Oyster Bay fencing eyes return to the top in Nassau
Oyster Bay fencer Grey Warwick-Clark competes in the girls epee competition at the Brentwood Holiday Tournament. (Dec. 14, 2013) Credit: Steven Ryan
With a deep and experienced team, Oyster Bay will be looking to make its fourth straight county final and win its third county title since 2011.
Along with Great Neck South, the Baymen have dominated boys fencing in Nassau County, with the two teams meeting in the last three county finals. Oyster Bay won in 2011 and 2012, while Great Neck South prevailed in 2013.
Oyster Bay coach John Bruckner says his team is looking to return to the summit in Nassau County and is motivated by last season’s narrow defeat in the championship.
Bruckner’s team certainly looks to be one of the county’s top contenders, as Oyster Bay has a 9-1 record and three fencers with an individual winning percentage of 88% or better.
Junior Andreas Tsoumpariotis is 20-2 in epee (90%), senior Matt Mahoski is 25-3 in sabre (89%), and senior Berkeley Golon is 22-3 in foil (88%).
Mahoski is joined on sabre by fellow senior Anant Mehrotra, who is 23-5 (82%).
Tsoumpariotis is nationally-rated by the United States Fencing Association and started this season off by winning silver in epee at December’s Brentwood Holiday Tournament.
On January 9, Oyster Bay and Great Neck South renewed their rivalry, with the Baymen winning 15-12. If recent history holds to form, the two schools have not seen the last of each other this season.
Two individual county champions lead Lady Baymen
Like the boys team, the Oyster Bay girls have their sights set on a county championship and have the talent to make this happen.
Defending county champions Laura Broffman and Grey Warwick-Clark are major parts of this equation.
Warwick-Clark, who won epee gold, and Broffman, who took first in sabre, were both named to Newsday’s All-Long Island Team in 2013, and are both doing well again this season.
Broffman leads the team with an 86% winning percentage and has a 24-4 record.
Warwick-Clark, who is nationally rated by the USFA, is 19-6 so far this season (76%).
Oyster Bay has also gotten very strong performances from its foil team, as all three starters have won more than 70% of their bouts.
Senior Virginia Kemp (22-5) leads the group and is joined by juniors Nathalie Mejia (19-7) and Christina Masiakos (17-7).
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
