Normally, the college coach is supposed to recruit the high school athlete. But when a vacancy arose at the coaching spot for the Tufts fencing team last year, Julia Hisey, then an incoming freshman, turned to her high school and club coach Ariana Klinkov.
"When I heard there was no coach, I told her to apply, and when I found out she got the job, it was pretty exciting," Hisey said.
"I was sort of fortuitous," Klinkov, the coach of the Concord−Carlisle High School fencing team for the last five years, said. "Julia had been with me for four years before she came to Tufts. So when last year's coach left, she and her father approached me about the job. I thought it would be a new and interesting challenge, so I decided to apply, and it's been going great."
Last year, Tufts went 4−8 in Northeast Fencing Conference competitions and sent four athletes to the NCAA Regional Championships. Coach Jason Sachs left, but the team remained committed to improving for the 2010−2011 winter season and feels positive about the job Klinkov has done so far.
"Without these girls, I wouldn't have been able to step in and have anywhere near this much success," Klinkov said. "They helped me learn the ropes and have gone out of their way to be team leaders, work hard and motivate others."
"We're really excited about Ariana," senior tri−captain Georgia Ranes said. "She's really experienced in the sport and has been extremely successful in the past, not only as a competitor and referee but as a coach."
Sachs had a full−time job in addition to coaching part−time, but fencing is Klinkov's sole focus. During the first semester of Klinkov's tenure, significant changes have already been made. The new coach flew to Milwaukee to scout and wants to give her fencers the best chance possible to make the national tournament.
"I know that this team has been a really good Div. III team, but they've suffered because they haven't had good cohesion or meet schedules to enable qualifications to the NCAA championships," Klinkov said. "My goal is to change the meet schedule to allow girls to perform at their highest level."
Ranes said that one of the team's goals this year was to send at least one person to the NCAAs in the spring, a difficult task for a Div. III school. Ranes mentioned herself, fellow senior tri−captain Coryn Wolk and Hisey as fencers who hope to qualify.
Thus far, Tufts fencers have done well both at the Big One Invitational at Smith College earlier this month and at a home meet on Nov. 21, when they beat up on Yeshiva 21−6 but fell to Stevens Tech 16−11 and the Wellesley Blue 14−13. Wellesley avenged the 14−13 loss it suffered against Tufts at February's conference meet.
"Wellesley was interesting, having another women's−only team," Klinkov said. "It was a really tight match, and we have a much less experienced squad. But despite that, it [was] a one−bout loss. I think with one more year of training we can win that."
Tufts continued its season yesterday on the road against a tough Harvard team, losing 20−7 to the likes of defending national champion Caroline Vloka. It was the team's final matchup before winter break.
Hisey said that she felt out of shape at the Big One but was able to rebound at the home meet, sweeping her bouts against Yeshiva and Wellesley in front of a raucous crowd.
"Everyone was way more supportive at Tufts than at high school," Hisey said. "When the whole team was cheering, Ariana said, ‘This is way different,' and I knew what she meant."
The meet was supposed to be held in Carzo Cage but was moved to Jackson Gym, where the team trains.
"For a meet of that size, it was quite challenging," Klinkov said. "For team practices, it's great. Yeshiva and Stevens say it's bigger than anything they have."
