The Huntington High School boys’ and girls’ fencing teams are off to a great start to the season, winning home and away meets against Half Hollow Hills and also topping Brentwood. The twin 3-0 records are the best start for the Blue Devils in many years.
Coached by Michelle O’Brien and Burke Tomaselli, the Huntington boys and girls squad have been exceptionally sharp. Defeating Half Hollow Hills in the season opener last week in the Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School gym and then overcoming the same team a second time in their own gym last Saturday as well as Brentwood.
The Blue Devil girls’ team includes seventh grader Julia Goodwin; freshman Sandy Garcia Ulloa; sophomores Layna Abraham and Shaina Linker; juniors Fiona Brosnan, Emely Cruz, Aislyn Franciscovich, Allie Malone and Haileigh Smith; and seniors Madelyn Bavaro, Ally Kustera and Abigail Simon.
Huntington’s boys’ squad features seventh grader Owen Stevens; freshmen Thomas Galacia, Samuel Soric and Luka Zivkovic; sophomores Jake Amend, Benjamin Edgar-McNerney and Chase Williams; juniors Abdiel Castillo Martos, Peter Gaal, Jeffrey Garcia, Samuel James, Timothy Kusterbeck, Justin Perez, Liam Tucker and Dominick Vidota; and seniors Omar Cruz Jr., Luca D’Anna, James Kretschmer, Matthew Mead and Gian Marco Vazquez
The boys’ squad is captained by Kretschmer and Tucker. Bavaro and Kustera are the girls’ team captains. Weapon squad captains include: Sabre: Kuster and Mead; Foil: Bavaro and D’Anna; Epee: Malone, Kretschmer and Tucker.
Against Half Hollow Hills in the season opener last Thursday, the Huntington boys’ team notching a satisfying 18-9 victory. D’Anna and Amend both won all three of their foil matches while Tucker was a perfect 3-0 in epee. The Blue Devil foil squad went a combined 8-1
The Huntington girls’ team battled its way to a 15-12 win over Half Hollow Hills. Ally Kustera and Haileigh Smith were both 3-0 in sabre. Linker won her first ever varsity epee bout and Garcia captured his first victory in sabre.
In the return meet against Half Hollow Hills last Saturday, the Blue Devil boys won again, 22-5 and the girls fought their way to a 19-8 victory. Senior Matthew Mead was 3-0 in sabre and D’Anna again went 3-0 in foil Kretschmer and Tucker were both 3-0 in epee. Smith led the Huntington girls’ squad with a 3-0 effort in sabre.
The Blue Devil boys’ topped Brentwood, 19-8. Amend and D’Anna were both untouched in foil. D’Anna was especially impressive. “He was only hit twice by his Brentwood opponents in his three bouts,” O’Brien said. Tucker also remained undefeated in epee.
Huntington’s girls’ team cruised past Brentwood, 20-7. Garcia won her single sabre bout and Abraham went two-for-three in epee. Kustera unblemished in three sabre matches as was Bavaro in her foil bouts. Simon went 3-0 in epee.
“The camaraderie, initiative and teamwork with this team this year is amazing,” O’Brien said. “Coach Tomaselli and I predict a successful season.”
