Allez! The French word that traditionally starts a fencing bout means to go on, or attack. Junior fencer Max Herman does not need to hear the interjection twice before he elegantly charges out onto the piste. He wields his foil with both speed and precision, like a master violinist handles their bow. Breaking down his opponent, Herman easily wins another bout. But his attack is not even the strongest aspect of his game.
His teammate, junior Max Ismagilov, said, “He has a very strong defense.”
To get a touch against Herman is no easy feat. Although he may not have the height and long reach of some traditional fencing builds, he makes up for the lack of stature with technique and skill. Teammates rave about his distance management and fast reflexes, which, when paired together, make him a formidable opponent.
Despite his quiet demeanor, Max is a pillar of support for his teammates, often bringing freshly baked cookies to tournaments. Head coach Eric Holmgren stated, “He encourages his teammates during practice and at tournaments.”
Since rising to the varsity level this year, Herman has found great success. During the fall season, he dominated at the Sep. 1st and Nov. 3rd Bakersfield First Friday Foil Tournament, taking home two bronze medals and earning a rating of E23 at the November bouts. For the winter season, however, some changes had to be made.
Ismagilov stated, “In the winter season, we started fencing against the San Diego league; their fencers have a different style compared to that of our regional league. Through training, we learned how to counter this style.”
Although a hard adjustment, Herman quickly adapted to the new style, earning a top 5 finish at the Dec. 1st Bakersfield First Friday Foil.
On Saturday, Jan. 13, Poly hosted a tri-meet event, inviting fencers from Cathedral Catholic High School and La Jolla Country Day to take on the Panthers in Gamble Gym. In the first round of the meet against Cathedral, both Poly teams headed into the tie-breaking bouts with 4-4 records. With the round on the line, Herman was able to emerge victorious in the final bout, boosting Poly to a hard-fought victory. Later that day, the Panthers found themselves in the same 4-4 situation. In yet another tie-breaking round, this time against La Jolla Country Day, Herman came up big for Poly, winning the bout and securing the round.
“Max is able to keep his cool in very high pressure situations,” said Holmgren. “In the critical team matches, he stayed focused on earning each point.”
With the 2023-24 season coming to a close, Herman leaves with a winning record of 23-18 and a winning spirit. He has nearly a year to train for his final season, master his techniques, add strength and speed and cement his legacy as a dominant force on the piste.
