After finishing with the last of their individual tournaments last Sunday, the fencing team is preparing for its two final team tournaments of the year, which will determine if the fencers can win another league title.

As 2007 began, the team finally participated in tournaments that used all three weapons, epée, foil and sabre.

While foil fencers have been fencing throughout the school year, saber and epée finally started Jan. 6 at Brentwood School, and both weapons were successful. Freshmen Michael Raynis and Joey Rafidi led the epée team, finishing in first and fifth respectively out of 56 fencers. In saber, Eric Arzoian ’09 beat out the entire boy’s field, while Spencer Koo ’10 tied for third.

Going into Sunday’s tournament at La Jolla Country Day School in San Diego, Arzoian hoped that the saber team, composed mainly of younger fencers, could improve on the previous tournament’s success.

“I think in the next tournament everyone will move up,” he said.

At the tournament, Arzoian repeated his first place performance in sabre, and David Harwitt ’08 came in fourth.

In epée, Raynis won again, while Carter Chang ’08 and Katie Barcay ’08 posted top eight finishes as well.

The team’s next tournament is March 3 at Chaminade, a school that could be the team’s strongest competition for the Southern California Scholastic Fencing League title.

Fencers from all three weapons think that epée may be the strongest of the three weapons for the team. Captained by Kate Mangels ’07 and Carter Chang ’08, the team is very well rounded, foil and saber fencers said.

With the final individual tournaments over, the teams have a one month break that will take them into the beginning of March and the foil team tournament.

“We’ve been winning consistently,” Arzoian said. “There’s nothing stopping us from winning one more year and then the next year and the next year.”