On February 18th, the Grier Fencing Team traveled to Northern Bedford County for their second fencing match of the season. The Grier Fencing Team and Northern Bedford Fencing Team have formed a close bond, despite being opponents. Being the only team Grier competes against, and sharing the same coach, the athletes have grown to develop a competitive friendship.
After many close face-offs, the final amount of wins came out to be a tie. Fencing procedure calls for tied matches to then consider the total points scored by each team throughout each match. In the end, Grier won by 55 points, with Northern Bedford conceding with 50. The match was an opportunity for Grier’s fencers to display their hard work. “The match was very good,” said Sydney Smith, ‘26. “People got to try out their new skills in the match, and they were very successful.” As is evident through the score, the athletes’ hard work paid off.
Congratulations to Jazzy Brown, Josie Filan, Natalie Kelsey, Cherry Li, Vivien Sieber, Avery Wright, and Amalys Zahrouni on their victories!
The match was a success in many ways for Grier’s fencers. Beyond winning or losing, fencing is an opportunity for students to take a leadership role for younger students and grow their mental and physical abilities. “It’s a lot of teaching the other students how to do certain things, specifically with getting people suited up for our official matches,” said Smith. “It’s an intricate process. And then also just helping people stay focused and cheer on our teammates.”
With many seniors on the team, the athletes feel well supported by the upperclassmen, forming a strong sense of community.
After a win as exciting as this match, the team experienced many positive emotions. “I think the team was very excited about the win and are ready to fight again next Wednesday,” said senior Josie Filan. “I’m hoping that this will be our first winning season.”
Winning is exciting, but so are the little moments that life unexpectedly brings. After the match, the team ate dinner at Chick-fil-a, where they shared a sweet bonding moment, Smith’s favorite of the day.
“We always grab dinner when we are away at games,” said Smith. “There was a really cute moment where we were singing a late birthday to Natalie Kelsey, and this family across from us said it was very sweet; it’s my son’s birthday too. So we sang happy birthday to this random boy that we didn’t know. It was a sweet moment.”
This fencing match was a beautiful night for the athletes and attributed to their strong teamwork, bonding memories, and close victory. This Wednesday, on the 25th of February, the team will travel again to Northern Bedford. Make sure to support the athletes for their upcoming matches, and congratulate them on their most recent win!
