Northwestern University Athletics
Assistant NU Fencing Coach Holds Two National Titles
9/25/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Fencing
Sept. 25, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. - It is rare for a coach in NCAA athletics to have individual success while also helping to lead a top-rated program, but Northwestern assistant fencing coach Ed Kaihatsu stands as an exception in the sport of fencing.
Kaihatsu is the reigning national champion in both Foil and Sabre in the Men's Veteran Division. In July, Kaihatsu successfully defended his 2000 Foil title and also won the Sabre at the National Championships in Sacramento, Calif.
In fencing, competitions are held two ways-by age group, and by skill levels. The Veterans group, which Kaihatsu won, is for fencers aged 40 and above. Competing in Division I (no relation to the NCAA's divisions), Kaihatsu finished 30th in the Foil against fencers of all ages.
In the two years Kaihatsu has been eligible to compete in the Veterans division he has taken the title in Foil. This year's championships were the first in which he fenced Sabre competitively, and Kaihatsu walked away with that title as well.
To qualify for Nationals, Kaihatsu retained his No. 6 national ranking in Veterans Foil and qualified for Sabre by taking third place in the Midwest Sectionals in Iowa City in May. In the Division I Foil, Kaihatsu currently holds the No. 42 spot.
Coming into this year's Nationals was different, he said. "People know who you are before you've heard of them," he said. "And they will fence you ten times harder because you are the top seed."
But Kaihatsu is a natural competitor, taking pleasure in defeating top opponents he knows are fencing their best.
Kaihatsu has been fencing since 1974, when he competed in Foil for Maine South High School in Park Ridge, Ill. At the time, he had a four-year background in Japanese swordfighting but wanted to compete in a sport for his school. His senior year, Kaihatsu finished second in the state in Foil.
After high school, Kaihatsu fenced for two years at Northern Illinois before transferring to Illinois, which proved to be a key to his collegiate success. He became a team captain, and in 1983 took a Big Ten individual title and helped the Illini to the team title on his way to becoming an All-American.
Following a stellar fencing career at Illinois, Kaihatsu was selected to the U.S. National Team. He competed in the World Championships in 1985 and 1986, and in the World University Games in 1985 and 1987. Kaihatsu won the U.S. Olympic Festival tournament in 1985 in individual and team events.
All his early successes came in the Foil, but Kaihatsu picked up Sabre competition "just for fun" about two years ago to help him become a better coach. But not many hobbies turn into national championships.
Kaihatsu began his coaching career in 1984, when he was an assistant at the University of Pennsylvania. That year, the women's team went on to win their first NCAA championship.
Kaihatsu, now an insurance agent, has been a part-time assistant fencing coach at Northwestern since 1990. He was asked to come on board by Janel Obenchain, a student-athlete at the time who is still an active fencer herself.
One of his primary duties is recruiting. In addition to his own competitions, Kaihatsu is Northwestern's presence at the Summer Nationals, deemed the country's "Fencing Festival." Anyone who is anyone in the sport is at the event, where Kaihatsu gets to know people, makes connections, and checks out up-and-coming fencing students.
At this year's Summer Nationals, in addition to Kaihatsu's national titles, several current and former Wildcat fencers fared well.
Senior Marijke Weldon finished 48th in the Division IA Women's Sabre and 65th in the Division IIA Women's Sabre. Incoming freshman Lauren Dunn, who is currently ranked 27th in the nation in Senior Women's Sabre, placed sixth in Division II, 12th in Under-19 and 26th in Division I sabre competition.
Recent NU graduate Carly Wells took fifth in the Division II Women's Sabre and eighth in the Divsion IA Women's Sabre. Other alumni participants included Michelle Schaffner, who placed 11th in the Division IA Epee, Vivian Imaizumi, who placed 15th in the Division I Sabre, and Janel Obenchain, who took 19th in the Division IA Epee.
Kaihatsu said he has seen many changes in Northwestern's program in the past five years. There are now scholarships to offer, making NU one of the few schools across the country to offer full fencing scholarships.
Kaihatsu credits a supportive athletic department for the positive changes. "It's nice to show we are getting results for the resources provided to us," he said.
