Syosset scores big at Manhasset Invitational

There’s no shortage of great fencing programs in Nassau, but few are built as well as Syosset is on both the boys and girls teams. 

Coach Robert Moon and his fencing teams walked away with two gold medals, two silver medals and a bronze medal at the inaugural Manhasset Invitational on Jan. 20. Syosset won the tournament of the nine competing schools, as well as the title for the boys. Great Neck North won for the girls.

Syosset’s Brandon Lim and Tristan Li took home gold medals for sabre and foil, respectively. Syosset left for the tournament at 7 a.m., with medals not being handed out until 5 p.m. Li said he took a “mental break” to reset halfway into the day.

“I was actually pretty surprised when I won. In between the bouts, I thought, ‘I’m not going to make it anymore,” Li said. “In the end, I came through somehow.”

The girls’ fencing team boasted two silver medals between Erin Choi using foil and Anika Nayak using sabre. Sophie Wang joined Choi in foil with a bronze medal while Mia Hoang finished 11th of 29 foil fencers, encapsulating the depth Syosset has.

Nayak has been on the Syosset fencing team since she was a seventh-grader, the same year Moon started. You can often spot the senior captain offering advice while providing a leadership mentality that Moon has learned to love over the years.

“Just seeing her grow — from a seventh-grader to where she is now — the confidence she has and brings to the team is day and night,” Moon said. “It’s taken many years for her to get to where she is now.”

With a 7-0 boys team and a 7-1 girls team, both Syosset squads should contend yet again for a Nassau I title.

The Manhasset Invitational was an important milestone in the sport on Long Island. It was the first time Nassau hosted a recognized fencing tournament, something Manhasset coach Michael Fabio was eager to bring to his side of the Island.

“It’s something my mentors did and something I wanted to follow in their footsteps,” Fabio said. “... To host something of our own and show that Nassau County fencing is on the map, too.”

Epees Marcus Wu and Remi Pai earned gold medals among the boys and girls, respectively, while Colin Hairabedian added a silver medal.

Manhasset also had four different fencers — Liam McManus, Adriana Chan, Edward Huang, Justin Cheung — finish inside the top-six of their respective weapon disciplines.

Oyster Bay had a nice showing as well. Scarlett Shelley and Gabrielle Sherlock took home gold medals for Oyster Bay in girls sabre and foil, respectively. Nick Ramirez won bronze for boys sabre.