Columbia fencing teams post winning efforts; Paulina reflects on many highlights as a coach over the past three decades for storied program

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Columbia High School fencing teams have enjoyed early-season success.

The boys and girls teams each sported 5-2 dual-meet records entering the week.

The boys have been led by senior Robert Goldman, saber; sophomore Gerig Cornagie, saber; junior James Lederman, saber; senior Hugo Turner, foil; junior Noah Goldstein, foil; junior Nigel Hu, epee; and senior Jess Leger, epee.

The girls have been led by senior Harumi Garrison, saber; freshman Karol Angila, saber; senior Bonny Donachie, foil; junior Mei Lee, foil; and senior Lindsey Minor, epee.

The teams are guided by head coaches Tiffini Austin-Ginlock — who is a former CHS fencing standout and 2008 CHS graduate — Daryl White and Frank Mustilli. 

Art “Doc” Paulina, a Columbia fencing coach for three decades, retired before this season. Paulina started at Columbia in 1993 after being asked to become an assistant coach by Mustilli, who has been with the program since 1988. Paulina became a head coach in the 1995-96 season.

Paulina said that highlights of his coaching career include the girls winning their first Santelli Tournament championship in 1996 and their first state championship in 1997, and the boys winning their first state championship in 2003 and their first Cetrulo Tournament championship in 2004. 

In 2004, the boys and girls won the state championships under the new Sweet 16 format, invented by Paulina and a Millburn High School girls coach. This format is still used to determine the state championships.

Paulina recorded his 500th win last year, on Jan. 27 against Hackettstown.

Paulina said his biggest highlight, though, was the girls record of 91-1 from Jan. 2004 to March 2008, including a girls state record of 71 wins in a row, from Jan. 2004 to March 2007. “I am most proud of this, since it shows the continuity and longevity of the program over multiple years, multiple fencers and multiple weapons,” Paulina told the News-Record.

Paulina also said coaching with Mustilli was a joy. “His knowledge and passion for the sport is without equal,” Paulina said.

The girls have won 11 state championships: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2014. The boys have won seven state championships: 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014. 

In the district tournament, the girls have 16 titles, and the boys have won eight titles.

The girls have won 14 Santelli Tournament titles and the boys have won nine Cetrulo Tournament titles.

White has been a head coach since 2006. Austin-Ginlock is in her second stint as a head coach. She coached from 2011 to 2020 and returned this season.

Paulina, an internal medicine doctor, also was an assistant football coach at Caldwell High School from 1977 to 2007, and was an assistant softball coach at Mount St. Dominic for three seasons in the mid 1990s. 

Columbia will host Governor Livingston High School of Berkeley Heights on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 5 p.m. The girls will host Kent Place of Summit on Monday, Jan. 23, at 4:30 p.m. The CHS home matches are held in the school cafeteria.

The boys will compete in the Cetrulo Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 28, and the girls will compete in the Santelli Tournament on Sunday, Jan. 29, both at Drew University in Madison.

  Columbia High School fencing