A lone figure bounds around the Quad decked out in a ski hat, sweater, sweat pants and moccasins. Although it is 10 a.m., jogger is still half-asleep, since his "trainer," an exception to his belief that "Cliffies, for the most part, need help," has just woken him from pleasant dreams.

Who is this mysterious tar-pounder? He was captain of his high school soccer and lacrosse teams, played semi-pro soccer and was on the ski patrol at a New York state ski area. He can grab a football and casually fling it 50 yards--in a perfect spiral.

While still in high school, this runner placed fourth, fifth and sixth in the United States junior nationals for his major sport, and in 1972 he was ranked second in the nation in the 20-and-under category. For the last two years, he has been all-American and all-Ivy.

Who is he?

Philippe Bennett.

Who?

You know, the star fencer.

Swinging from Chandeliers

Fencer? You mean he spends his time going up and down stairs, sword-fighting, swinging from chandeliers, slicing Z's in the chests of innocent bystanders, and reciting Shakespeare? Why is he a fencer?

Fencing "is a very individual sport," according to Bennett. "It's one in which I can release my emotions easily. It's beneficial in the sense that the more emotional you are, probably, the better fencer you'll be, as long as you're capable of controlling the emotions and not letting them overcome the judgments you're supposed to be making on the strip."

Bennett also paraphrases Bertrand Russell's saying that "fencing is probably one of the most intellectual sports."

Bennett's parents put a foil in his hand when he was eight, and the rest is ancient history. He trained under late Olympic coach Michelle Alaux. When Bennett reached college, there was no doubt in his mind that he would continue fencing, although he was ready to sacrifice his other sporting interests to the Biochem grindstone.

"If I had gone to any other school but Harvard I probably would have played soccer," Bennett says. "But you can't turn this place down."

Olympic Prospect

So, in between studying, Philippe Bennett applied his emotions, skill and intelligence to fencing, and he has not done badly. He has not only become one of the top college fencers in the country and a captain of the Crimson fencing squad, but also an Olympic prospect.