WARREN, NJ - Watchung Hills Regional High School Fencing captains Brooke Stanicki and Dominic Heise have been named to the 2016-17 New Jersey Interscholastic Fencing Associations All-State Team.

Brooke Stanicki was named to the Second Team placing sixth overall in All-State points, eighth in the State Individual Foil Championships, second in the District III Foil Championships and led her foil squad team to a fourth place finish at the prestigious Santelli Tournament. Brooke finished the year 20-2 on the “A” strip in dual meets and 5-1 in the State team championships leading the girls team to another top five finish in the State.

“It was a long year having fenced both my high school schedule and National and local Tournaments but it was all worth it, said Stanicki. I owe all of my success to Glenn Pantel who got me started in fencing and my private fencing coach, Andrzej Zamlynny from Medeo Fencing Club and my former Watchung Hills Head Coach, Rich Brown and our current high School coaches, Matthew Gates and Doug Clark and the best teammates anyone could ever have that supported me and pushed me every day. They are all my sisters and brothers.”

Sign Up for North Plainfield/Green Brook/Watchung Newsletter Our newsletter delivers the local news that you can trust. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. You have successfully signed up for the TAPinto North Plainfield/Green Brook/Watchung Newsletter.

Brooke has also excelled in the classroom being named to the National Honor Society, National Arts Honor Society and the World Culture Honor Society. She was also one of 170 women athletes recognized on National Girls and Women in Sports day and the only New Jersey high school fencer to garner that award this year. Brooke will continue her fencing career at Johns Hopkins in the fall.

Dominic Heise was named to the First Team having placed 3rd overall in All-State points, seventh in the State Individual Foil Championships, third in the District III Foil Championships and 14-5 at Squad States. Dominic finished the year 19-1 in dual meets and 4-2 in the State Team Championships leading the boys team to a top 16 finish.

“Brooke and I swore before the year began that we would make it onto the All-State team and we accomplished that goal and we are both on cloud nine at the moment”, said Heise. “It was a lot of hard work but well worth it and I owe it all to my great foil coach, Andrzej Zamlynny and my former Head Coach, Rich Brown and our current boys coaching staff, Rocco Iacovone, Bryan Hardy and Matt Gates who pushed me when I had very little left in the tank. I have a great team and they have been my family for the last four years and I could not have done it without them.”

“Being named to the First Team is a real confidence booster going into the remainder of my National fencing schedule and I hope another step on the ladder as I start my collegiate fencing career at NJIT in the Fall, said Heise.“

“This is a huge accomplishment given the depth of the field in NJ, by far one of the absolute best states in the country in producing top-tier fencers. Everyone at Watchung Hills could not be more proud of Brooke and Dominic as well as the entire team”, said Assistant Coach, Matt Gates.





Additionally, Alan Zu narrowly missed earning 3rd Team All-State Honors with a season-end rank of twelfth in the State in Men’s Sabre.