When the Ranney School epee squad won theNJSIAA/BollingerDistrict 2 Championship hosted by North Hunterdon High School, little did it know that it would go on to even bigger things.
On Sunday the Panthers won the NJSIAA’s Squad State Championships, which were held back at Hunterdon Central High School.
The Panthers’ talented epee squad, composed of Omar Sarhan (Ocean), Sam Tkach (Little Silver) and Thomas Florek (Colts Neck), earned a gold medal. Ranney competed against public, independent and parochial schools at the championships.
Tkach led the way for Ranney at the Squad State Championships, with a 12-3 record on the B-strip. Coached by Atlantic Fencing Club Manager Agota Balot, Ranney’s varsity fencing team defeated the Cetrulo Tournament weapon title holder, Millburn High School, 32-30, for the championship.
“One of the most outstanding achievements seen in my 23 years as director of athletics,” Thomas Moriau said in a press release, “is Ranney’s epee squad being named 2011 State Epee Champion.”
Ranney, which is located in Tinton Falls, has been competing in fencing only since 2005.
When Sarhan, Tkach and Florek won the District 2 championship, it was the first-ever district title for the Panthers, and since the meet is a qualifier for the state championship, the win put the team in the state championships for the first time. Tkach and Sarhan will represent Ranney at the NJSIAA Individual State Championships onMarch 12.
Ranney’s foil squad also qualified for the state championships via the district championships.
The squad of Victor Gainor (Spring Lake), Jake Bassinder (Point Pleasant) and Thomas Hearne (Holmdel) finished 11th on Sunday.
Earlier this season at the Prep State Tournament, held at the Princeton Day School, the Panthers pulled through with an overall thirdplace team finish, after also taking first and third in epee and foil.
Ranney’s epee squad defeated all seven opponents encountered throughout the match to take the gold. In addition, each member of the team earned an individual place. While Tkach took second in the event, teammates Sarhan and Florek garnered third and fourth, respectively.
Off to a challenging start upon meeting two of the strongest teams participating in the tournament, Ranney’s foil squad eventually found its rhythm and obtained 12 wins to finish third. From the foil squad, junior Hearne earned an individual bronze medal — only three scored touches behind second place. Although the team’s saber squad did not have enough fencers to compete at a team level and finished seventh for the day, saber fencer Patrick Glodkowski (Parlin) managed to reach the individual finals as well, where he took fourth.