University of Wisconsin Men’s , 1911-1991

Of 31 intercollegiate sports the University of Wisconsin has had, men’s fencing has had more Big Ten Championships in university history per years of competition than any other sport established at least 20 years, except track and field and cross country. In the years of Big Ten fencing competition since its beginning in 1926 (none held during WW I and WW II), fencing averaged one championship every 5.5 years, 11 championships total. The Badger fencers have come in second 20 times. That’s 51 percent of the years in first or second place. All 11 championships came in the last half (40 years) of Badger fencing history, i.e., every 2.8 years, along with 13 second place finishes; that’s 60 percent of those years in first or second place. Wisconsin has produced 17 All-American fencers: four in , 10 in epee, three in saber. Wisconsin has produced 34 Badgers who won 43 Big Ten or equivalent individual fencing championships: 16 in foil, 12 in epee, 15 in saber. Unlike most other sports, fencing usually has to be taught in college, for few fencers learn fencing in high school or even see or touch a . The coach teaches all novices foil and eventually decides who should fence which weapon: foil, epee, or saber. The team was comprised of nine men— three in each weapon during the regular season but two in each weapon for the Big Ten championship meet and, if the record justifies, one in each weapon for the NCAA meet. Tournaments consist of both a team championship and an individual championship in each weapon. (The word “sword” or “swordsman” is rarely used.) Incomplete annual records exist for UW fencing from 1947-1992; before that, no records exist. Write-ups in the Badger yearbook provide little data. Of the 81 years of Badger yearbooks during the 81-year intercollegiate fencing period, 36 of them have team photos. The Wisconsin Athletic Review provided some pictures and good information, but surprisingly few exist. A key word search in the archives for the word “fencing” (“sword fighting” wouldn’t work) also yielded things both tedious and amusing like, “The biggest problem was labor for tree-planting, land-clearing, and fencing [at the University Arboretum in 1933].” A fencing club existed at least by 1890, as recorded in the Badger then, until 1911, as periodic reports indicate. F. E. C. Helm was the instructor in 1894 and perhaps earlier. By 1900, the club was directed by Pierre De Soucy, who had studied fencing in . Intercollegiate competition began in 1911 and continued 80 years until 1992. (Women’s intercollegiate fencing—foil only—began in 1974 and continued for 17 years until 1992.) In 1911 fencing became part of the Western Intercollegiate Gymnastics Association, which also included , and meets were held jointly. In 1924, fencing gained individual status. Official Big Ten fencing competition began in 1926, and NCAA fencing competition in 1941. Of the 10 universities in the Big Ten at the time, over the years variously all 10 of them had fencing teams but not at the same time: Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan State, Michigan, Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State, Minnesota and Northwestern. Other university teams that Wisconsin fenced included Notre Dame, Air Force Academy, Wayne State, Chicago, Detroit, Stanford, Cornell, MIT, Duke, North Carolina State, Penn State, Arizona, Winnipeg (Alberta),

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Wisconsin-Parkside and the always tough Shorewood Fencing Club (Milwaukee Fencing Club). During and World War II, Wisconsin had no fencing team for four years. Official Big Ten Championships ended in 1986 because the conference stopped sponsoring fencing in 1987. At the time, at least seven universities had to have a particular varsity sport in order for it to be an official conference. That status for fencing ended for the Big Ten when certain Big Ten universities dropped fencing as an official intercollegiate sport and gave it club status. From 1987 to 1991, the Midwest Invitational Championship served as a championship tournament in place of the Big Ten, with most or all Big Ten fencing teams participating. According to The Wisconsin Alumni Magazine in 1915, among the several sports in 1913- 14 which were not self-supporting were baseball, rowing, swimming, tennis, cross country, golf, gymnastics, wrestling and fencing. (In 1913-14 fencing cost the university $12.59. In 1914-15, fencing cost the university $40.) In its first seven years, from 1910-11 until 1916-17, the fencing team had four coaches, with no coach during 1917-18 and 1918-19. The first coach, in 1911-12, was either H. H. Burdett, as listed in the Wisconsin Athletic Bulletin (Dec 9, 1911 and Mar 30, 1912), or Walter Meanwell, also listed as coach of wrestling and basketball in 1911. The Wisconsin Athletic Bulletin of Feb 22, 1913 stated that Burdett had left the team in 1912-13 and that no coach was available due to lack of funds, although in The Wisconsin Athletic Review of 1948, Harry MacChesney is listed as fencing coach. From 1919-20 to 1923-24, fencing and gymnastics were coached by the same person, Fred Schlatter. Only one year during the first 16 years from 1910- 11 to 1926-27 did Wisconsin fence against more than one or two opponents. Thus, the rigor of the championship meets then is questionable, but not the dedication to develop and maintain fencing during those early years. Except for the first years and the last year, fencing has had just four coaches during 90 percent (71 years) of its history. Fred Schlatter coached seven years (1919-20 through 1925-26) against a total of 17 teams. Arpad Masley coached 25 years (1926-27 through 1950-51) against a total of 132 teams (5/year). Archie Simonson coached 21 years (1951-52 through 1971-72) against a total of 316 teams (15/year). Anthony Gillham coached 18 years (1972-73 through 1989-90) against a total of 346 teams (19/year). Of the three coaches with more than 20 matches of coaching, Masley’s won-loss record was 62-64 (six ties) (0.492), Simonson’s was 195-121 (0.617), and Gillham’s was 246-100 (0.711). The three Badger coaches have produced some outstanding fencers who have taken individual honors in foil, epee or saber: 35 Big Ten champions or equivalent (seven men, two times; one man, three times) and 16 NCAA All- Americans (two men, two times). An All-American fencer is a man who placed sixth or better in his weapon in NCAA national competition to make the first or second All-America team (three men/team). Arpad Masely was educated at the University of Wisconsin, class of 1918, as a gym teacher, and became a professor in and director of the physical education department. He taught himself fencing and took over the fencing coaching duties in 1926. While his won-loss record is

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modest (62-64-6, 0.492), he is considered the father of fencing at Wisconsin for his development and maintenance of the fencing program and his tenure of 25 years as the longest-serving fencing coach. During those early years, he produced five individual Big Ten champions and, in 1941, one All-American, in epee—the first NCAA champion All-American in Badger fencing history, joining the first All-Americans in the new NCAA in 1941. Archie Simonson expanded the intercollegiate fencing program from an average of five matches per year before Simonson to an average of 15 matches per year with him, 20 matches per year toward the end of his coaching career. In 1949-50, he was fencing foil and was captain of the team as a student. Two years later, 1951-52, he was teaching foil, epee and saber and was coach of the team as a professional. In March 1955, for the first time in Badger history, he captured the Big Ten championship by beating always-powerful Illinois, among others. Just one year later his team of 1955-56 beat more than 90 percent of its opponents. In his sixth year as a fencing coach, 1956-57, his team was awarded the NCAA third-place trophy, a mere five points behind the national champions—the highest NCAA ranking in Badger fencing history. He captured the Big Ten championship four times (1955, 1957, 1959 and 1967). Simonson’s teams placed first or second in the Big Ten 52 percent of the years he coached. Of the many teams in NCAA competition, his teams placed 15th or better in the NCAA 71 percent and eighth or better 43 percent of the years he coached. He produced 32 percent (12) of the university’s 38 individual Big Ten champions (since 1926) and 76 percent (13) of the 17 UW fencers who became NCAA All-Americans. In addition to his first Big Ten championship team of 1954-55, the most successful teams in the history of Badger fencing were Simonson’s teams of 1955-56, 1956-57 and 1958-59. Only those three teams in Badger fencing history won more than 90 percent of their matches. The team of 1955-56 had a regular-season won-loss record of 11-1 for 0.917, i.e., 92 percent success that year, took third in the Big Ten championship, and placed sixth in the NCAA, with two All- Americans. The team of 1956-57 had a regular-season won-loss record of 12-1 for 0.923, i.e., 92 percent success that year, won the Big Ten championship, and placed third in the NCAA, with two All-Americans. The team of 1958-59 had a regular-season won-loss record of 13-1 for 0.929, i.e., 93 percent success that year, won the Big Ten championship, and placed seventh in the NCAA, with one All-American. Simonson’s combination of outstanding knowledge and teaching capability, dedication, inspiration, and leadership produced a remarkable record of 195 wins to 121 losses (0.617, i.e., 62 percent success), outstanding fencers, and other accompanying accomplishments, all particularly impressive because his background consisted of only three years of competitive foil fencing at Wisconsin, 1947-50, and in 1951 he began to coach Wisconsin varsity fencing. He taught himself to coach saber and epee from a textbook; he was hired as a part-time coach (Mon., Wed., Fri.) while a Madison lawyer. In 1965, the International Academy of Arms accredited Simonson as a Fencing Master, the highest of the three levels of fencing officials. Proficient in all three weapons, Anthony Gillham himself began fencing competitively in 1952, in , Canada, and the United States. He thus brought to Wisconsin impressive

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coaching credentials. As Wisconsin’s coach, Gillham had the best won-loss record, at 246-100 for 0.711, i.e., 71 percent success. He had seven Big Ten championships in his 18 years of coaching (one every 2.5 years), and took second place four times; thus his teams placed first or second 61 percent of the years he coached. His teams placed 15th or higher 53 percent of the time in NCAA competition. He produced 47 percent (18) of the 35 UW individual Big Ten champions (since 1926) and 18 percent (three) of the 17 UW fencers who became NCAA All-Americans. The last coach, Jerzy Radz, had the best credentials of the Wisconsin fencing coaches. From Poland, he was a nationally-ranked bout director in foil, epee and saber, a member of the Polish National Team coaching staff and primary coach for several top European fencers and world champions, including an Olympic fencer in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. He was a Fencing Master. He coached several teams before coming to Wisconsin, where his record was a promising 18-6 for 0.750 for his only year there, when three of his fencers took first place in all three weapons the same year for the only time in Badger fencing history. These coaches produced good fencers, some of whom really stand out in the 81-year history of fencing at Wisconsin. The Badgers’ first Big Ten champions (since 1926) were the brothers Art Kaftan in 1935 and 1936 and Fred Kaftan in 1937 and 1938, in saber. Edward Hampe (1938-39? to 1940-41) was a Big Ten champion and an NCAA champion All-American in epee in 1941—the first Badger NCAA champion, and in the first year of NCAA fencing competition. Tim Gillham (1982-83 to 1985-86) as a freshman was an NCAA champion All-American and three times a Big Ten champion fencer in epee—the only such fencer in Badger history— earned four W letters, and had one of the historically best won-loss records at 174-47 (0.787, i.e., 79 percent success). Gerald Bodner (1955-56 to 1957-58) was a Big Ten champion and an NCAA champion All-American in foil in 1958. Paul Mortenson (1955-56 to 1957-58) was a Big Ten champion and an NCAA champion All-American in epee in 1958. Ron Lemieux (1957-58 to 1958-59) was a Big Ten champion and an NCAA champion All-American in saber in 1959. Harry Chiu (1970-1971 to 1972-73) was a Big Ten champion and an NCAA champion All- American in foil in 1973. Dick Green (1956-57 to 1958-59) was a Big Ten champion in foil in 1959 and took seventh place in the NCAA championship in 1959—one place short of being an All-American. Dick Odders (1967-68 to 1968-69) was an NCAA champion in epee two years in a row, 1968 and 1969, taking second place in the nation in 1969. In his college fencing career, Frank Tyrrell (1951-53 and 1955-57), in saber, had one of the historically best won-loss records of 96-21 (0.821, i.e., 82 percent success) during the regular season; including his post-season, he had an exceptional record of 125-37 (0.772, i.e., 77 percent success) and was an NCAA champion All-American in 1957 taking second place in the nation, with time off for two years of military service (1953-55) between his sophomore and junior years. Steve Vandenberg (1975-76 to 1977-78) was an NCAA champion in epee in 1976 and a two-time Big Ten champion in 1977 and 1978. Besides Vandenberg, other two-time Big Ten champions were brothers Art Kaftan in saber (1935 and 1936) and Fred Kaftan in saber (1937 and 1938), Bruce Taubman in foil (1967

4 and 1968), Neal Cohen in foil (1970 and 1972), Dean Rose in foil (1978 and 1979), and Joe Kroeten in saber (1981 and 1982). The three brothers Joe Kroeten in saber, Tony Kroeten (1986) in saber, and Jason Kroeten (1991) in foil were Big Ten champions. Al Stirns was the only two- time champion in foil and in saber, in 1915. Jim Frueh was a Big Ten champion in epee in 1989, but was stabbed in the lung while fencing in the Midwest Regionals in 1991 and unable to compete in the Big Ten (Midwest Invitational Championship meet) in which the Badgers tied for second place. At first the fencers practiced and competed in the Red Gym built in 1894 on Langdon St. In 1954, the “Shell,” i.e., Camp Randall Sports Center with its clay floor, was completed on Monroe Street and the fencers moved there. In 1961, the Natatorium was completed on Observatory Drive and the fencers competed there and practiced in the Henry Mall Gymnasium and Unit II Physical Education Building. In 1988, the McClain Center Indoor Athletic Training Facility was completed. Ironically in 1992, to help pay for that new sports building, the university cut five sports, including fencing. After an 81-year history with numerous Big Ten championships and individual champion fencers, the powerful men’s intercollegiate fencing program ended at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The university no longer sponsors fencing among its many sports. Competitive fencing at the university has club status only, much the same as before 1911. –Neil Payne, UW varsity epee/saber 1959, ’60, ’61, Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Science, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

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Men’s Intercollegiate Badger Fencing Regular Season Annual Record Year Won-Loss Percent Big Ten National Team Captain Coach Walter Meanwell 1910-11 No meets held Coach Harry MacChesney 1911-12 1-0 1.000 William Westphal 1912-13 0-1 0.000 1913-14 ? ? 3rd Coach George Breen 1914-15 2-0 1.000 1st Coach Harry MacChesney 1915-16 1-0 1.000 3rd 1916-17 1-1 0.500 ? No coach 1917-18 No meets held due to WW I 1918-19 No meets held due to WW I Coach Fred Schlatter 1919-20 2-0 1.000 ? 1920-21 0-0-1 0.000 ? 1921-22 0-2 0.000 2nd T 1922-23 1-1 0.500 None held 1923-24 1-1 0.500 ? John Reinhold 1924-25 4-1 0.800 ? Elmer Freytag 1925-26 1-2 0.333 3rd Elmer Freytag 9-7-1 0.563 Coach Arpad Masley 1926-27a 3-1 0.750 2nd Elmer Freytag 1927-28 2-3 0.400 8th Bill Konnack 1928-29 2-2 0.500 7th Bill Konnack 1929-30 1-4 0.200 7th Phil Judson 1930-31 1-2 0.333 2nd Fred Graebel 1931-32 No meets held 1932-33 6-0 1.000 4thT Latham Hall 1933-34 2-2-2 0.500 2ndT Art Kaftan 1934-35 2-1 0.667 2nd Art Kaftan 1935-36 2-4 0.333 6th Ted Polausky 1936-37 3-2 0.600 3rd Fred Kaftan 1937-38 6-3-1 0.667 4th Fred Kaftan 1938-39 2-5 0.286 3rdT John Sylvester 1939-40 5-3 0.625 d3rd Edward Hempe 1940-41 6-2 0.750 2ndT Edward Hempe 1941-42 2-3 0.400 4th Freeman Mann 1942-43 2-1 0.667 3rd Bernard Walbren 1943-44 No meets held due to WW II None elected 1944-45 No meets held due to WW II None elected 1945-46 1-2 0.333 None held Arpad Masley, Jr.

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1946-47 3-4-1 0.429 2ndT Robert Mitchell 1947-48 1-7 0.125 4th Robert Mitchell 1948-49 2-6 0.250 4th Robert Brown 1949-50 5-2-1 0.714 3rd 14th Archie Simonson 1950-51 4-4-1 0.500 2nd 8th John Casida, Ken Wilkenson 62-64-6 0.492 Coach Archie Simonson 1951-52 3-7 0.300 3rd 14th William Cartwright 1952-53 8-3 0.727 2nd 10th Walt Ebling, Joe Demers 1953-54 9-4 0.692 2nd 8th Jack Heiden, Charles Kortier 1954-55 9-4 0.692 1st 15th Jack Heiden, Charles Kortier 1955-56 11-1 0.917 3rd 6th Malcom Miller, Leonard Parmacek 1956-57 12-1 0.923 1st 3rd Franklyn Tyrrell, Charles Barnum 1957-58 10-4 0.714 2nd 8th Gerald Bodner, Paul Mortenson 1958-59 13-1 0.929 1st 7th Richard Green, John Cartwright 1959-60 3-10 0.230 4thT -- Stan Schmidt, Larry Hershfield 1960-61 7-7 0.500 2ndT 19th Neil Payne 1961-62 7-7 0.500 3rd 5thT Allen Ten Broek 1962-63 8-6 0.571 2ndT 11thT Gerald Wiviott 1963-64 5-10 0.333 6th -- Wayne Hansen 1964-65 12-8 0.600 2ndT 28th Richard Weber 1965-66 10-10 0.500 4th 6th Dick Arnold 1966-67 11-6 0.647 1st 11th Rick Bauman 1967-68 15-2 0.882 2nd 7thT Pat Laper 1968-69 11-7 0.611 3rd 11th Richard Odders 1969-70 14-6 0.700 3rd 6th Preston Michie 1970-71 9-9 0.500 3rd 24th Gordon Bartholomew, Sheldon Berman 1971-72 8-8 0.500 2nd 27th Tim Giaimo, Neal Cohen 195-121 0.617 Coach Anthony Gillham 1972-73 9-9 0.500 3rd 23rdT Harry Chiu, Gordon Moake 1973-74 10-8 0.555 3rd 44th Stu Rosenberg, Eric Kaiser 1974-75 13-6 0.684 3rd -- Roger Bing 1975-76 16-3 0.842 1st 15th Bob Tourdot 1976-77 14-3 0.824 3rd 17th Tom Dillinger, Dave Schaenzer 1977-78 11-3 0.786 1st 8th Steve Vandenberg, Dave Kevetter 1978-79 10-4 0.714 1st 10th Dean Rose 1979-80 13-5 0.722 3rd 17th Eric Rosenthal 1980-81 13-3 0.813 3rd 15thT Jeff Little, Brian Schaenzer 1981-82 16-4 0.800 1st 18th Bryan Renk, Steve Magnus 1982-83 12-7 0.632 2nd 10th Jamie Jamison 1983-84 12-5 0.706 1st 8thT Stuart Winquist, Andy Warzecha 1984-85 12-4 0.750 1st 11th Mike Pedersen 1985-86 14-4 0.778 2nd 10thT Tim Gillham, Phil Olsen 1986-87a 17-5 0.773 2nd 26th Drew Bailey, Scott Dega 1987-88a 18-8 0.692 2nd 30th Ken Fiorell, Mark Podlipec

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1888-89a 14-12 0.538 4th 24thT Jim Frueh, Gannon Holt 1989-90a 22-7 0.759 1st 14th Jim Frueh, Gannon Holt 246-100 0.711 Coach Jerzy Radz 1990-91ab 18-6 0.750 2ndT 12th

a Midwest Invitational Championship. Official Big Ten Championships were no longer held. b Fencing was dropped from University of Wisconsin-Madison intercollegiate competition in 1992.

Badger Individual Fencing Honors NCAA All-Americansb 1941 Edward Hampe, epee (4th) 1953 Walt Ebling, foil (6th) 1954 Eric Kindwall, epee (4th) 1956 Charles Barnum, epee 5th) Lee Parmacek, saber (6th) 1957 Franklyn Tyrrell, saber (2nd) Paul Mortenson, epee (5th) 1958 Gerald Bodner, foil (5th) 1959 Ron LeMieux, saber (4th) 1962 Jerry Wiviott, foil (6th) 1966 Rick Bauman, epee (5th) 1967 Rick Bauman, epee (6th) 1968 Dick Odders, epee (5th) 1969 Dick Odders, epee (2nd) 1973 Harry Chiu, foil (6th) 1976 Steve Vandenberg, epee (4th) 1983 Tim Gillham, epee (3rd)

Big Ten Championsc 1912 William Westphal, foil 1914 Martin Knutsen, foil 1915 Al Stirns, foil Al Stirns, saber 1920 Finn Asnesen, saber 1935 Art Kaftand, saber 1936 Art Kaftan, saber 1937 Fred Kaftand, saber 1938 Fred Kaftan, saber 1941 Edward Hampe, epee 1953 Bob Searles, epee 1955 Jack Heiden, foil 1957 Paul Mortenson, epee 1958 Gerald Bodner, foil

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1959 Richard Green, foil Ron LeMieux, saber 1967 Pat Laper, epee Bruce Taubman, foil 1968 Bruce Taubman, foil 1970 Neal Cohen, foil 1971 Tom Giaimo, saber 1972 Neal Cohen, foil 1973 Harry Chiu, foil 1975 Bob Tourdot, foil 1976 David DeWahl, saber 1977 Steve Vandenberg, epee 1978 Steve Vendenberg, epee Dean Rose, foil 1979 Dean Rose, foil 1980 Mike Glennon, epee 1981 Joe Kroetend, saber 1982 Joe Kroeten, saber 1983 Tim Gillham, epee 1984 Tim Gillham, epee Mark Draeger, saber 1985 Tim Gillham, epee Mike Pedersen, foil 1986 Tony Kroetend, saber 1989 Jim Fruehe, epee 1990 Ed Kroetend, saber 1991f Jason Kerstein, foil George Politis, saber William Gramins, epee ______a Official Big Ten competition in fencing began in 1926. b The NCAA for fencing began in 1941. Best 3 fencers in the U.S. in each weapon are on the 1st team All-American; 2nd best 3 fencers in each weapon are on the 2nd team All-American. c Fencing was part of the Western Intercollegiate Gymnastic Association, 1911-1924. Big Ten Championships were held officially from 1926 to 1986 after which the Big Ten Championship in fencing was no longer held. Then fencing became part of the Midwest Invitational Championship. d Art and Fred Kaftan are brothers. Joe, Tony, and Ed Kroeten are brothers. e In 1991 senior Jim Frueh was accidentally stabbed at the Midwest Regionals. Recovering from a punctured lung, he was unable to compete in the Midwest Invitational Championship meet, in which the Badgers tied for 2nd place. f Despite taking individual championships in all 3 weapons for the first time in Badger fencing history, the badgers tied for 2nd place in the championship meet. Fencing was dropped from University of Wisconsin-Madison intercollegiate competition in 1992.

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