Newfield's Sophie Chen, Mya Barry and Marc Lindemann each win fencing gold medals at Suffolk championships

The Newfield fencing program seemed to set the bar high with two gold medals in the 2022-23 Suffolk Individual Tournament.

But it turns out, the Wolverines were only scratching the surface.

Foilist Sophie Chen and sabreist Mya Barry both took home gold medals for Newfield’s girls team on Saturday at Ward Melville High School. Marc Lindemann also defended his foil title with another gold medal just two days after Newfield’s boys team defeated Brentwood to gain a spot in Tuesday's Long Island Championship.

Lindemann went undefeated Saturday, winning all 15 of his bouts including two tightly contested ones against silver medalist Charles Pedersen of Centereach and Yadiel Abreu of Brentwood.

“It’s been a wild ride,” Lindemann said. “This has truly been the best fencing team I’ve been on.”

Chen, who’s only a freshman, also didn’t lose a single bout on the way to winning gold. Her Newfield teammate, Meadow Dalberg, won silver.

“It just shows how much [coach Jess Palmaccio and Kyle Schirmer] work,” Chen said. “They push us every day. It’s amazing winning three golds.”

Barry won four of her five final pool bouts including a win over defending champion Ava LaMedica of Ward Melville.

The Newfield senior said she was thrilled to bring home the gold for Palmaccio, who Barry ran across the strip to hug shortly after clinching gold.

“She’s fantastic, I love her,” Barry said. “She had to deal with me all four years.”

Commack earns two first-place finishes

Commack took home two golds with girls epeeist Kaylee Chung and boys epeeist Jeffrey Longstreet.

Half Hollows Hills' Victoria Lin, the defending Suffolk foilist champion, won her bout against Chung, 5-4, which led to a fence-off between the two who both held 4-1 records in pool play.

Chung eventually won 5-4, but the sportsmanship between Lin and Chung before, during and after the bout was special to watch.

After Commack lost to Ward Melville just two days prior in the Suffolk team championship, Chung’s victory in her first individual tournament meant even more to the senior.

“I felt like the world was against me,” Chung said. “And then I came here, and I’m like, oh, I’m OK.”

“I’m so proud of my friend,” Lin interjected as she wrapped Chung in a hug.

Longstreet, meanwhile, reflected on his last year of high school after a final fence-off with a sudden lunge against Centereach’s David Bailey, winning the bout 5-3.

“I couldn’t let anyone down,” Longstreet said. “For my senior year, I knew I had to pull it out and get the victory.”

Whitman's Weber wins sabre title

Whitman sabreist Mattias Weber shared that mindset as the senior went 15-0 on Saturday to defend his title from last season.

“I wanted to leave it all on the strip,” Weber said. “I fence because I love the sport. The day I stop is the day I don’t enjoy it anymore.”