Fencer qualifies for ‘18 Junior Olympics

By Shaun Goodman, Managing Editor and Multimedia Director

Sophomore fencer Kevin Baker will represent West Essex High School at the Junior Olympics in Memphis, Tenn., this coming February and the 2018 Summer National in St. Louis, Mo.

Baker has been fencing competitively for four years, but he picked up the sport at a young age.

“I like how it’s more individual and you can strategize for the opponent,” Baker said.

In November, Baker competed in four different events and won medals for all of them.

For the fencing team, Baker’s development and progression has always been admired.

“It’s really exciting for us to be a part of Kevin’s journey and help him get to the Junior Olympics, and to see where that goes is amazing,” assistant coach Caitlin Jozefczyk said.

Even if Baker does not bring back a gold medal from the Junior Olympics, he nonetheless has a promising future in the sport of fencing.