Yale Fencing opens season in bouts with alumni
Yale’s Dernell Invitational sees the fencing teams cross swords with past Yalie fencers.
Yale Athletics
This past Saturday, the Yale Men’s and Women’s Fencing teams took to the piste in the annual, fun-spirited Dernell Invitational match, marking the unofficial beginning of their season.
The Dernell Invitational is named after famous Yale fencer Dernell Every, class of 1928, a 1932 Olympic bronze medalist for team foil. The event pitted the current Bulldog squad against each other and the Fencing alumni in friendly match play.
“There were a lot of really fun matches today,” said saber user Jordan Silberzweig ’27, who faced off against two teammates and an alum in the final. “I had to work extra hard for some of them, but overall, it was an awesome experience.”
The event is designed to show off the talent of the freshmen and sophomores and excite Bulldogs for this coming season. The Dueling Dans did not drop a single game in their matches with the alumni, sweeping their opponents in a good-natured competition.
The men’s team ranked fifth in the NCAA individually last year and is set to enter this coming season even stronger. Coach Murat Israelian told the News he believes this group to be one of the strongest squads nationally.
Tony Whelan ’26, the team’s captain, qualified for the NCAA tournament last year. He is joined by notable veterans Michael Mun ’25, an épée wielder who competed in the NCAA Northeast Regionals in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and Silberzweig, a saber specialist who won Ivy Champion at the Ivy League Conference Championship and placed fifth in the NCAA Championship during his first year.
Last year’s women’s team suffered through a series of injuries. The 2024-25 season may also start rough, with previous injuries still posing a problem for competitions. But, with captain Erica Hooshi ’25, a foil wielder who made Second Team All-Region in 2022 and competed in the NCAA Northeast Regionals in 2023, and the inevitable return of injured athletes, they will be a serious threat to opposing teams come January.
First-year breakout Kristina Petrova ’28, who made All-American at the NCAA championship and finished 7th in foil at the Northeast Regionals, is set to return to the team along with épée user Amanda O’Donnell ’26, who held a 56-12 record in bouts last season.
“We are trying to continue doing a good job and making everybody proud,” Coach Marat Israelian, head coach since 2020, told the News. “I am very happy with where we are now. The event [Dernell Invitational] was a good intermingling session with the alumni.”
The Invitational was also a networking event for the Fencing squad.
Following the bouts and talks with the coach, the event moved into the PWG trophy room, where the team met with the alumni and saw what opportunities could await them beyond Yale. From lawyers to doctors to the founders of start-ups, Yale Fencing carries its success, prestige and drive beyond the piste. The alums shared advice and traded stories with this year’s batch of Bouting Bulldogs.
“One of the unique things about the Fencing team is that it has really dedicated alumni who are still involved even after their college careers are over,” multi-medal Olympic saber fencer Sada Jacobson ’06 told the News. Although she did not fence with the team this year, she did note that “the team looks great, very promising. … Very athletic fencing. Very smart fencing.”
The Yale Men’s and Women’s Fencing teams are set to compete next at the Vassar Open Invitational in Poughkeepsie, New York, on Nov. 10.