Athlete of the Week | Bisignano, Upham are all-stars on the strip

Elizabeth Pacheco Sports Editor

Coming off of their most successful season in years, Vassar’s men and women’s fencing teams are highly anticipating the New England Championships. With the tournament less than two weeks away, players are honing their skills on the strip in hopes of continuing their dominance over opponents. For the first time in 10 seasons, the men’s team has posted a winning record. Currently at 14-12, their season has included such successes as winning the Vassar Invitational and scoring 4-1 at both the Haverford and Sacred Heart Tournaments. The women’s team is also having a strong season. With a record of 15-15, the team is hoping to do well at the championships and exceed their .500 mark.

Critical to the team’s continuing success are rookie player Jesse Bisignano ’10 from the men’s side, and veteran captain Karolyn Upham ’07 from the women’s team, both of whom have given impressive performances throughout the season.

A member of the foil squad, Bisignano has a personal record of 56-13, the best on the men’s team. Bisignano began fencing at age eight, taking classes at a local recreation center in his Massachusetts hometown. From there he began competing in tournaments, eventually reaching the national level. Although Bisignano did not fence during his junior or senior years of high school, when he came to Vassar he easily entered the collegiate fencing scene.

“[Bisignano] has come to Vassar as [a] freshman with a competitive fire that is contagious and has helped to motivate the Vassar men’s fencing team to its first winning season in 10 years,” said Brad Gillman, coach of the men and women’s teams. “He is a leader on the team and on the foil squad, and will be a key player in our upcoming Championship run.”

Throughout the season, Bisignano has achieved impressive wins, especially against Division I schools such as Yale University, Marist College and Columbia University. At Columbia he posted a score of 2-1 (lost to two opponents and defeated one), with one loss being to the highest ranked fencer on the Junior National circuit.

A member of the varsity épée squad for all four years, Upham’s senior year has certainly been her strongest. Holding a personal record of 67-17, Gillman described her as the “best on the team,” and said she “has had a great season as both a captain and a competitor.”

Similar to Bisignano, Upham became interested in fencing after seeing an advertisement for classes at her local recreation center when she was in high school in Ohio. From there she competed individually and went on to join Vassar’s team as a freshman.

Even though Upham is a senior, she does not plan on ending her fencing career anytime soon. “Fencing is a sport you can play your entire life,” she said. “I go to competitions and see 80-year-old men and women still competing and hope I’ll be able to do the same.”

During the team’s last week of regular season competition, Upham went 8-4 against Division III New York University and the more challenging Division I schools Yale, Marist and Columbia. “[Upham] has lead the women’s épée squad and the entire women’s team to the best competitive season that Vassar fencing has seen in a number of years,” said Gillman. “She leads by example and is always very supportive of her teammates.”

With Upham’s experience and Bisignano’s competitive spirit, the women and men’s fencing teams are prepared to impress their opponents and return to campus with hard-fought wins.