The Lycoming College Fencers Club and Guild of Swordsmen sponsored a classical foil and sabre workshop and competition at the College’s recreation center on April 5-6. During the event, students had the opportunity to work with visiting instructors Dale Rodgers and Herb Cohen on traditional sword techniques. The club’s adviser, Dr. Michael Gaylor, and visiting instructor Lucas Lermontov-Salmon, also gave sabre lessons.

Foil and sabre competitions were conducted as part of the workshop, in which students were tested on the new skills they learned. Joshua Markloff, who graduated from Lycoming last year, placed first in the foil competition, followed by junior Scott Boyles in second-place and senior Greg Lang in third-place. In the sabre competition, junior Rob Ross was declared the champion, winning in a fence-off by only one touch. Junior Matthew Shiplet came in second-place and junior Susan Curtis finished in third.

“I am so happy I have been part of the process of bring fencing to Lycoming,” said Ross. “We are lucky to have a past champion and seasoned instructor in our midst. Dr. Gaylor’s methods of focusing on fundamentals have proven to be very successful for us. Both of our visiting instructors remarked about how impressed they were with the fencing skills of our students. It’s hard to believe we have only had the program in place for about 15 months.”

Rodgers was an early pupil of Gaylor and went on to earn a master’s certificate from Bella Rerrich in Stockholm. Rodgers is a former United States Pentathlon team member and the former head fencing coach at Dartmouth College.

Cohen is a former two-time NCAA champion fencer, who competed on the United States Olympic fencing team several times, and was a member of the United States Pan-American fencing team. Cohen is the former coach of the New York University fencing team, which won a national title in 1976 under his direction.

“As for the students, most impressive was how they were able to take comments and criticism and implement the changes and make improvements immediately,” said Cohen. “I have vivid visual memories of all those I saw fencing. I enjoyed their openness and modesty.”

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