Competing at the 2007 NCAA Fencing Championships at Drew University in Madison, NJ, for the 11th time in 13 seasons, was business as usual for Rutgers head coach Yefim Litvan and his elite group of male and female fencers.
In all likelihood, due to budget cuts, this competition was the last for the Scarlet Knights.
It has been a long road for the fencing team with many impressive accomplishments, including sending athletes to the NCAA Championships year after year since Litvan's arrival, and even one national title by a Scarlet Knight. But fencing was one of the six sports that will no longer be in existence come next fall.
Impressed with his team's performance at the event, "It was pretty much (business) as usual," Litvan said. "We have approximately this amount, sometimes more, all thirteen years straight."
This year the Knights sent four representatives to the Nationals, finishing in 12th place. Senior and nationally ranked Ben Igoe earned a bronze medal for the second time in as many years in the grueling two-day event in which 24 participants must face off and earn as many wins as possible against each other on day one to advance to the next round. The top four fencers who earned the most wins then face off against each other in single-elimination matches. Igoe made it to the semifinals where he lost 15-12 to Patrick Ghattas from Notre Dame.
Despite earning a medal, the senior was still disappointed with his performance.
"I definitely had an opportunity to advance (to the finals) but it wasn't my best match," Igoe said afterwards, though he was elated with the team's performance and advancing as far as he did in the incredibly difficult tournament.
It definitely felt good to exact some revenge this time around.
"It felt great beating the guy for the bronze who had previously beaten me several times before," Igoe said.
Senior and three-time All-American Jason Henderson's last match earned himself a respectable 18th place finish. Junior Adrian Pacia finished in 22nd place; freshman and only female representative Danielle Henderson captured a 12th place finish for Rutgers women's team and an All-American bid.
The Knights' 46 team points were good for 12th place, one place better than last year; Penn State won the event, compiling 194 points in the process.
Henderson was equally impressed with his teammates' performances at the tournament, including his younger sister who, he mentioned, is going to stick out the next three years at Rutgers regardless of the cuts.
"It does not make sense for Pacia to transfer either since he is a junior," Henderson said.
Litvan was awarded coach of the year by the Fencing Coach Association this past Sunday for his excellent results as head coach of the Knights for the past 13 years.
"They gave me coach of the year for the first time in thirteen years," Litvan said. "For the last thirteen years Rutgers has been performing very well and there are impressive results at this school."
Regarding the budget cuts, Litvan and the players were obviously displeased with the elimination of fencing as a Division I sport.
"Some kids will transfer to other schools to continue fencing, while some with scholarship money will stay at Rutgers," Litvan said.
Igoe and his teammates made sure to stay positive though amidst the confusion that the cuts have caused.
Igoe has decided to continue fencing for at least a few more years.
"My goal is to make the 2008 Olympic team," Igoe said.
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