Nisa Eriskin goes 3-0 at epee to help Commack girls fencing hold off Whitman/Glenn
Nisa Eriskin of Commack, left, battles Vera Shamara of Whitman/Glenn in epee during a Suffolk League I girls fencing match at Whitman on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. Credit: James Escher
The way Commack senior Nisa Eriskin rotates her right wrist looks hypnotic. It’s steady and consistent, like a cobra dancing to a flute.
But when the moment is right, that trance-like focus is shattered as Eriskin surges her arm forward for a quick point.
That became a common sight all afternoon at Walt Whitman High School Thursday evening as Commack girls fencing held off an impressive Whitman/Glenn effort to win, 15-12, in Suffolk I.
The match was even closer than the scoreline indicates, with Whitman/Glenn conceding three points as it lacked a sabreist to fill the lineup. Commack led by just two points entering the third round of bouts.
“I kept on reminding my teammates that, although it’s a physical competition, it’s mental,” Eriskin said. “What happened is in the past, and you have to look toward the future … that’s how we win.”
Eriskin went 3-0, highlighting Commack’s strength in epee as the group won six of their nine collective bouts. Senior Jasmine Luo and junior Ashlynn Conti also went undefeated as both sabreists won their two bouts.
Luo entered the meet with a chip on her shoulder, having lost to Whitman/Glenn senior Caitlin Rosa earlier in the season.
“I had the mindset of, ‘I gotta beat this girl,’” Luo said. “All my hard work in my practices paid off, and I’m really happy.”
Senior Brooke Tavera shined for Whitman/Glenn, which drops to 1-9. She won all three of her bouts by a collective 15-2, highlighting an impressive team effort that kept it close against a 6-1 Commack team.
Fortunately for Whitman/Glenn fans, the boys fencing team pulled out a dominant 18-9 win over Commack/Northport. Junior Patrick Klinkenberg won all three of his bouts, including a dramatic 4-3 win over Commack’s Kyle Johnson via a fence-off that saw Klinkenberg pushed back to the edge of the strip.
Yet the junior managed to wrap his arm around and tally a touch on Johnson’s forearm.
“It would’ve been an instant loss for me,” Klinkenberg said. “Everytime you get to the back of the strip you need to have a plan to know exactly what you have to do.”
Senior Jack Marr also went 3-0 for Whitman/Glenn (5-5), and junior Alexander Amisano won all three of his bouts for Commack/Northport (4-3).
