Word: vastola
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...Vastola, now a senior, has a fencing heritage that has schooled him well for both the physical and mental aspects of fencing. Instructed from 13 to 18 by his Hungarian mentor, Vastola was an integral part of the New York fencing dynasty at Stuyvesant High School. In just his sophomore year, Vastola won the individual New York high school fencing championship, out-maneuvering his own captain in the final...
...Vastola switched mentors after coming to Harvard. In the careful hands of Yugoslavian-born coach Branimir Zivkovic, after faltering somewhat as a sophomore and junior, he has continued to develop. He admits that "until this year it's been an uphill struggle, a battle to maintain consistency." This year Vastola has been virtually unbeatable...
Attribute much of Vastola's success to what goes on inside his head. Emphasizing that "strategy is the most important part of competition once you master a certain element of physical dexterity," Vastola employs an arsenal of different tactical approaches that ensure weapons superiority on the strip...
...Vastola carefully adapts his game to his opponent. Last year, former Crimson captain and sabre fencer John Chipman--a lightning quick and superbly skilled attacker--repeatedly lost to fencers infinitely inferior to him. Typically, Chipman would utilize four or five feints on opponents who couldn't even see, never mind be deceived by them. They would poke their points forward in fearful reflex and touch Chipman's mask or torso...
...Vastola does not make such mental errors. "You have to be able to gauge your opponent when you step on the strip, probe him. You have to tailor your fencing to what you need to beat him," he says. Simple, well-executed attacks are often the most appropriate, Vastola says...