Hinkes were the key members of this team.
The West men's foil team had a record of 6-3, which tied them for third. Jesse Arnold, Mike Parrilli, Dan Petersen, Wil Bogue, and Thomas Gehrt were key members of this team.
"Near the end of every season, each of the 10 conference coaches nominates a senior girl and boy for a sportsmanship award," Dean said.
"The women's award is named after former West coach Karen Kenyon. This year I nominated Vanessa Bagneschi, our women's sabre captain. Apparently, the other coaches agreed with me."
Seniors leaving the program this year include Paul, Lisa Wille, Bagneschi, Jay Jayswal, Hinkes, Scaramuzza, Malone, Eric Goggin, and Parrilli.
"But most of our team is made up of juniors and sophomores, so we will be an even stronger team next year," Dean said.
The 207 school administration originally recommended that the West fencing program be dropped to intramural status, cutting off its funding and potentially saving the district $24,000. This was part of as $15 million cost reduction plan. But at a meeting last week, the board of education, after hearing a strong and emotional appeal from fencers and Dean, decided to retain the sport in is current varsity status. "The administration recommends working with parents and students toward solutions to lower the program's cost," the board said in a statement.
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