North Jersey Caddie Is A World-class Fencer

Other than the fact that she is a caddie in a male-dominated profession, there is no other indication that Jackie Dubrovich, who caddies at the North Jersey Country Club in Wayne, is exceptional.

Yet, Dubrovich, 19, is one of the United States’ best hopes for a medal in the sport of fencing in the upcoming 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

In November, 2013, she traveled to Bratislava, Slovakia, for a Junior World Cup and placed first for her first international win.

Dubrovich, about to enter her sophomore year at Columbia University, recently finished runner-up in the foil in the NCAA championships and is a three-time member of the U.S. Junior National Team in her sport. In the last Junior World Championships, she placed fifth in the foil.

She is in her second summer as a caddie at North Jersey, having applied for the job at the recommendation of her mother, Valentina, who works the halfway-house at the course. She is the fourth female caddie at North Jersey in the past decade.

“It was tough in the beginning, but now I really enjoy it,” said Dubrovich, a graduate of Pompton Lakes High School in her hometown. “It’s challenging and physically demanding. I’m not a golfer, so I had to learn the game. It’s a great summer job. I had to get used to it.”

These days, Jackie is in demand, being asked for personally by a number of golfers. She’s good for one bag, one round per day at North Jersey.

“Jackie started off really nervous. She sat back in the caddie shack and was really quiet. But she has a great attitude. When I learned she was a student at Columbia, I knew she was a smart young lady and would pick things up quickly,” said North Jersey’s long-time caddie master Marty DeFranco.

“Now she’s really excelling at being a caddie. She’s good with distances and reading greens for members. She makes the golfers feel at home. The caddies here are treated like family by the members,” DeFranco added.

While she admits she learned about the NJSGA Caddie Scholarship Foundation after the application deadline, she said she will surely apply for a tuition grant for her junior year at Columbia.

She became involved in fencing at age eight, thanks to her uncle Gary Dubrovich, who is the coach for RSFA Club in Wayne. Five years later at age 13, she began fencing under her current coach, Stas Gutkovsky of Fair Lawn.

She was thrilled to be selected to compete for the Junior World Games, beginning at age 16 and now has three World competitions on her resume.

“I want to keep improving. There’s always room for improvement in fencing,” she said. “The next big step for me this fall is making the U.S. Senior World Team, which has no age restrictions. Making the Olympic Team in 2016 is the ultimate dream.”

At Columbia, Dubrovich is a double major in Psychology and Russian Literature and Culture with a concentration in Business Management. She would like to pursue a career in business and attend graduate business school.