Newsday's All-Long Island boys fencing team 2023
Newsday's 2023 All-Long Island boys fencing team, from left: Coach P.J. Moon of Syosset, Lawrence Zeltser of Syosset, Om Thakur of Herricks and Mattias Weber of Whitman. Credit: James Escher
Newsday Fencer of the Year: Ryan Wong, Great Neck South, saber, Sr.
Wong won the individual Nassau saber title and a gold medal at the Brentwood Holiday Tournament. Wong won Fencer of the Year last year after a 20-0 junior season and will fence at Boston College next year.
Lawrence Zeltser, Syosset, foil, Sr.
Zeltser defended his Brentwood Holiday Tournament title to start the season, then won the Nassau title to finish it. Zeltser went 17-2 this winter and helped Syosset to its first county team championship.
Rishi Pavate, Newfield, epee, Sr.
Pavate won the Suffolk epee title, gathered a 21-8 record and helped Newfield to a third straight Suffolk team title.
Marc Lindemann, Newfield, foil, Fr.
Lindemann claimed the Suffolk individual foil title as a highlight of his 33-1 record this season.
Mattias Weber, Whitman, sabre, Jr.
Weber won the Suffolk saber title and compiled a 27-4 record after finishing third at the Brentwood Holiday Tournament at the beginning of the year.
Om Thakur, Herricks, epee, Soph.
Thakur completed a perfect 30-0 season this winter, accented with an individual Nassau title.
Coach of the year: P.J. Moon, Syosset
Moon has been with the Syosset fencing program since its conception in 2018. This winter, Moon and Syosset won their first Nassau championship, and followed it with the program’s first Long Island title in a 14-2 win over Newfield, capping a perfect 10-0 season.
“It’s a very proud moment . . . To be able to win the title, seeing all the hard work that they put into it,” Moon said. “I couldn’t be happier.”
