NEW HAVEN, Conn. – At the conclusion of the Ivy League Championship this past Sunday in Philadelphia, Penn., three fencers from the Yale men’s fencing team were named to All-Ivy squads. Junior Nathaniel Botwinick was named to the first team All-Ivy in foil, senior John Gurrieri was named to the second team All-Ivy in foil and freshman Colin Mills was named to the second team All-Ivy in saber.

All-Ivy honors are determined by a fencer’s performance throughout the Ivy League Championships. Over the course of several dual-meets, spread out over two days of competition, each participating fencer compiles a win-loss record. In each weapon category, the fencers with the top three records are chosen for the first team All-Ivy, and the next three fencers are chosen for the second team All-Ivy.

This year however, due to a tie four fencers were named to the first team All-Ivy in foil, and only two to the second team. Botwinick finished with a 10-4 record and a .714 winning percentage, in a three-way tie for second place. Alex Mills of Princeton and Adam Pantel of Brown posted the same numbers. Alex Simmons of Pennsylvania was first with an 11-3 record and a .786 winning percentage.

"It was an honor to make First Team All-Ivy,” said Botwinick. “I could not have done it without my team's support or the hard work I've done with the coaches. Next year, building off this year's improvement, we will bring the Ivy title back to Yale."

Gurrieri finished just behind Botwinick with a 9-4 record and .692 winning percentage. His numbers were good enough to place him fifth overall, and earn second team All-Ivy honors.

In men’s saber, Mills posted a 9-6 record and .600 winning percentage. These results put him in sixth place overall, and earned him second team All-Ivy honors.

After last year’s Ivy Championships, Michael Pearce ’09 earned first team All-Ivy honors in epee and Sebastian Cano-Besquet ’09 earned second team All-Ivy honors in saber.


Report by Arsi Sefaj '11, Yale Sports Publicity