Newsday's All-Long Island girls fencing team 2024
Newsday's All-Long Island girls fencing team 2024. Top row, from left: Victoria Lin of Half Hollow Hills and Kira Nguyen of Great Neck South. Bottom row, from left: Ava LaMedica of Ward Melville, Kiki Liu of Ward Melville, Gabriella Sherlock of Oyster Bay and coach Catie Sagevick of Great Neck South. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Newsday’s Fencer of the Year: Kiki Liu, Ward Melville, Foil, Jr.
Liu helped Ward Melville reach the Long Island final with her 37-2 record, holding the best overall win percentage (94.87%) of any Suffolk fencer regardless of weapon discipline. She captured gold among 57 competing foilists at the Brentwood Holiday Tournament, going 11-1, and grabbed bronze at Suffolk individual championships with a 13-2 record in the competition.
The junior has a 69-6 record over the last two seasons. Coach Ginny Siskidis said she’s excited to see what next season will bring, and Liu is likely one of the biggest catalysts behind that intrigue for the Patriots.
Sophie Chen, Newfield, Foil, Fr.
The future is bright at Newfield as Chen won her first gold medal at the Suffolk individuals championships, going 15-0. The freshman had a +52 total touch differential in the event, including a +16 in the final pool. Chen went 29-3 record overall.
Ava LaMedica, Ward Melville, Sabre, Sr.
LaMedica was one of the major reasons why Ward Melville reached the Long Island final. The senior boasted a 34-2 record with the best overall win percentage (94.44%) among both Suffolk and Nassau sabreists.
Victoria Lin, Half Hollow Hills, Epee, Jr.
Lin placed second at the Suffolk individual championships after a tightly contested final fence-off. Her 35-4 record includes an 87.5%-win percentage in league play, best among Suffolk epeeists.
Gabriella Sherlock, Oyster Bay, Foil, Soph.
Sherlock claimed gold at both the Nassau individual championships and the Manhasset Invitational — going 9-0 and 20-3 respectively. She also went 21-0 during the regular season and won silver at the Brentwood Holiday Tournament.
Kira Nguyen, Great Neck South, Epee, Sr.
Whether it’s epee or foil, Nguyen’s flexibility and 18-0 record played a major role in helping Great Neck South capture a Long Island title this winter. She did not participate at the Nassau individual championships or the county finals, but returned at the Alan Kuver Memorial Relay Tournament abd delivered a vital foil win to help Great Neck South secure a victory.
Coach of the Year: Catie Sagevick, Great Neck South
Sagevick coaches with an infectious enthusiasm that rubs off on the entire Great Neck South team. The Lady Rebels marched their way to a thrilling 14-13 win over Syosset in the Nassau final and completed an undefeated 11-0 season by defeating Ward Melville in the Long Island championship. No other fencing program on Long Island — boys or girls — won more match bouts than Great Neck South’s 221.
