Whitman Fencer Takes Gold At Nationals

Long Islander News photos/Jano Tantongco
With his gold medal in hand, Mark Dammer of the Hills Fencing Institute, has his sights set on the higher divisions of fencing competition.

By Jano Tantongco
jtantongco@longislandergroup.com

Walt Whitman High School rising senior Mark Dammer climbed to the top of Division III Men’s Saber earning himself the gold at the USA Fencing National Championships.

The 17-year-old traveled to Salt Lake City for the event on July 6 as one of 17 fellow fencers part of the Hills Fencing Institute, a nonprofit club based at Half Hollow Hills East that takes students from all over the island.

“It was a very surprising day after the round of eight, going into the semis and then the finals. It was exciting,” Dammer, of Huntington Station, said.

He half-jokingly considered a large cup of water his secret weapon for the day, enough hydration to help him push through the 100-degree-plus weather in Utah.

Leading up to the championships, Dammer trained in cardio on Mondays and fenced Wednesdays and Fridays, all for three hours each session.

He bested Nicholas Wu of the Manhattan Fencing club, which is based in New York City.

“It started off relatively even. It was touch for touch. We hit eight and got a minute break. And then I just pushed ahead after that. I got momentum, and I felt really good about it.”

Dammer fences for Walt Whitman High School, but joined the fencing institute more than a year ago to expand his training beyond the regular season.

In the past few months, Dammer has stepped up his game, head coach Dennis Daly said. He also began specialized training with the club’s saber coach, Jerome Cordero.

“He started turning it on and really became focused,” Daly said.

Dammer has been fencing for five years, getting his start in the sixth grade when he saw two seniors in a bout.

“That’s awesome. I’m doing that,” he thought back then.

Dammer chose the saber as his weapon, because out of the other two used in fencing — the épée and the foil — he described the saber as the fastest weapon, with bouts sometimes spanning just minutes.

The gold medalist hopes to go to college for fencing and plans to major in criminal justice, biology, and if it’s available, forensics. Dammer aspires to be a forensics investigator with police.

Dammer played in a Division II match later that day at the nationals, as well, but didn’t do as well as he’d hoped. The rising senior hopes to refine his saber skills to eventually come out on top in the upper divisions.

“It takes an accomplishment to get there,” Daly said. “We’re pretty proud of him, of all our athletes.”