Fencing in the News

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Dolgikh Takes Over as Cornell Fencing Coach
Cornell Daily Sun - Ithaca, NY, USA
by Ben Kopelman
Sun Staff Writer
July 25, 2005

www.cornellsun.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/07/25/42d166f0337b7


Follow the leader. Former world champion and Penn assistant, Iryna Dolgikh, will step in as the Red's head fencing coach. Photo: Talya Arbisser/Sun Staff

The most proficient and accomplished member of the sports department here at Cornell is not a highly touted goalie or a star lacrosse defenseman; it is the once world champion and newly hired fencing coach Iryna Dolgikh. By accepting the job, Dolgikh will replace Al Peters, becoming the Red's seventh head coach in program history.

Although this is her first head-coaching job, Dolgikh has been around fencing all her life. By agreeing to join the Red, she leaves her post as the assistant coach for the Penn State squad, a position she had held for the past three seasons. During her tenure with the Nittany Lions, Dolgikh helped the team get to the national championship match twice --in 2003 and '04. Apart from her past job, Dolgikh has coached in the Ukraine, Moscow, Bratislava and as a private coach here in the United States. Aside from her achievements on the sideline as a coach, Dolgikh has received numerous accolades as a fencer herself.

After competing on the Soviet Union's Junior World Team in the mid-1970s, she continued on to the USSR Spartakiad in '75 where she won a bronze medal for her performance in the event. From there, Dolgikh went on to compete in the '76 World Championship where she emerged triumphant, boasting the title of world champion and was then off to strut her stuff in '77 World Cup where she won top honors, being awarded the competition's gold medal. Aside from her fencing successes, Dolgikh finished her schooling, graduating from the Kiev Institute of Physical Culture in 1980.

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Shabalin Steals Limelight In Asian Fencing Championship
Bernama.com
Maylasian National News Agency
Kota Kinabalu, Maylasia
July 26, 2005

www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_sports.php?id=147192

Shabalin Sergey of Kazakhstan stole the limelight in the Asian Fencing Championship at Likas Sports Complex here Tuesday when he outclassed Hong Kong's Lu Min Nicola in the men's individual Epee.

Shabalin, who dished out excellent touching strategies, overcame Lu Min 15-7 in the pulsating final as Kazakhstan stamped their mark as an emerging force to be reckoned with in the world of fencing.

In the semifinals, Shabalin showed his compatriot Axenov Alexandr the exit while Lu Min ended Japan's Sakamoto Keisuk's charge for the final showdown.

"I didn't expect to win the gold medal. All my opponents are very strong. But I told myself to go for the best and I'm happy I made it," he said after the event.

In the women's individual Epee, as expected, China's Luo Xiao Juan captured the gold medal after fencing out team mate Qin Lan Lan in the final.

However, Xiao Juan had to produce her best before winning narrowly 15-12 over Lan Lan and thereby added China's gold medals haul to two in as many days.

On Monday, Zhou Han Ming clinched the first gold for China in the men's individual Sabre.

Two more gold medals -- men's individual Foil and women's individual Sabre -- are up for grabs on Wednesday.

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China grabs two more golds at Asian Fencing Championships
China View
www.chinaview.cn
Kuala Lumpur, Maylasia
July 27, 2005

news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-07/27/content_3274308.htm

China collected two more gold medals here Wednesday at the ongoing Asian Fencing Championships in Kota Kinabalu, capital of Malaysia's eastern state of Sabah.

Chinese fencer Zhao Yuanyuan clinched the gold in the women's individual sabre, while her compatriot Zhu Jun was crowned in men's individual foil.

Zhao, who won a gold medal in Manila last year, overcame a strong challenge from teammate Bao Yingying with a 15-14 win in the final, sending Bao to the second place.

Meanwhile, Zhu Jun secured the final win after a fierce confrontation with Japanese fencer Daisuke Saito. Earlier, Zhu Junbeat Lee Kwan Haeng of South Korea in the semifinal.

Competitions in women's team foil and men's team epee will be held on Thursday at the Likas Sports Complex in Kota Kinabalu.

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Tio loves fencing, bruises and all
The Star, Maylasia
July 29, 2005

thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/7/29/central/11619463&sec=central

Name: Tio Shu Anne
Age: 11
School: Sri Cempaka, Damansara Heights
Height: 1.40m
Weight: 32kg
Favourite food: McDonald’s
Favourite past time: Watching TV, reading
Treasured possession: Pokemon cards

Things happen for a reason. Voon Mee Kuan trusted her intuition when she decided not throw or give away her daughter Tio Shu Anne’s toy swords collection.

The little swords, some shiny, some of hollow plastic, plus some devil’s fork and small daggers kindled Tio’s enthusiasm for fencing.

Tio cherishes the memory of clowning around with her father, mimicking swashbuckling heroes in action at home using her toy swords.

“In the past, we rolled A4 papers until they were thick and hard and imagined that they were our foils,” said Tio.

Her interest in fencing was also driven by movies such as The Mask of Zorro and The Parent Trap.

Prior to fencing, Tio picked up gymnastics, ice-skating and swimming. But, she did not pursue any of these sports further.

Voon said she had wanted Tio to be physically active instead of just indulging in reading.

“I gave her the opportunity to learn and explore new things. I’m happy that she has found a sport that she likes.

“Fencing has helped her to build her self confidence and the competitive nature of the sport has encouraged her to give her best,” said Voon.

Voon added that her daughter had wanted to learn fencing when she was in Year 3 but it did not happen until half a year later.

“They needed four students to start off a class. When her friends - Clarissa Chew, Laura Oh and Chin Siew May – enrolled for it, she joined the group,” added Voon.

Now, Tio trains with the Touche Fencing Club twice a week.

Voon feels that her daughter is clumsy as she constantly bruises herself on the nose and head. But Touche Fencing Club chief coach C.W. Mok does not think so.

According to Mok, Tio shows a lot of promise, especially with her graceful movements.

“She is very natural with her movements. Nevertheless, it is too early to judge whether she is going to make the grade as a top fencer.

“It is important that we allow her to grow and develop without pushing her too hard.

“The best time to evaluate her potential is when she is 15,” said Mok.

“Even though I am exhausted and suffered bruises on my body, I enjoy fencing because I like the feeling of poking and scoring points against my opponents.

“Besides that, I get to spend time with my close friends,” said Tio.

Surprise win for one of club’s raw talents
Name: Lim Zhuo Zhi
Age: 12 years
School: SJK (C) Chung Kwok, Kuala Lumpur
Height: 1.58m
Weight: 47kg
Idol: Coaches (C.W. Mok and Chim Wai Main)
Favourite Food: Fried Chicken
Favourite Past Time: Playing Basketball
Treasured Possession: School Best Sportsman Trophy

Turning up for training on a Thursday evening instead of his usual weekend session turned out to be a stroke of good luck for Touche Fencing Club’s most improved trainee, Lim Zhuo Zhi.

“I usually train on Saturday but due to the inter-centre competition, I attended the training in mid-week,” said the 12-year-old, who trained at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club training centre prior to the Kleeman Junior Foil Championship last month.

The few pointers that he received from chief coach C.W. Mok that day and they made all the difference for Lim, who emerged champion in the boys’ Under-12 category.

“I did not expect to win because I had lost to all of them before,” said Lim.

Lim took up fencing a year ago because his brother Lim Zhuo Ren, 13, is active in the sport.

He did not like it much in the beginning as he did not like getting beaten by his opponents.

His passion for fencing grew as he improved.

“Lim is just another example of cultivating a young fencer with raw talent to achieve amazing results,” said Mok.

“When he first started, he was not very well co-ordinated. I am impressed with him because he shows the willingness to learn.

It was not Lim’s first big win of the year. He was also voted as his school’s best sportsman this year.

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The mark of Mok
By NG WEI LOON
Photos by SAMUEL ONG
The Star, Maylasia
July 29, 2005

thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/7/29/central/11513364&sec=central


C.W. Mok

When former national fencer C.W. Mok retired from competitive fencing over a decade ago, the last thing on his mind was to stop being active in the sport.

Instead, what he had in mind was aimed at sharing his 12 years of experience in competitive fencing with others and creating an awareness about the sport.

It has been 10 years since Mok set up Touche Fencing Club and his love for fencing has not diminished one bit.


Mok (right) shows Lim Zhuo Zhi a few pointers as the other trainees look on.

“Fencing is a unique sport because it stimulates mental and physical fitness to outdo the opponent. It is like chess with swords,” said Mok.

The club starts its fencers as young as eight.

“It’s good to start them early as demand on academic excellence is not as great when they are younger.

“As they grow up, it is not only their academic expectations change. Their lifestyles change too.

“It is important that we map out a long-term plan to provide the young fencers with a good head start. Our priority is to teach them the correct fundamental techniques.

Mok ... ‘fencing requires a lot of personal one-on-one coaching’
“Before we can impart the tactical strategies, we need to build a strong foundation on posture, movement and hand-eye co-ordination.

“We are patient with our approach in nurturing their talents. We are grooming them to stay focused and react quickly in order to excel to the best of their abilities,” he stressed.

New challenges keep Mok excited about his work.

“Fencing requires a lot of personal one-on-one coaching because you need to react differently against different opponents.

“Normally, a fencer desires to learn more to defeat his or her opponent.

“It is a great joy guiding youngsters from scratch to become a competitive fencer,” he said.

Besides the training centre at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, Mok coaches at Sri Cempaka, SJK (C) Chung Kwok, Sri KDU, Sri KL, Alice Smith International School, Mont’ Kiara Garden International School and French School.

He is assisted by former national fencers Chim Wai Main, Ghadzali Ahmad and Tan Fong Wee.


Leong Jian Wei (right) clowns around as Martin Dejsupa helps him with his uniform.

Now, the club has more than 100 trainees aged between eight and 50 years old.

Every year, competition at various centres are organised between February and April.

To create healthy rivalry among the centres, the inter-centre championship has been organised annually since 2002.

The third inter-centre Junior Foil Championship held last month attracted 68 fencers.

Only 30 fencers took part in the first championship in 2003. Last year, 40 exponents took part.

Mok contemplates organising an inter-centre team event for the trainees in October.

A mother, Oh Lee Bee, said she encouraged her 11-year-old daughter Laura Oh to take up the sports because she showed keen interest and potential in it.

Laura, a student at Sri Cempaka School in Damansara Heights emerged champion in the girls’ Under-12 category.

Last year, she was third in her school competition.

“She is very outgoing and adventurous. She has the courage to take up the challenge.

“Fencing has taught her to be responsible for her own safety, to overcome fear and to stay composed under pressure.

“I like watching her in action because I adore the elegant suit and swift movements,” Oh added.

Those interested in taking up fencing can call Mok at 019-339 8491 for more details.

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Fencing: Chinese Women Win Gold in Foil Team Contest
CRI Online - China
CRIENGLISH.com
2005-7-29

en.chinabroadcast.cn/2241/2005-7-29/[e-mail]

China's female fencers won the gold in the women's foil team competition in eastern Malaysia on Thursday

China's female fencers won the gold in the women's foil team competition in eastern Malaysia on Thursday.

The victory has lifted the total number of gold medals secured by Chinese fencers to five at the Asian Fencing Championships in Kota Kinabulu, Malaysia.

The Chinese female fencers performed normally in Thursday's foil team competition, said Yuan Xiangyang, the spokesman of the Chinese fencing delegation, adding that winning the gold is not a surprise.

However, Chinese male fencers did not play well in Thursday's epee team contest, beaten by South Korea and even failing to obtain the bronze, Yuan said.

The gold medal went to Kazakhstan while Iran won the silver, and the bronze was shared by South Korea and Japan.

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2004-05 Tar Heel Fencing Season in Review
Notable moments include Coach Miller's 1000th victory.
CollegeSports.com
July 28, 2005

www.collegesports.com/sports/c-fenc/stories/072805aaa.html

The University of North Carolina fencing team completed the 2004-5 season with a combined record of 37 victories and 31 defeats. The men's team finished the season with 23 victories and 14 loses while the women's team managed 14 wins and 17 loses. Once again the Tar Heels participated in a very demanding schedule which included matches against perennial fencing powers Penn State, Ohio State, Johns Hopkins and the eventual 2005 National Champion Notre Dame.

Notable highlights of the season came when 38 year head coach Ron Miller won his 1000th victory. The moment came appropriately enough while the Tar Heels were hosting their December dual meet in Carmichael Auditorium. After the match Miller stated, "the main significance of it is a culmination of, shall we say, the hard work of all our athletes from 1967 to the present. So it is an end result of their combined efforts. I have been associated with it all and I have seen it all since the beginning but it is not my record it is their record, the student-athletes. We are also very glad that it happened at home."

Moreover, three UNC fencers earned bids via Regional competition to the NCAA Championship round. They included sophomore epee fencer Courtney Krolikoski, freshman epee fencer Benton Heimsath and senior sabre fencer Wes Newkirk. Krolikoski finished 27th overall, Newkirk captured 22nd in men's sabre, while the freshman Heimsath did quite well for himself capturing 17th place in the men's epee competition.

With 33 men's and women's fencing teams advancing to National title round, the Tar Heels finished a respectable 19th.

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Chinese take title
The Daily Express
Independant National Newspaper of East Malaysia
Sabah, Malaysia
29 July, 2005

www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=36100

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia: China ran away with the overall title as they bagged a sixth gold medal on the penultimate day of the Asian Fencing Championship at the Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex multi-purpose hall yesterday.

Their women's epee team, led by individual champion Luo Xiau Juan, performed as expected beating Korea 45-23 in the finals.

The team, which also included silver medallist Qin Lan Lan and bronze medallists Hou Wen and Shen Wei Wei were in a league of their own, outclassing their opponents with their aggressive and accurate swordplay.

The win was all the sweeter for the Chinese, who had to slog it out against Hong Kong in a keenly contested semi-final where they eventually won by five points 45-40.

Finishing in joint-third with Hong Kong are Japan, who went down to Korea 33-45 in the other semi-final fixture.

Korea however paid back the favour in the men's team sabre event, going 12 points clear to beat China 45-33 in the finals.

It was also payback for Hwang Byung Ryul, who narrowly lost the individual sabre title to China's Zhou Han Ming 13-15 on the opening day of the tournament Monday.

The win also puts Korea level with Kazakhstan on the overall medal tally with two gold medals each.

Earlier in the semi-finals, the Koreans had little trouble dispatching Iran 45-36 while China defeated Hong Kong 45-30.

The last day of competition starts today, with the men's team foil and women's team sabre events scheduled to start at 1pm.

Over 500 athletes and officials from 22 countries have spent the better part of this week here for the annual championship.

Sanctioned by the International Fencing Federation (FIE), the tournament will contribute points for fencers in the Asian ranking. It is also a warm-up for Asia's top fencing nations in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

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Powerhouse China push ahead in gold rush as Kazakhs chase
The Daily Express
Independant National Newspaper of East Malaysia
Sabah, Malaysia
29 July, 2005

www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=36078

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia: China picked up its fifth gold medal while Kazakhstan earned its second in the Asian Fencing Championship at the Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex multi-purpose hall yesterday.

In the women's team foil event at the end of day-four of the event, the Chinese fencers overwhelmed their Japanese opponents in the finals 45-25 to defend their title.

Led by individual foil silver medallist Zhang Lei, the quartet that included individual bronze medallist Qui Yi Lin, Huang Jia Ling and Yuan Ping breezed through the competition as none of their rivals scored beyond 30 points.

The victory also puts them leagues ahead of their competition in the overall tally, making it five gold medals in eight events since the tournament started on Monday.

Taking the women's team foil bronze medal were Kazakhstan and Korea, who currently hold one gold medal won by Chang Mi Kyung in the women's individual foil event.

While the women's event was an all-oriental affair, the men's team epee saw the best of the West Asia going head-to-head in the finals with Kazakhstan defeating Iran 45-21.

Anchored by the experience of men's individual epee champion Sergey Shabalin, the team that included Alexandr Axenov, Alexandr Shipilov and Panteleyev had little trouble claiming their fourth team title in the tournament.

With the win, the 2002 Busan Asian Games team epee champions put their country second on the overall tally with two gold medals including Shabalin's individual effort.

Finishing in joint third for the men's team epee are Korea and Japan, who add another epee bronze to their tally. Earlier Keisuke Sakamoto reached the semi-finals of the individual event.

The Championship enters its penultimate day today, continuing with the men's team sabre and women's team epee events.

Powerhouse China are again expected to go in as favourites for both events, with their most obvious advantage in the women's team epee.

In the individual event, their fencers took all four semi-finals places with Zhao Yuan Yuan eventually taking the title after she beat compatriot Bao Ying Ying in the finals.

The men's team also looks to have a good chance in the men's team sabre, with two-time individual event champion Zhou Han Ming taking charge.

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China retains overall title in Asian fencing championships
China View
www.chinaview.cn
July 30, 2005

news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-07/30/content_3289293.htm

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia - China grabbed two more golds on the final day of the Asian Fencing Championships on Saturday in Malaysia's eastern state of Sabah and retained the overall title.

Chinese male fencers defeated Japan 45-27 and seized the gold in the men's team foil, while Chinese female fencers made a clean sweep of the gold in the sabre team competition.

With these two golds, China topped the medal tally with eight gold, four silver and four bronze medals, followed by South Korea with two golds, two silvers and five bronzes while Kazakhstan ranked third with two golds and three bronzes.

Last year, China's fencers won ten of the total 12 golds in Manila, standing at the top of gold medal tally.

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Oh... The mind just boggles at the comments this could inspire!!! ;D

Naked Swordsman Pleads Guilty to Assault
Associated Press
8/2/05

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050802/ap_on_fe_st/naked_swordsman;_ylt=Aghl0lKReIZlbXYRc7eLUDEsQE4F;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

IOWA CITY, Iowa - A man who chased his neighbors with a 2-foot sword while naked last winter pleaded guilty to a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon.

Curtis Rarick, 45, of North Liberty, could face up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine at sentencing on Sept. 16. As part of a plea bargain, a charge of public intoxication was dismissed.

Police say they responded to a reported altercation on Feb. 27.

Rarick's neighbors told police he was standing naked in his front yard.

He got upset when they told him to put clothes on, dashed back in his house and came out with a sword. He then chased and threatened them, they told police.

Police said Rarick had a blood alcohol content of 0.12 percent.

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The mastermind of the 1976 murder of Cuban fencing team must stand trial
• Sister of champion Virgen Felizola, victim of the Barbados sabotage, calls for Posada Carriles to be brought to justice

BY ANNE-MARARCÍA—Special for Granma International
Gramma Internatonal (Cuba)
8/2/05

www.granma.cu/ingles/2005/agosto/mar2/32virgen.html

THE image of fencer Virgen Felizola playing with her beloved nephew is fresh in the memory of her older sister, Pilar.

“She was crazy about my one-year-old son. They used to play in the living room, he would pull her hair, and she would hug and kiss him,” Pilar recalled.

Virgen was just 16 years old when she died in a mid-flight terrorist attack on a Cubana Airlines passenger plane in 1976, together with all the 73 people on board.

Immigration Judge William Abbott denied bail on July 25 to Luis Posada Carriles, a fugitive from Venezuelan justice since 1985, accused of organizing the sabotage of the plane, which had just taken off.

Posada is being held in a federal detention center in El Paso, Texas, accused of having entered the United States illegally from Mexico, and has applied for political asylum. However, Judge Abbott has stated that in studying the case, he will consider whether Posada ever participated in any terrorist actions at any time.

Documents released by the CIA recently indicated that the agency trained Posada in demolition and that he was eventually promoted to second lieutenant, and a member of the U.S. Army from March 1963 to March 1964 in Fort Benning, Georgia. According to Abbott, if Posada was involved in a terrorist action, it does not matter “who helped it,” referring to the U.S. government. He added that he would ask for opinions on that matter from state prosecutors and from the defendant’s lawyer.

Almost 30 years have passed since the act of terrorism in which Virgen was killed, along with the other members of Cuba’s fencing team, just crowned as Central American champions, as Pilar speaks with Granma International. “I can’t believe that they might let him go. I want him to be brought to trial, wherever, in Venezuela, in the United States, or in an international court, but he must stand trial.”

As she remembered her sister, she said in a tremulous voice, “Virgen was mischievous and fun. She was the youngest, we used to spoil her. She was just a girl!”

The two sisters used to practice foil fencing, but Virgen was talented and represented Cuba in the Central American Games held that year in Caracas. The 24 Cuban fencers were returning home on the flight, all with gold medals. Virgen won the bronze in the individual competition and the gold for the team competition, together with Nancy Uranga, Inés Luaces and Milagros Peláez.

August 29 is the date set for Posada’s trial in the United States, and Venezuela is demanding his extradition to that country, where he had been on trial for the act of sabotage.

Pilar spoke with Granma International in her apartment in Havana’s Casino Deportivo neighborhood. “I don’t want revenge, I’m only asking for justice.” Nervous but serene, she explained that no words can express the pain she feels. “You have to feel it yourself to know. It’s hard to explain that feeling.”

“Sometimes I feel full of hate, but it is worse when I feel powerless,” she added, noting how former Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso granted pardon in 2004 to Posada Carriles, who had been jailed in that country in 2000, after Cuban President Fidel Castro accused him of attempting his assassination.

According to U.S. columnists, Posada Carriles is a case that is putting pressure on President George Bush: if he grants refuge to the extremist, his commitment to combating terrorism will be questioned, and if he does not, it will affect his conservative electorate in Florida.

Virgen’s body was never found. Pilar recounts how she had to take her mother Adis García to the hospital from the national funeral for the victims in Plaza de la Revolución. “My mother never recovered. She fell into a depression. She couldn’t even hear anyone talk about it, she would start crying and couldn’t stop.”

Pilar’s career in sports also was cut short. “My only concern was looking after my mom. On more than one occasion, she would pass sleepless nights thinking about Virgen’s last moments.”

A lot of uncertainty surrounded that flight. “I remember that they traveled a first time and stopped over in Jamaica, but since there was no connection to Venezuela, they came back to Cuba. And Virgen came home with a white flower that a man had given her in Kingston Airport. She told my mom, ‘look, how pretty!’ and my mom told her, ‘but why did you take that, it’s bad luck to accept white flowers!’”

“Virgen answered, ‘you and your superstitions, come off it!’ And the next day, she took the flight to Caracas.”

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OSU Fencing
Fencing Update
By Matt Carbone
O-Zone Communications, Inc.
8/2/05

www.the-ozone.net/misc/fencing031003.htm

#4 Ohio State Fencing hosts NCAA Regional Qualifiers

Fresh off of their first Midwest Championship ever, the Buckeyes will host the NCAA Regional Qualifier on March 8 at the French Field House. The Buckeyes hope to qualify the maximum of 12 fencers to send to NCAA Championships.

"We are very confident in all areas, especially men's sabre, women's sabre, and women's foil," said Head Coach Nazlymov.

"We believe that we can compete with any team in the country. To be successful at NCAA's we must qualify as many people as possible and that is 12. Last year we only qualified 10 and placed 4th. We want to do much better this year. Our kids are ready to compete,"

"We have a strong team that is capable of contending for the NCAA Championship, but the first step is to qualify this weekend", said junior sabre fencer Colin Parker.

"I am pleased with the way the team has worked together as a whole to win the Midwest Championship. We are now focused on our next goal, and that is making sure everything is in place for a good finish at NCAAs", added junior foil fencer Craig Galanter.

Admission is free to the event, and will run from 8am to 6pm. The team is expecting a loud and rowdy atmosphere and want as many people there as possible.

OSU Fencing Team Wins Midwest Championships

TEAM:

Last weekend was historic for Ohio State Fencing. The Buckeyes won the first ever Midwest Fencing Championship in the history of the OSU fencing.

Ohio State got first place finishes from the men's sabre, men's epee, and women's sabre teams. Strong performances were also turned in by second place men's foil, women's foil, and women's epee.

The men's sabre team, which is anchored, by current US Junior National team members Jason Rogers and Adam Crompton, and past member Colin Parker turned in their usual world-class performance beating every team handily. Junior Kitz Siebert, and freshman Zach Parkins also fenced very well along the path to the finals. Setting the tone early the Buckeye's defeated Notre Dame 5-1, giving valuable points towards team standings.

Men's epee, turned in a very emotional performance. After a questionable seeding, the team upset top seeded ND 5-4. Sophomore Brian Gross, and junior Spencer Jones got key wins to secure the win and advance the team to the finals. The Buckeyes faced Northwestern in the finals and won 5-2.

"Our team showed a ton of heart and character this weekend. We got some retribution for losing to Northwestern earlier in the year and ND last year at Midwest Championships. It felt good," said sophomore Ricardo Jimenez.

Men's foil team enjoyed an easy path to the finals and set the stage for the third exciting match up against Notre Dame. While the Buckeyes lost 5-1, the score doesn't tell the whole story.

"There is no reason that we can't beat them. We have the talent and we have the tools. We just need to put it together and finish the bouts. It will come," said freshman Zach Parkins.

Women's sabre team answered many early-season questions and showed it can rely on freshman to get the job done. Louis Bond-Williams provided the leadership and calmly won the clinching bout for first place. Freshman Marguerite Plekhanov, Kristen Rill, and Shelly Lange all fenced extremely well and have shown how much they have improved over the season.

"With a team leader like Louise and a new strong talent from Marguerite I feel that our team showed the true potential of what we can do at NCAA championships. The strong finish of 1st, 3rd, 6th and 7th at Midwest Championships shows the talent of our team," said freshman Shelly Lange.

Women's epee team, led by junior Shura Shklar, had an impressive finish, placing second. The team was flawless before reaching the final, losing a close match with ND 5-3.

"I like how Sherice and Talia fought hard. We all made some mistakes, we will get better and finish these bouts" said Shklar.

Women's foil team, anchored by sophomore twins Hanna and Metta Thompson and supported freshman Ally DiCerbo, captured an impressive second place finish. After another questionable seed the women were able to make there way to the final with a decisive victory over a strong Northwestern team. The Buckeyes then lost to powerful Notre Dame 5-3.

"Today we fenced decent, but we can always do better. Ally today has shown how much she has improved over the season, and she means a lot to the success of the team," said sophomore Hanna Thompson.

INDIVIDUAL:

Ohio State had 19 fencers in the top 10 of the 6 events. Both individual sabre championships belong to sophomores Jason Rogers and Louis Bond-Williams. Adam Crompton lost to Jason Rogers in an exciting men's sabre final 15-13. Brian Gross, Kitz Siebert, Marguerite Plekhanov, Shura Shklar, and Matt Carbone came in third in their respective weapons. Colin Parker, Metta Thompson, and Alex Law placed 5th in their respective weapons.

Ohio State fencers make National Team

US Fencing has selected four Ohio State fencers to represent the United States at Junior World Champions in Italy this coming April.

Jason Rogers makes his fifth straight junior national team and is currently ranked fourth in the United States.

"Jason's work ethic, team leadership, dedication to school have helped me prosper in my freshman year here at Ohio State," said freshman and national teammate Adam Crompton.

Twin sisters Hanna and Metta Thompson both earned spots on the women's foil team with impressive results at international and national events. Last month at Junior Olympics, Metta was first and Hanna finished second.

"Although they are twins, they fence with very different styles. Hanna is loves to counter attack, where as Metta not so much," said junior Nathan Weir.

Adam Crompton was selected to his first junior national team. He certainly has earned it.

Currently ranked forst in the US national rankings, Adam's results this year include three top10 finishes at world cups, two second place finishes in junior national events, and one third place finish in a junior national event. One of his top-10 finishes includes his gold medal performance in Spain.

"For Adam to be a freshman, new coach, new everything and become that much better…it is amazing. He is a big guy, who can move on the strip, very strong and it's tough to find a way to beat him," said sophomore and national teammate Jason Rogers.

While not part of the US National Team, Louis Bond-Williams, Shura Shklar, and Colin Parker all were part of international teams. Louis Bond-Williams is ranked first in the United Kingdom and is a member of their national team for Senior World Championships later in the year.

Shura Shklar is a member of the Israel National Team and brings to the team a very different culture that we all team members feel have enriched them. Colin Parker was invited to the 1st annual Titan Games, which is a tournament where the US fences teams from Asia and Pan-America in a variety of sports.

[LongBlade]

Sonoma State University unveils fencing master program
Ulysses Torassa
The San Francisco Chronicle
August 5, 2005

www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/05/NBGREE1GUR1.DTL

There will be much swordplay in evidence this month at Sonoma State University, where a new program for aspiring master fencers is getting under way.

John P. Sullins, an associate professor of philosophy who is also a master fencer, is in charge of the program, which focuses on the classical Italian style of fencing. It has fewer adherents than the Modern International Style, which is used in the Olympics, but Sullins said it is truer to fencing's historical roots. He described the difference this way:

"When you have to make a decision, you respect the martial traditions (of fencing).... We realize what we are doing is a simulation, but when a question comes up, we always ask ourselves, 'How would the ancient masters do it?' and we default to those answers, more than just what's technically possible or what's more expedient politically. ... My fencers can still do well in the modern setting, but they have a firm conservative background from which they can do what they want.''

Sullins was introduced to fencing through a small program sponsored by the Boy's Club when he was growing up in Petaluma. He received his master's in fencing from San Jose State University.

It typically takes at least four years of training to become a fencing master, and Sullins said he expects to be producing master fencers in five to seven years. Meanwhile, the program has attracted at least 10 students to the first two-week training session, which begins Monday.

For more information about the program call Sullins at [phone] or e-mail him at [e-mail].

[LongBlade]

Fencers train old-school style
Teens at Sonoma Fencing Academy learn techniques from Europe's top pros
By NATHAN WRIGHT
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Santa Rosa, CA
August 5, 2005

www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050805/NEWS/508050409/1010/SPORTS

If you can't go to Europe, sometimes it's possible to bring Europe to you.

That's the philosophy of Sonoma Fencing Academy Maestro Michael Pacheco, who has imported three of Europe's top fencers to work with 30 of his students at his annual international fencing camp this week in Petaluma.

"Not every kid can afford to go to Europe to attend a camp," he said. "We try to bring (the top fencers) here instead."

Pacheco, owner and director of the academy, has attended many fencing camps and tournaments in Europe. While he trains his fencers with the techniques and strategies he's learned over the years, he believes that squaring off against international fencers is an experience that is essential for his team.

"You could play for Phil Jackson, or you can play with Michael Jordan," he said. "It's important that fencers have good coaching and strong competition."

Pacheco's efforts seem to be paying off. Sonoma Fencing Academy's team won last month's U.S. National Championships in Sacramento. The title was the result of six years of hard work for Pacheco's elite class of 16- and 17-year-old fencers, a group he believes will have a shot at the Olympics.

"By the time they all graduate, they probably will all have full-ride scholarships," he said. Notre Dame, Penn State and Columbia University offer scholarships to the top fencers in the United States.

Other prestigious universities, including Yale, Harvard and Stanford also have fencing teams, but no scholarships. Even without a free education, fencing is a way to get into some of the top universities in the country, Pacheco said. "If the coach wants you, he'll get you in."

Some of Pacheco's fencers said the international camp is a good idea.

"If you keep fencing the same people over and over again, you never get better," said 16-year-old Forrest MacDougal. "If you fence people who are better than you, you get better. They're (the international fencers) really good, and we're learning a lot from them."

"We're experiencing top-level fencing," said 15-year-old Ben Anderson. "We look up to them. It's very cool."

The Europeans attending this year's camp say that working for the camp is an opportunity to vacation in the United States. "I'm fencing, and I'm spending time going places," said Ukrainian Alexei Murugin, a past national champion. "It's been a very nice camp. It allows locals to train with athletes from around the world."

"This is my summer vacation," said Oleg Nekrasov, another Ukrainian. "California is a beautiful place. I'm resting before I go home and prepare for the next Olympics."

Pacheco is taking full advantage of his foreign visitors. "We're taking long lunches, drinking cappuccinos," he said. "When you train with the guys, hang out with the guys, eat with the guys, somehow a part of their level and expertise just sort of melds into you. This reminds me of my training in Europe."

A trip to Europe may include many benefits that a local fencing camp does not, Pacheco said. But the Petaluma camp costs a lot less, $250 to $500, depending on skill level.

"A European camp will cost $2,000 easy," he said.