Impact Of A Scholarship: Steve Heck

Steve Heck was a former varsity student-athlete for the University of Maryland fencing team. His only year with the program was during its final season, but that didn’t stop him from competing years later at the national and international levels. 

Heck was also a scholarship student-athlete at Maryland. His scholarship is a testament to his talent and hard work in and out of the classroom. Scholarships for fencing remain less common than those for other sports, often requiring strong academic merit and athletic prowess. Today, at 62 years old, he continues to fence and remains a proud member of the M Club, maintaining his strong connection with the university. 

“It was unbelievable to receive a scholarship,” Heck said. “In fencing, it was very difficult to get one. Even today, it's really hard because it's such a small sport. Any kind of assistance or anything like that was really amazing. It was really great, and I’m thankful for it.”

Heck was inspired to start fencing by his older brother, James Heck. The older Heck went on to fence at Clemson, while the younger Heck quickly crafted his skills to become one of the top fencers in New Jersey. He attended Voorhees High School, where he claimed third place in the men's saber state championships and was the individual champion of his district during his senior year.  

Heck specialized in the saber discipline of fencing. The saber weapon allows you to accumulate points with both the tip and side of the blade. Fencers target above the waist in a high-speed and offensive duel. 

The saber is one of the three weapons but also the most flexible. Other fencing weapons, the épée and foil, only score points using the point of the blade. Each discipline uses a different kind of blade and employs its own rules.

Heck joined a Maryland men’s varsity fencing team that existed only for a decade before it was terminated in the summer of 1980 to meet Title IX requirements. He was only with the program for one season before it was cut, but he never transferred because he loved the University of Maryland. The university also continued to honor his athletic scholarship. 

“I really enjoyed my time as a student at Maryland, and the education I received was essential to my future career success,” Heck said. “I was also appreciative of them allowing me to maintain my scholarship.” 

The Terps finished ninth in the NCAA Fencing Championships in Heck’s freshman year in 1980. In the ACC Tournament that same year, Heck placed seventh as an individual in the men’s saber while the team tied for second with Clemson in all three disciplines. 

Maryland’s only ACC regular season loss was at Clemson. Maryland also defeated Penn State for the first time, 14-13, as Heck won two crucial saber bouts. Maryland’s overall record for the 1980 season was 10-3. 

“Maryland was great,” Heck said. “I'm still in contact with many people who went there and were on past teams.”

Heck remained a Terp until 1983, earning his degree in communication with a concentration in computer science. One of his fondest memories involves the tight-knit community surrounding all the varsity sports teams. Most of the student-athletes lived in Ellicott Hall. Heck says he lived there on the same floor as Boomer Esiason. 

“Everybody was kind of together,” Heck said. “It was very integrated, especially with sports.”

Heck continued to compete in fencing after Maryland’s program was cut and after graduation. He fenced for Maryland’s club team and later participated in national and international tournaments. Heck fenced in Senior USA Fencing National and Federation International Escrime (FIE) competitions from 1984-98 for Olympic and world team selection.

The former Terp established himself on the USA Fencing Senior National Points List for men’s saber from 1989-1998. His highest national ranking was No. 18 in 1996.

In 2004, Heck started fencing in the veterans' age group at USA Fencing National and FIE International competitions. Since then, he has remained on the veteran's points list and is currently ranked second in the men's saber.

Heck was the 2007 USA Fencing Men's Saber National Champion. He also made the USA Veteran’s World Team in 2023. The 2023 FIE Veteran World Championships were held in Daytona Beach, Florida, from Oct. 11-16. Heck finished third as an individual in the men’s saber, earning a bronze medal.

Team USA and Heck also won the Fencing World Championships and earned a gold medal in the men’s saber, defeating Italy 30-16. Italy had previously defeated Team USA in the last five championships. 

“I'm probably one of the only few fencers that continued competing for a long period,” Heck said. “I fenced consistently into my 30s, on the senior level, and now I still fence. … I fence like four to five times a week. It has always been a big part of my life.”

Heck currently fences at Nazlymov Foundation in Bethesda, Md., one of the top saber clubs in the U.S. His coach is Fikrat Valiyev, who has also coached and refereed at the Olympic Games and FIE World Championships.

Heck used his Maryland education outside of fencing to land a job at Sony Electronics. He held various titles during his 26 years with the company. He also remains tied to the University of Maryland as a member of the M Club. 

“I've always been involved,” Heck said. “I never really lost connection. I live in the area and go to games all the time. I take pride in being a supporter.”