All Jared Gruen planned to do was watch. He never thought he’d actually put on the uniform.

Two months ago, the UO senior came to club a fencing practice to visit his long-time friend, team coordinator Holly Bishop, along with his girlfriend Kristen Shafer, who had joined the team in the fall.

“He came to practice one day, and I was like, ‘Jared, go put on a uniform,’” Shafer said.

Initially Gruen resisted.