UNC Fencing Team Makes a Point

ABC News On Campus reporter Walter Storholt blogs:

For the University of North Carolina fencing team, the season will not be remembered for the gold medals and first-place trophies, or the overall conference championship. Rather, a silver trophy, a second-place award, will be what defined that day for three members of the squad and their coach.

Seventeen men’s fencing teams took part in the 2009 Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Fencing Association championship last month in Easton, Pa. It was Carolina’s second appearance at the event and the Tar Heels were poised to win their first championship. As the full-day tournament neared its end, Carolina pulled away from the competition, clearly securing victories in the foil and epee competitions. The sabre competition, however, was much closer.

Carolina eked out a win. It tied Stevens Institute of Technology in bouts, 42-42, and won the tiebreaker slightly on indicators (margin of victory of individual bouts). North Carolina was presented with gold medals in all three weapons categories and the overall championship.

But the tournament was not over yet. Stevens coaches noticed a scoring error in the final score sheets. Earlier in the day one of its bouts had been recorded incorrectly. Stevens fencer David Gordon defeated his opponent, but officials recorded it as a loss. If officials had credited Gordon with the win, Stevens would have won the sabre competition championship, 43-42.

Stevens protested the result, but officials could do nothing. The rules clearly state that once the official and the fencers sign the score sheet, the result is official.

Ron Miller, North Carolina’s veteran head coach, heard about the mistake.

“In talking with their coach we decided that I would bring this issue to our fencers and get their opinion as to whether they really felt it was honorable or correct to keep the trophy, since in actuality [Stevens] had won,” Miller said.

Miller told his three sabre fencers about the scoring error. Brothers Bobby and Kevin Ziechmann and senior John Powell listened carefully.

“We all just looked at each other,” Powell said, “and knew what the answer was going to be.”

UNC had already been declared the winner in the awards ceremony. Already had held the first-place trophy above their heads. Already had gold medals around their necks. The three fencers decided to give it all back.

“We wouldn’t want to take home a cup that we didn’t deserve,” said Bobby Ziechmann, a senior on the squad.

After the medal ceremony, UNC’s three sabre fencers quietly exchanged the trophy and individual medals with Stevens. They left for home with the silver medals.

“There’s no question we always do the right thing,” Miller said. “That’s what we’re about and it’s what the other team would have done in the same circumstance.”

In a time when acts of good sportsmanship can seem few and far between, you might think the Carolina fencers would be happy to tell you all about what happened, but that is not their style.

Even days after the event, the three sabre fencers did not mention the medal exchange to friends or family. Even when interviewed, they were quiet. In the end, there was not much to talk about. They knew what the right thing was immediately, and they acted.

Bobby and Kevin Ziechmann and John Powell got on the bus in Pennsylvania with just silver medals. But they got off the bus in Chapel Hill, N.C., with a lot more than that.