NATIONAL CHAMPION! Hoyle Wins NCAA Men's Epee Title
3/20/2015 3:56:00 PM | Fencing
RESULTS | DAY 2 RECAP | DAY 1 RECAP | Final Touch | Hoyle Interview | Photo Album
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jake Hoyle of the No. 1 Columbia men's fencing team ended his junior season Friday afternoon at Ohio State's St. John's Arena at the highest point on the podium as the 2015 NCAA Men's Epee National Champion.
Hoyle marched through the final portion of the round-robin competition, totaling 19 wins over the two days with 108-recorded touches and a plus-35 scoring index. The junior from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered the medal round as the first-seed. Hoyle is the first Columbia individual champion since Nicole Ross '13CC captured the women's foil title in 2010 and the first Lions' epeeist to bring the title to Morningside Heights since Ben Atkins did so in 1993.
Hoyle's first obstacle en route to gold came in the form of his teammate Brian Ro. Ro would not let his fellow Lion advance without a battle, however, as the two went point-for-point throughout the three periods and needed an extra minute to decide a winner.
Ro held a 3-1 early edge before Hoyle rattled off three answered points to lock the bout for the first of nine times. Things would even again at 4-all as the first period horn sounded.
Out of the break, Ro went ahead again. This time the junior from Scarsdale, New York, led, 7-5, before Hoyle bounced back and deadlocked things at 7-7. The score turned into a seesaw with the lead changing in Hoyle's favor at 9-8, before a toe touch by Ro evened it again at 9-9.
The next five points were traded, but Hoyle remained out in front by one, 12-11. As the time ticked away in the final period, Ro notched back-to-back touches to gain a 13-12 lead with just 45 seconds remaining.
Time slowly ticked off the clock with both Lions strategically waiting to make a move. Neither fencer advanced until the 15 second mark when Hoyle earned a touch and tied the bout at 13-13 with only 12 seconds left in the final period.
With one minute on the clock in the extra session the first touch earned would advance to the final bout. Hoyle, the bracket's first seed, struck first and downed fourth-seeded Ro, 14-13, to keep his individual title hunt alive.
Hoyle readied for a gold-medal bout versus a familiar Ivy League foe in Princeton's Jack Hudson. Hudson, like Hoyle, needed an extra semifinal session versus Ohio State's Lewis Weiss to advance to the final.
In the match for all the glory Hoyle wasted no time to take advantage as he quickly jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Doubles points were awarded before the Lion doubled up the Tiger, 10-5. Hoyle continued to soar and sealed his first national championship crown with a 15-11 victory over Hudson.
Hoyle and Ro, who tied for bronze with Weiss, helped Columbia to a second-place standing after two days of competition. The Lions' team fate now lies in the hands of the Columbia women who take the strip tomorrow at French Field House at 9 a.m.
Players Mentioned
