feature
|
F E N C I N G AT M A S T E R S
RIGHT: Suzie Paxton '88, left, and Francisco Martin, right, celebrated the dedication of the Francisco Martin Fencing Room in 2015.
For a sport that thrives on ferocity and a fair degree of aggression on the piste, there’s a lot of love and affection for the fencing program from current students and alumnae / i for both the team and its dedicated coach, Francisco Martin. Fencing is a distinctive, and justifiable, point of pride for The Masters School community. Over the last four decades, Masters’ tranquil Dobbs Ferry campus has been the launching pad for an Olympic medalist and numerous national and international fencing champions. Its reputation in the sport has attracted students from around the U.S. and the world — drawn not only by the results individual students have achieved but also by the opportunity to be coached by Francisco Martin, who served as the head fencing coach for more than 30 years. Retired for the past three years, Martin — affectionately known as Patxi by his fencers — has returned to Masters to assist current head coach Clara Meere-Weigel ’15, who was one of his student fencers.
FENCING IS THEIR FORTE
Martin is particularly proud that one of his former student fencers is the head coach. “Clara is doing a fantastic job on the team,” he said. “I’m very proud of those kids who are now running the team. I love the School and built the team with a lot of love.”
|
14
|
BULLETIN Spring 2022
