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Post by LongBlade on Jun 2, 2010 23:51:02 GMT -5
Don't we wish our government did this?Government of Canada Supports 2010 Escrime Internationale de Montreal World CupMarketwire OTTAWA, ONTARIO May 28, 2010 www.marketwire.com/press-release/Government-of-Canada-Supports-2010-Escrime-Internationale-de-Montreal-World-Cup-1267999.htmOn behalf of the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of State (Sport), the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec), today announced funding for the 2010 Escrime Internationale de Montréal World Cup. "Our Government is proud to continue its support to the Escrime Internationale de Montréal World Cup," said Minister of State Lebel. "This annual international competition attracts more than 170 of the world's best fencing athletes from 24 countries and provides the competitors and spectators alike with a great opportunity to enjoy and witness the highest level of fencing competition. We also want to highlight the hard work and dedication of the many organizers and volunteers who help make this event a success, year after year." "The support of the Government of Canada allows us to present one of the key sporting events in the country, as well as one of the most important tournaments for women epee fencers this season," said Yann Bernard, President of Escrime Internationale de Montréal's organizing committee. "This support also provides hundreds of Canadian fencers with the opportunity to battle with the best athletes on home soil." The 2010 Escrime Internationale de Montréal World Cup, which is organized by the Canadian Fencing Federation, will be held in Montréal from May 28 to 30, 2010. The Government of Canada is the single largest contributor to sport in Canada and supports participation and excellence from the playground to the podium. Funding of $50,000 is being provided through Sport Canada's Hosting Program.
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Post by LongBlade on Jun 3, 2010 0:07:26 GMT -5
Parent-funded fencing club would be a first for the Chathams By P.C.ROBINSON, staff writer Chatham Courier The Chathams, NJ May 28th, 2010www.recordernewspapers.com/articles/2010/05/28/chatham_courier/news/doc4bfe3d1c79c90938057897.txtTHE CHATHAMS – It appears school officials will take a stab at introducing a fencing club at Chatham High School come September. Board of Education members on Monday agreed to consider introducing the sport after several parents – and their children who fence – approached the board with an 8-page proposal to start the club. A resolution endorsing the extra curricular activity is scheduled to discussion at the Monday, June 14 meeting. Although board members were initially impressed with the proposal, which ensures no district funding for at least the first two years, they did express concern about future funding by the district. But Theresa Burns, and Lydia Chambers, who along with fellow mom Jill Perrin researched and drew up the proposal, assured them that parents were committed to funding the sport. “We made it clear” to parents that we wouldn’t ask for board funding,” she said. Burns said several high schools, including the prestigious Newark Academy in Livingston and The Pingry School in Bernards Township, already have thriving fencing teams. It is also a sport sanctioned by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). Even some students advocated for the sport. “It would be great,” said middle school Chatham Middle School eighth grader Hunter Stusnick, who fences with a private club. Another young fencer, Chatham High School freshman Jake Burns, agreed. “It’s a great sport in general,” he told board members. For the most part, board members were concerned with the club’s expenses, which run to an average $12,000 to $15,000 a year. However, Superintendent of Schools James O’Neill said other sports were more expensive, with ice hockey being the mostly costly, due to ice time rental. Members had additional concerns. Board member Lata Kenney said she was concerned that the sport might mean extra insurance costs. O’Neill, however, said no, that the sport was not as risky as diving. Board President Stephen Barna wondered where the club would meet. O’Neill said the agreement was to use the cafeteria. Board member Richard Connors pondered the “fairness” of allowing students who could only pay their way – and eschewing those who could not. Burns and Chambers assured him money would be set aside to fund students whose families were economically challenged. Eventually, a poll of all nine board members showed unanimous willingness to entertain the sport as a club. Officials complimented the parents who researched the proposal. O’Neill called them some “extremely organized parents” who delved into research school officials would normally perform. “You seem to have a lot of passion for fencing,” said board member John Nonnenmacher. Barna understood where the parents – and their young fencers – came from. Barna recalled fencing in college one semester. “It was a great, great experience,” he said. “We have a very positive sentiment here,” he added. Fees According to the proposal, an ad hoc poll showed that 95 students from third through 10th grade are interested in fencing at the high school, with 39 ready to fence in the 2010-2011 school year. The club would be “parent-funded for the foreseeable future,” given the fiscal state of state schools. Startup costs are estimated at $12,170 for the first year, and include the costs of a scoring machine ($1,265), a scoreboard ($1,458), a coach ($5,764) and assistant coach ($3,764). A team participation fee ranging from $250 to $400 would “fund the bulk” of annual operating expenses, and additional funding would be sought from Chatham Athletic Boosters, the local Athletic foundation, and local fencing clubs, according to the proposal. Team members would provide their own equipment, which would cost between $150 to $500. If approved, the club would start up over the summer in time to participate in the NJSIAA winter program, which runs from November through March. Burns said with a coach’s advice, the team could go on to become a junior varsity team, attaining varsity status within two years. Now confined to the “salle,” or fencing room, fencing stems from the 16th century and is actually considered a European martial art based on military swordsmanship. It consists of one-on-one competition using one of three weapons: foil, a short sword considered a practice epee; epee, the modern descendent of the rapier; and sabre, a shorter weapon patterned after the cavalry sword. Once found only on college and university campuses, the sport has recently regained popularity, in part because it is co-ed, and because it gives individual-minded students not interested in team sports like football a chance to excel elsewhere. It’s also a safe sport, since fencers are well protected, wearing facemasks and chest guards under the traditional white tunic and knee breeches.
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Post by LongBlade on Jun 7, 2010 2:04:15 GMT -5
Harper will lead local fencers to NationalsBy Larry Savage, Staff writer The Gainesville Sun Gainesville, FL June 5, 2010www.gainesville.com/article/20100605/ARTICLES/100609656/1002/NEWS01?Title=Harper-will-lead-local-fencers-to-NationalsFor years, Brian Harper, director at the Florida Fencing Academy in Gainesville, tried to get his daughter, Brianna, interested in fencing. It got to the point that he stopped asking. By the time she turned 11, however, it was Brianna who was asking about learning the sport. After five years of training, the Gainesville High senior-to-be will be making her second straight trip to the U.S. Fencing Summer Nationals, July 4-13, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Brianna qualified for summer nationals after winning the Women's Open Epee Championship and the Women's Junior Championship last month at the Southeast Sectionals in Greensboro, N.C. She will compete at summer nationals in Division II and Division III in Women's Epee events. “I am super stoked about going to summer nationals again,” said Brianna, who competed for two years on the GHS swim team before switching to tennis her junior year. “I would like to do better than I did at last year's nationals. I like having fun and challenging people to see how far I can go.” Brian Harper said Brianna has a great attitude as a competitor, always staying positive and encouraging teammates and opponents. “She really puts her heart in it,” he said. “She has the heart of a champion and really loves fencing.” At last year's summer nationals in Irving, Texas, Brianna finished 11th out of 150 competitors in women's epee fencing. Brian, who fenced during his college years at Penn State, said his daughter is receiving some attention from colleges. “We have never had someone from our academy win first place at the southeast sectionals,” Brian Harper said. “She is our first. She was excited about coming home with two big cup trophies.” Brian Harper said the summer nationals will be the largest fencing tournament in the world, with 300 teams and 6,000 fencers competing in a variety of age groups. “This sport is growing,” he said. “It is being discovered.” U.S. fencing received a big boost at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics when Mariel Zagunis won consecutive gold medals in the individual saber competition. Zagunis' triumph at the Athens Games in 2004 marked the first time an American had won an Olympic gold medal in fencing in 100 years. Brian Harper, who has fenced all over the world, just recently got back into competition, and is entered in the 60-70 age group at the summer national in foil and epee events. “I'm thrilled to be competing again,” said Harper, who has been ranked as high as 10th in the world in saber fencing. “I have been fencing for some 40 years, and if I finish in the top three, I will get to compete in Croatia.” As to Brianna's chances at the summer nationals, Brian said his daughter usually sets her own goals. “Last summer she just missed out on a medal, which goes to the top eight finishers,” Brian Harper said. “That is probably her goal, to win a medal this year. There are some things she is going to have to overcome to make it happen, but she is a stronger fencer this year than she was last year. She will give it her all.”
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Post by LongBlade on Jun 8, 2010 0:58:38 GMT -5
Westhampton family pushing for fencing programBy Drew Budd 27east.com Westhampton, NY June 7, 2010www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=280992&town=Westhampton&n=Westhampton%20family%20pushing%20for%20fencing%20programWhen Westhampton Beach eighth-grader Graham Brown was in the sixth grade, he asked his father, George, what fencing was. The two went online to research the sport more and the rest, as they say, is history. Graham has been fencing for more than two years now and is so involved in the sport that he now competes in fencing tournaments across Long Island. Since the Browns, and fifth grade student Mac Newman, are so enthralled with fencing, they think it should be a varsity and junior varsity sport within the Westhampton Beach School District. “[Graham and Mac] are interested in it and advanced enough that they’re going to tournaments so we’re thinking we need to get more people interested in fencing,” George Brown said. To get more students educated about the sport, the Browns summoned Jeff Salmon and Dennis Kolakowski from Mission Fencing in Rocky Point to perform demonstrations to the Westhampton Beach’s physical education classes back on April 19. Salmon, who is the varsity fencing coach at Ward Melville High School, and Kolakowski, the current head coach at Cold Spring Harbor High School, used their knowledge and skill to show the ins and outs of fencing and seven of the middle school students who attended the demonstrations signed up to take classes. “We’re hoping to get a varsity team two or three years down the road,” George Brown said. “The first thing is to get enough public interest in it.” Salmon has done many demonstrations for a number of school districts throughout Long Island, but he admitted that Westhampton Beach is one of the furthest districts he’s had to perform at. Salmon, the founder of Mission Fencing, has been involved with the sport since he was in high school and has a laundry list of accomplishments within the sport. He won a county championship and an Empire State gold medal while in high school, finished in the top 12 at the NCAA Championships and was one of two sabre fencers chosen for NCAA training at the German Olympic Center in 1987. Salmon has also been named Suffolk County Coach of the Year five times and U.S. Fencing Association’s Long Island high school Coach of the Year three times. “The sport brings incredible experience,” he said. “The discipline, technique, strategy, it’s quite intense and it proves to be a good learning experience. Then the advantages go on past that.” Approximately 70 U.S. colleges and universities have varsity fencing teams and most of those schools offer scholarships for both male and female athletes. Also, many of the colleges are Ivy League universities. Salmon currently coaches a student at Mission who is nationally ranked and interested in going to Harvard. As hard as it is to get into a school such as Harvard, because of her extensive background in fencing, the student, who is a junior, will sign a letter of intent on October 6, a week before anyone is admitted into the college. Salmon is also coaching a student who was wait-listed at Duke, where only 1,200 applications were being accepted this year out of 27,000. Just days before the deadline to get accepted, the varsity fencing coach at Duke called the student up and asked him if he wanted to be a Blue Devil. There are currently eight school districts that field varsity fencing programs recognized by Section XI, Suffolk County’s governing body of high school sports. Brentwood, Half Hollow Hills, Ward Melville, Commack, Walt Whitman, Newfield, Centereach and Huntington all have teams and Westhampton Beach is looking to be the ninth on the island, and the very first on the East End. Westhampton Beach Athletic Director Kathy Masterson likes the idea of adding fencing to the varsity program but would also love to add field hockey, gymnastics and crew to the list. The problem right now is that there is nothing in the budget for fencing or any of the other sports mentioned. Masterson, who has been the athletic director at Westhampton Beach for four years, said she hadn’t heard anything about fencing until the Browns brought up the idea months ago. Masterson did say she would welcome a demo, similar to what was at the middle school this year, to high school students next year. “ I think it’s a great sport,” she said of fencing. “Right now, it’s not in the budget for next year.” George Brown did say that the program would need a coach for the team if a physical education teacher within the Westhampton Beach School District was not versed enough in the sport. If anyone is interested in coaching, or just in the sport in general, they can contact George Brown at (917) 270-2809.
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Post by LongBlade on Jun 13, 2010 22:36:41 GMT -5
Eight-year-old Caitlin is a fencing expert! Penarth Times Wales, UK 20th May 2010www.penarthtimes.co.uk/sport/8172431.Eight_year_old_Caitlin_is_a_fencing_expert_/AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Penarth girl has proved she's a cut above, after passing exams to become an expert fencer. Caitlin McDonald-Curry has already passed her bronze and silver awards in the sport and her coach, Peter Russell, is predicting big things from the Penarth starlet. "She’s already one of the youngest to achieve the silver award in south Wales,” he said. Peter owns and runs Russell Swords in Cadoxton, Barry, where Caitlin trains every Tuesday from 6pm. Caitlin’s mum, Janet, said: “She first wanted to fence when she was just three years old. “We thought it was a fad that would pass but she was still very keen, so we found Russell Swords and she started in October 2009. “She’s made excellent progress.” For more information about fencing at Russell Swords, email: info@russellswords.com
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Post by LongBlade on Jun 13, 2010 22:46:20 GMT -5
Fencing girls are South County's '4 Musketeers'By BRITTANY LEVINE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER May 22, 2010 www.ocregister.com/news/girls-249793-fencing-one.htmlThey looked like 18th-century soldier puppets wearing Adidas as they shuffled back and forth hitting one another with swords. The class of elite students at Laguna Fencing Center in Laguna Hills was practicing the sport in electronic shirts connected to a cord that sends a signal to a scoreboard when struck. Standing out in the group of masked fencers, which consists mostly of high school and college students, are a group of elementary- and middle-school girls known as the "Four Musketeers." The girls travel far and wide to compete. One of them, Mary Barnett of San Clemente, won a gold medal this month at the Pan American Fencing Championship in Mexico. Elena Pearson of San Juan Capistrano took silver. The girls say fencing, an uncommon sport among girls their age, has bonded them as they spend hours practicing and traveling to competitions together, consoling one another when hurt and giving one another tips. "I try to picture what my life would be like without fencing and my friends and I just can't," said Kyla Obillos, 11, of Irvine. "If I never started fencing, I never would have met my closest friends." THE MUSKETEERS Mackenna Lamphere, 13, fresh from telling another female fencer to be more aggressive while going after a boy, put on her mask for a bout with Kyla. Lamphere started fencing about a year ago, while the other "Musketeers" have been doing it almost two years. Lamphere and the other girls have participated in other sports, including soccer and tae kwon do. But now they almost exclusively focus on fencing. The sport has been likened to physical chess, and the girls said they like the challenge of strategizing while aggressively going after an opponent. When Lamphere, of San Clemente, started at Laguna Fencing Center, she heard about a group known as the "Three Musketeers." There's Mary, 11, the quiet one; Elena, 12, the loud one; and Kyla, who can be shy at first but then opens up. Then came Lamphere, the outgoing one. Lamphere looked up to the others, though they are younger. They had quickly excelled in the sport, and she wanted to be like them. "Then I remembered back to social-studies class and that even though everyone thinks there were three musketeers, there were actually four," she said. Mary and Elena competed against each other in Mexico, as they often do because the pool of competitors their age is small. Their coach, Nick Dinu, said he invited the girls to join the elite class because he saw they had potential and were committed to the sport. "They started in the 9- to 12-year-old group, but they obviously rose above all the others," Dinu said. "To fence in the elite class is a privilege." Finding a place to fence in south Orange County was difficult for the girls. When Mary told her mother she wanted to fence, Sherri Barnett couldn't find a center near their San Clemente home. There are some in Costa Mesa, Santa Ana and other cities farther north, but few in South County. Barnett finally found Dinu's center. Dinu says he opened it because he saw the fencing void in South County. Fencing can get expensive, the girls' parents say. It's not so much the lessons, which cost about $110 a month, but the equipment and traveling. The girls will go to Atlanta in July to compete in the U.S. Fencing Association's national championship. The Musketeers also have traveled to New York, Virginia and other places to compete. THE GIRL FACTOR Sometimes when they go to competitions, the girls feel they are second-guessed because of their gender. One of Elena's favorite parts is that she gets to beat up on boys (bouts are co-ed). Kyla recently overheard a boy bragging that he scored a few points on Mary, who won the match. "They were saying, 'Good job; she's so hard,'" Kyla said. "They know not to mess with her anymore." Lamphere has a photo of the group on her bedroom wall. Under the picture it reads, "All for one and one for all!" "I didn't understand what that meant until I met these girls," she said.
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Post by LongBlade on Jun 13, 2010 22:52:05 GMT -5
Bosco named to Veterans’ fencing teamStaff Reports Madison County Record May 21, 2010www.madisoncountyrecord.com/2010/05/21/bosco-named-to-veterans%E2%80%99-fencing-team/Harvest resident Marianne Bosco was recently named to the United States Veterans Fencing Team, her seventh year to earn the spot on the squad. Fencers from across the nation compete at two national meets and a national championship to earn positions on the team. Bosco earned an early spot on the team by taking the gold in both the North American Cup in Pittsburgh, Penn. in December, and recently in the North America Cup tournament held in Dallas, Texas. Bosco will be competing with the U.S. team in the World Championships to be held in Porec, Croatia in the fall. Bosco has competed in fencing for 30 years and is one of just a select group of female fencers to make the team two years in a row. Veterans fencing is for competitors 50 years of age and older. The World Championships are held in different parts of the world every year. Bosco has competed in Krems, Austria (where she finished a career-best fifth place) and has also fenced in England, Australia and France. Bosco is trained by her husband/coach at Salle D’Armes Bosco Fencing Center in Toney. Information about the fencing center can be found at www.sallebosco.com.
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Post by LongBlade on Jun 13, 2010 22:59:36 GMT -5
Go ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ with fencing By Alex Tucker Issaquah Press Issaquah, WA May 25, 2010www.issaquahpress.com/2010/05/25/go-%E2%80%98pirates-of-the-caribbean%E2%80%99-with-fencing/Not many high school students can boast that their sport of choice is comparable to sword fighting. Issaquah High School junior Garrett Lundborg can: He is a competitive fencer. “About five or six years ago, my dad took me to it and said, ‘Hey, try this out,’” Lundborg said. The sport fit him well. Lundborg has been to nationals three years in a row, and is set to compete again this year. His accomplishments have come through hard work and dedication. He attends practices at least twice a week, and belongs to two fencing clubs, Washington Fencing Academy and Salle Auriol Seattle. Additionally, he competes locally on a regular basis, attending competitions in Seattle or Bellevue every two to three weeks.For those who know little about the sport, Lundborg revealed the truth behind a common misconception about fencing. “Some people think that there is only one type of fencing, but there are actually three different weapons,” he explained. “There are foil and épée, where you poke with the swords, and sabre, which is more ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ style, what I do.” He has come a long way since he first picked up the sabre, but his initial fascination with the sport has not changed. “The best part about it is the energy,” he said, “It is a lot of fun, and you get to hit people with metal sticks!”
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Post by LongBlade on Jun 13, 2010 23:12:28 GMT -5
Merrick Fencing Club Members Compete...and Sing?Merrick Fencing Club/Theatre Group gives members an outlet to duel, and perform.By Rick Karas The Merrick Patch June 8, 2010merrick.patch.com/articles/merrick-fencing-club-members-competeand-singOn guard! Avant-Garde! Proving once again you can find just about anything on Long Island, the Merrick Fencing Club is celebrating its seventh anniversary of giving fencers an outlet to learn and compete. And there's a twist. The group also features members of the Avant-Garde Theatre Group, a not-for-profit whose goal is to put on shows for the community. There is crossover, there is synergy. Fencing lends itself to performing, and vice-versa, according to club organizer Mark Goldman. "It's dance, for people that are very clumsy," he says. "It's really a cool way of moving without getting hurt." The club features those that fence, those that perform, and those that do both. A few years back, theatre group members were putting on a production of 'Hamlet', which features sword fighting. Members decided to take a fencing class at Hofstra, and were hooked. Soon however, class fees went up significantly, so members struck out on their own, and have been incorporating fencing into their training ever since. Members meet throughout the year at the Cure of Ars Rectory Church on Merrick Avenue, as its vast auditorium space lends itself to movement and exercise. Brian Poppenwimer sticks to the fencing. He first started training at Penn State, after years of martial arts training wore down his knees. "Fencing is a mind game," Poppenwimer says. "It's not a physical brute force sport, it's finesse, it's more mind; figuring out where your opponent is going to move, how you're going to get the move there." Poppenwimer leads the group in stretching to open a recent meeting. Then, he trains members in a specific move to be added to one's arsenal. Next, members take each other on in a series of matches. The extent of my fencing expertise is watching 'The Three Musketeers," but I give it a shot anyway. I don my padding, glove and mask, and grab my foil. That's sword to you. I am given the run down of moves: lunge, where you thrust your foil, trying to make contact with your opponent's torso, and parry, the art of knocking their foil aside in defense. And of course there's advance and retreat (the latter I assume I will need often). I hold my own, and hold my foil proud, though I never make solid contact. At least my opponent was near my age - I could have lost to a child or senior citizen, as the club caters to all ages. Goldman's daughter Lauren plays sports at Mepham High School, and she was looking for a new challenge. She also enjoys acting and singing, so her participation on both sides of the club was a no-brainer. "You're sharing two things you love...you have the singing and the acting, and [the fencing] is a different way of expressing yourself, a more physical way," Lauren says. The club relies on member donations, and corporate sponsorship to keep going. On the fencing end, members are trying out for the Empire State Games, to be held this summer in Rochester. Theatrewise, the club hopes to put on a production of 'Waiting For Godot' in the fall. They got me to swordfight...they're not getting me to sing. Sorry, guys.
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Post by LongBlade on Jun 13, 2010 23:24:40 GMT -5
Wisdom is the word STUDENTS FIT IN AT ISLAMIC HIGH SCHOOLBy Jacqueline Reis TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF June 10, 2010www.telegram.com/article/20100610/NEWS/6100810/0/NEWS04WORCESTER — In the fall, the only Islamic high school in the area quietly opened its doors in the lower level of the same East Mountain Street complex that houses the Worcester Islamic Center and Alhuda Academy, a pre-kindergarten through Grade 8 school. The next closest Islamic high school is in Mansfield. “It’s actually been a need for the community for a long time,” said Joanne Vakil, principal of Al-Hikmah Academy. Al-Hikmah, which means “wisdom,” was founded after four families with high school-age students started brainstorming, she said. Parents, including her, wanted a school with Islamic religious studies and Arabic courses, and they also wanted one in which Islamic students would feel comfortable. That wasn’t always the case in other schools, she said. Some of the students “did have difficulties with other students in public schools, where they were either called names or felt uncomfortable. I think this environment gives one less pressure of having to deal with that,” Ms. Vakil said. Yusuf (Brandon) Toropov of Worcester, who teaches Shakespeare at Al-Hikmah and language arts and social studies at Alhuda, where his children are among the students, said, “The big difference here is we’re part of the mosque. What that means is there’s a whole support network that’s in place that you wouldn’t get elsewhere, and you’re surrounded by kids who have the same values. … You’re not really swimming upstream because of that.” He noted that he once saw middle school students sharing a video of “cool hijabi girls” (those wearing headscarves). “That’s a really kind of important social bonding that they would not get in a public high school,” he said. He noted that the school also prays together at midday, which is “a huge part of what it means to be an Islamic community.” The high school’s student body consists of nine students in Grades 9-11, eight of them girls, and they come from the Worcester area and as far away as Springfield and Connecticut. The 11th-graders are at the school only two days a week for classes in religion and Arabic. The rest of the time they are taking core subjects at local community colleges in Massachusetts and Connecticut through dual enrollment programs. It’s a model similar to Al-Noor Academy in Mansfield, which also has its 11th- and 12th-graders attend local colleges. Students said the academics are manageable, and they hope to pursue college degrees for careers as pharmacists, doctors, engineers and lawyers. They also said they value a school that offers Islam and Arabic classes and where it’s normal to wear a head scarf. In public school, said Elaf Wohaibi, 16, of Springfield, “You might be tempted to not wear yours just to blend in.” At Al-Hikmah, “There are people you can relate to and not as much peer pressure as you would get in public school,” said Rewana Khedr, 16, of West Boylston. Female students wear head scarves and modest clothing, including loose long-sleeved shirts and pants. Male students wear long-sleeved shirts and pants. Sneakers are fine, but no one is allowed to wear jeans. Although students of any religion are welcome, so far it is only Islamic students who have joined. It’s such a small school that students say there aren’t any cliques, but the lone male must feel a bit left out when the eight girls refer to themselves as the “Woosta sistahs,” a name they used at the Muslim Interscholastic Tournament at Boston University. The group came home with 15 awards, according to Vice Principal Nazia Amroze. The school also participated in the regional science fair at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and two girls advanced to the next level of competition at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The two genders are often together, although not for classes on Arabic and the Koran. The school charges $7,000 a year for Grades 9 and 10, and $3,000 for Grades 11 and 12, but families must also pay the tuition at community colleges where the students enroll for three to six courses a semester. College courses aren’t the only reasons students travel off campus. For physical education this quarter, for instance, everyone piles into a couple of vans and heads to the Worcester Fencing Club on the other side of the city. At the club, the Woosta Sistahs kept their head scarves on, but tucked them into the back of their fencing jackets and under their helmets. Fencing center owner and head coach Douglas Jacobs chided the girls for not being more aggressive, but all seemed to be having fun. Students have also traveled away from the school for community service projects.
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Post by LongBlade on Jun 13, 2010 23:31:36 GMT -5
High-speed swordplay Fencing kicks off with team epeeBy TOM ZULEWSKI thespectrum.com St. George, Utah June 11, 2010 www.thespectrum.com/article/20100611/SPORTS/6110310CEDAR CITY - When asked to describe what fencing is, Ron Hendricks didn't hesitate to come up with three interesting comparisons to describe each blade used in the sport - epee, foil and saber. "Epee is a chess match at 70 mph, foil is a chess match at 100 mph and saber is checkers at 180 mph," he said. The 70 mph version of fencing - team epee - was on display Thursday night in the Utah Summer Games at the Canyon View High gym. Four teams of three fencers each, ranging in age from 13 through adult, competed in what Hendricks described as a "relay race." The trios competed in head-to-head matches, one fencer at a time, in five-point rounds until the winning score of 45 was reached. Each team competed against the other once. Braley Dodson, a 16-year-old from Kaysville competing on the Wasatch Fencing team, has been fencing since October. "This sport is challenging," she said. "It takes some time to get used to, but you just have to do it. You get a lot of muscle memory with the footwork." The rules of epee are a little different than the other two levels. Fencers can score points as long as any part of the opponent's body is touched with the point of the sword. For Dodson, her height puts her at a disadvantage in epee. "Taller people can get me with head shots," she said. For 13-year-old Harrison Young of Salt Lake City, the joy of fencing was discovered at an early age. "I always liked sword fighting since I was little and even used noodles and foam swords," he said. "It just fit me." Young competed in his first epee tournament Thursday and has been involved in foil since Christmas. He was able to win one round that helped his team, "The Three of Us," secure a first-round win. "I've been progressing a lot and getting advice from my teammates, which helps," Young said. Joe Ogren of Kaysville, also 13 years old, has been fencing for six years and isn't shy about wearing socks of mismatched color in competition. "I do it because I want to. It's intentional," he said. "Any combination I can find, and I'm not superstitious." As he competed on Thursday, Ogren wore one red and one green sock. The rest of the competition continues today and Saturday, and Hendricks said 63 fencers ranging in age from 8 to seniors are registered. The tournament will feature a total of 11 different divisions.
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Post by LongBlade on Jun 13, 2010 23:52:52 GMT -5
Helfrich repeats as fencing champ Montgomery resident develops into top competitorBy Mike Briggs, Special Writer The Princeton Packet June 11, 2010centraljersey.com/articles/2010/06/11/the_princeton_packet/sports/doc4c115653c6132490569079.txt Saying Lauren Helfrich is unfazed by high-pressure situations would be an understatement. Helfrich, a Montgomery resident, captured her second straight NJ Fencing Cup this past week. While many athletes her age would be proudly boasting an accomplishment of this stature, Helfrich isn’t one for making a fuss. ”It’s kind of hard to win it twice, I guess.” Helfrich said “You have to finish in the top five of the 70-something people qualifying to make it into the tournament, which can be difficult. It really depends on the competition that shows up for the day.” While the bubbly Helfrich might try to downplay the accomplishment after the fact, she’s all business during competition. ”When I first started it was different, but now it’s kind of like a job,” said Helfrich. “You really fence for yourself, it’s fun to me, though.” With the work Helfrich puts in every day for practice — she estimates she spends about five hours a day at the fencing club in addition to an eight-mile run to keep in shape — there’s no doubting she’s putting in her fair shift plus a little extra in overtime. What’s even more remarkable about Helfrich is how far she has come from where she first started as a freshman in high school. ”I got started fencing because of my mom. She told me to go out and try it, I was pretty much just pushed into it at first,” Helfrich said. “But, eventually I found that I really liked it.” Motherly wisdom came in handy for the rising sophomore at Johnson and Whales, who had trouble at first relating to fencing based off her experience participating in other sports. ”I like fencing because it’s different than any other sport I’ve ever done. I used to be a big tennis player, but it’s different all the way down to the muscles that you use.” There’s no denying that Helfrich has found passion in a sport she couldn’t have imagine doing just a few years ago. Now, it seems she can’t get enough of it. ”We’re getting a team at school next year, I’m looking forward to it,” Helfrich said. “The practices will be more challenging and the coaches should be a big help — hopefully less drama, too.”
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Post by LongBlade on Jun 14, 2010 0:21:27 GMT -5
Local fencer pointed toward stardom By David Spiro The Journal News and LoHud.com White Plains, NY June 13, 2010 www.lohud.com/article/20100613/SPORTS05/6130401/-1/SPORTS/Local-fencer-pointed-toward-stardomWhen Jessica O'Neill-Lyublinsky began fencing at the age of 10, even she never could have envisioned how much success she would have. "It was more of a hobby back then. I never thought I would be this good," O'Neill-Lyublinsky said. Good does not even come close to describing O'Neill-Lyublinsky. The 15-year-old sophomore at North Salem High School has competed in numerous national and international tournaments, racking up multiple victories. The young fencer, who trains three to four hours per day with coach Alex Zurabishvili, believes her best attributes are her focus and love for the sport. "Even though I go every day, I never get tired of it," she said. O'Neill-Lyublinsky recently represented the United States at the Pan American Fencing Championships in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The competition, which included fencers from 27 nations throughout North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, features some of the best teen fencers in the world, yet none was better than O'Neill-Lyublinsky. The young star took home the gold medal in the Cadet Women's Epee (16-and-under) division thanks to a remarkable comeback in the final match. Trailing by one point with just seven seconds left, she tied the score and then won the match in priority (one-minute overtime), 15-14, against fellow American Mason Speta of Chicago. "I was really confident, but I think I got a little overconfident, and that's why she was beating me," O'Neill-Lyublinsky said. Even amid the tremendous pressure, Jessica stayed calm, saying, "I just went with my instincts and hit her." O'Neill-Lyublinsky was ecstatic after her victory. "I got to wear the U.S. flag and they played the national anthem," she said. "It felt amazing that they were playing it because of me. It felt really good." O'Neill-Lyublinsky, who turns 16 at the end of this month, recently took over the No. 1 Cadet ranking in the nation. "I know I deserve it," O'Neill-Lyublinsky said. "I've been working really hard. I need to stay focused." Being the fierce competitor that she is, O'Neill-Lyublinsky is not satisfied. She is training every day in preparation for her next big tournament, Summer Nationals in Atlanta next month, and she has her eyes set on an even bigger goal next year — representing her country in the Cadet World Championship. O'Neill-Lyublinsky, who was the first alternate in Women's Epee for the Cadet World Championship earlier this spring, hopes to not only qualify for the team next year, but to lead her country to victory. Perhaps even more worrisome for her competitors is that O'Neill-Lyublinsky has been fencing for only five years. As she continues to refine her skills and gain experience, the sky is the limit for this fencing prodigy.
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Post by LongBlade on Jun 14, 2010 0:36:03 GMT -5
San Marcos Daily Record San Marcos, Texas Friday, June 11, 2010 Page 1www.sanmarcosrecord.com/archive/x1910034796Kevin Beahan (above, left) demonstrates fencing moves with Dean Lantrip on Thursday at the San Marcos Public Library. The fencers are from the Texas State University Fencing Club. (Photos by Anita Miller)
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Post by LongBlade on Oct 10, 2010 1:09:55 GMT -5
Binghamton's First OlympiansBinghamton University Pipe Dream Binghamton N.Y. October 09, 2010 www.bupipedream.com/Articles/Binghamtons-first-olympians/15900Since Binghamton moved to Division I in 2001, many athletes have achieved personal success. Pole vaulter Rory Quiller won a national championship, soccer goalie Stefan Gonet was featured in Sports Illustrated and 7-foot basketball center Nick Billings was drafted by the NBA Developmental League’s Roanoke Dazzle. But before any of the All-Americans or NCAA qualifiers, there were two Olympians. A fencing coach and his protégé. Like hockey, Binghamton once sported a varsity fencing program, from 1971-76. The biggest beneficiary may have been John Moreau ’77, who never even picked up a fencing weapon before meeting coach Paul Pesthy. Moreau was a track star at Binghamton when Pesthy asked him to give fencing a try. Pesthy thought Moreau had the potential to succeed in the modern pentathlon, a five-sport event that includes running, swimming, pistol shooting, show jumping and fencing. “Pesthy told me once he knew I had potential because I was the only person who ever had run all the way up the water tower hill on campus and refused to walk,” Moreau said. “I don’t know what it looks like now, but when I was there it was a goat trail, straight up.” Less than two weeks after Moreau’s first fencing lesson, he took a trip to Syracuse that would change his life. “One Saturday morning in November, I got a call from Paul, and he asked me if I could replace one of our fencers who had the flu for a match in Syracuse,” Moreau said. “I’ve been fencing for a week and a half. I asked, ‘When do you want me?’ He said, ‘In 15 minutes.’ I replaced a sabre fencer. I never even touched a sabre before, and Paul had me up there that very first match. I beat the guy 5-0, and we wound up losing only two matches out of 27. I was hooked after that.” Thirteen years later, Moreau became Binghamton’s first Olympian when he competed in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. He also competed in the 1988 Games in Seoul, won a national championship in 2003, and is currently ranked second in the 50-to-59 épée division by the United States Fencing Association. Pesthy himself was a member of four Olympic fencing teams, and his modern pentathlon team won a silver medal in the 1964 Games. He and Moreau remained close long after they left Binghamton, and Moreau spoke at Pesthy’s funeral when he passed away two years ago at the age of 70. “I looked at him as a father,” Moreau said. Pesthy was giving fencing lessons when he needed to be rushed to the hospital. His cancer had morphed into chronic lymphatic leukemia. The doctors gave him the most potent treatment available, but his body wouldn’t take it. “He came home to say goodbye to everyone,” Moreau said. “He brought in his students, introduced me as their new coach, and brought the parents in and gave them a speech about letting their kids fence for the love of it. It couldn’t have been scripted better in the movies. Here’s a man who died a day later, yet he was more concerned about leaving his students without a coach.” Moreau has a lot of stories like that about Pesthy that have accumulated over the years. Here’s one of his favorites: It was a few years back, on Father’s Day, about a week after Pesthy had double-bypass surgery. Moreau called Pesthy’s home, expecting Paul’s wife to answer. “I called his wife to see if it would be OK to visit him in the hospital,” Moreau said. “I knew that hundreds of people had been going to see him and I didn’t want to tire him out.” But Paul’s wife didn’t answer the phone. “Paul answered the phone,” Moreau recalled. “I said, ‘What are you doing home?’” Pesthy replied, “Just got back from walking a half mile.”
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