Feb. 8, 2008

The fencing team put up a formidable fight against a very good Columbia squad on Friday before coming back a day later and putting forth its best team effort of the season against Lawrenceville.

Coach Jeff Austin's team battled Columbia, the No. 6 ranked team in New Jersey, before eventually bowing, 15-12, in Shanley Gymnasium. It looked like it was going to be a blow out early with the Gray Bees winning only three times in the first 13 head-to-head bouts.

But St. Benedict's won five of the next seven matches - Marcos Pendas started the run with a 5-2 victory in foil and Tashon Little finished it with a 5-1 victory in sabre - to close the deficit to 12-8. But Columbia was just a little too strong and won the next two to clinch the match.

The Gray Bees then hosted Lawrenceville on Saturday and, according to Austin, "Fenced with our most stable lineup after a bit of trial and error with some first-year guys in earlier matches."

Austin's club got a strong effort from sabreists Nick Flores-Tober (3-0) and Tashon Little (2-1), while getting unbeaten efforts from Dylan Knox (2-0) and Rodrigo Bergamasco (3-0) in Epee. Gabe Navarro (epee) also fashioned a 2-1 mark.

Michael Daniels, a first-year foilist, won his first bout to clinch the match against Lawrenceville, making the score 14-10 at the time.