Fencing in the News

[LongBlade]

Sporting drive sees drop in crime for Olympic borough
Bid money helps lure kids into clubs and off the streets
By Hugh Muir
The Guardian
London, UK
August 8, 2005

politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,11026,1544561,00.html

It is one month since London won the right to stage the 2012 Olympics and already the landscape is changing. Construction has begun on a showpiece swimming pool and work will soon commence to bury power lines beneath the east London site earmarked for the main stadium. But those who won the right to stage the Olympic Games are also quietly celebrating the emergence of a less obvious but more significant benefit. It is, perhaps, Britain's first real Olympic dividend.

As part of the winning bid, officials emphasised the social benefits of sport. Up to £1m of government money was spent encouraging youngsters in east London to engage in physical activities and over 64,000 young people took part in 26 different Olympic activities.
This has left Newham, one of the host Olympic boroughs, with more agile children, but the issue exciting administrators and government ministers alike is the fact that the ongoing drive to promote sport also seems to have brought about a dramatic reduction in crime.

In the past year, the number of young people in the borough making a first court appearance to face criminal charges has dropped by 25%. This compares with a 1% reduction in other parts of London. Overall the figures for juvenile court appearances in Newham, including those by first time and repeat offenders, are down 38%.

For the most part young people have volunteered to take part in extra free sporting activities, including canoeing, fencing, swimming, horse riding, gymnastics, football and cycling. But some have been referred by youth offending teams in the borough.

In some cases, formal, legally binding contracts oblige youngsters to participate in a beneficial sport.

Forty after-school clubs have been established and an estate-based scheme, which offers six free sports, has attracted 16,000 young people. Olympic "Gold" cards have allowed young people to participate in subsidised activities and as demand has increased, so has supply. The number of trained sport coaches available to locals has quadrupled.

"The right to host the Olympic Games is a terrific honour for east London, but we always said that it should mean more than that," said Newham's mayor, Sir Robin Wales, who also sat on the board of the Olympic bid company London 2012. "There will be massive regeneration but what we are already seeing is the extent to which sport can really impact on people's lives."

Peter Nicholson, head of the borough's youth offending services, said the use of sport to fight crime can be effective but is not an easy option, especially when dealing with those who have previously been in trouble.

"This is a tough group to engage. You can't you give them a letter saying 'turn up at West Ham United Football Club' because they probably won't, and if they do they will spend the first session messing around and annoying everyone," he said. "But if one of our team goes with them, talks to the coach and asks for patience, then it is more likely to work, and a youngster who is happily playing football three times a week is not on the street causing trouble."

The concept is one increasingly embraced by the government. In recent weeks Home Office ministers Hazel Blears and Baroness Scotland and local government minister Phil Woolas have praised the borough's strategies for tackling youth offending, many of which have been funded through the government's Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. Last year, before leaving the Home Office, David Blunkett gave his backing and funding to a scheme that encouraged youngsters at risk of offending to take up boxing.

[LongBlade]

Tennis and fencing camps serve up cutting edge fun
A new generation of tennis stars gathered at the Brunswick tennis courts Wednesday afternoon, while aspiring fencers were en guarde at the Northeast Leisure Centre on Thursday, for a little learning and a lot of fun.
by Bonnie Wilken and Carter Haydu
Melfort Journal
Saskatchewan, CA
August 09, 2005

www.melfortjournal.com/story.php?id=177447

A new generation of tennis stars gathered at the Brunswick tennis courts Wednesday afternoon, while aspiring fencers were en guarde at the Northeast Leisure Centre on Thursday, for a little learning and a lot of fun.

Kids in Motion Commotion (KIMC) organized last week’s events, bringing in Tennis Saskatchewan’s Clayton Miller and the Saskatchewan Fencing Association’s John Brunning for the tennis and fencing clinics.

Organizer Leslie Dancey was uncertain if the tennis and fencing clinics would flop or fly, but she was pleasantly surprised by the high attendance at both.

A good dozen kids of all ages and skill levels took part in the tennis clinic, making it a resounding success.

Miller, a tennis instructor from Saskatoon, has been doing his part to teach and promote tennis in schools and through summer programs like KIMC.

He teaches basic ball control skills through activities that are as fun as they are useful.

"They should be able to develop their skills so they can hit the ball over the net on their own by the end of the day," said Miller.

Although super tennis stardom is always a possibility, Miller simply wants kids to learn about the sport, be active, and have fun.

"That’s the goal, so they can come out and play tennis with their friends," Miller said, "That’s what it’s all about--coming out and having fun."

It may be a few years yet before these kids are ready for Wimbledon, but what they lack in skill they make up for with heart.

Some participants already play tennis. Ross Friesen is one of them. The 10-year-old pro-in-the-making said he plays tennis with his friends, and came to the camp to pick up some new skills.

"I’m here to learn about tennis because I like to play and I want to learn more," Friesen said.

However, even those with no prior experience with the game came out. It’s only the second time 8-year-old Cole Hiebert has played tennis. He said he learned a lot at the clinic.

"I’ll probably keep playing because it’s fun," said Hiebert.

Like the tennis clinic, the fencing clinic was a success. "It was good," said fencing coach John Brunning. "Everybody seemed to have fun and learn something new."

Although the class went well, the fencing coach had typical clinic challenges.

"You have to stop the children from doing what they see in the movies," said Brunning, who instructed a room full of children, and even a couple of adults, in the basic stance, movements, blade actions and rules particular to fencing.

According to Brunning, clinic goers were surprised by the sport’s language – fencing is played and refereed entirely in French.

"It’s something new, and it’s something the kids may not do again," said Dancey of the fencing clinic. "There isn’t often fencing in Melfort."

The KIMC organizer hopes the fencing clinic will return next year, as it was fun. "The instructor knows his stuff," she added.

Dancey is really happy with the success of last week’s tennis clinic and fencing clinic, and hopes the word gets out for next summer.

[LongBlade]

Four From Ohio State Fencing Program Set to Compete in Summer World University Games
Buckeyes will represent four countries at event this week in Turkey[/color]
CollegeSports.com
8/10/05

ohiostatebuckeyes.collegesports.com/sports/c-fenc/spec-rel/081005aaa.html



Ohio State's Christian Rivera is competing for the United States' epee team this week at the Summer World University Games in Turkey.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Four members of the Ohio State fencing program will represent their home countries this week at the Summer University World Games in Izmir, Turkey. The United States, which sent only an epee squad, features Buckeye Christian Rivera, while OSU's Boaz Ellis (foil) will compete for Israel, Siobhan Byrne (sabre) will fence for Ireland and former Buckeye Louise Bond-Williams (sabre) will compete for England.

Rivera (Jr., Bloomfield, Mich.), Ellis (Jr., Moshav Zippori, Israel) and Byrne (So., Eislingen, Germany) helped lead Ohio State to a runner-up finish at the 2005 NCAA Championship. Rivera, Ellis and Bond-Williams (Gloucestershire, England) helped the Buckeyes capture the national championship in 2004.

"Being selected to represent your country at these games is a great honor," Terrence Lasker, Ohio State assistant coach, said. "No matter what country they are representing, they also represent The Ohio Sate University, which shows the caliber of athletics program we have here at OSU."

Had the U.S. assembled a full team representing all three weapons, several other Buckeyes also would be competing at the Games this week. Among them are three OSU fencers, Jason Rogers (Sr., Los Angeles, Calif.), Adam Crompton (Sr., Newark, N.J.) and Hanna Thompson (Gr., Rochester, N.Y.), who last month were named by the United States Fencing Association to represent the U.S. at the 2005 Senior World Championships in Leipzig, Germany, in October.

[LongBlade]

Youth and Adult Fencing Classes Offered at Two Locations
Fencing classes for youth and adults are being offered by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District at two locations beginning in late August.
Kansas City InfoZine
August 11, 2005

www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/9482/

The programs are offered at the Fencing Athletic Club, 9103 Flint, Lenexa, and at KC Fencing Center, 9800 Antioch, Overland Park.

Fencing develops agility, strength, speed and discipline. All equipment is provided. Participants should wear comfortable gym clothes, such as sneakers and warm-up pants. Both fencing studios have classes for ages seven through 13 and 14 and older starting in late August or early September. Search for the keyword "fencing" to find these programs in the JCPRD's Activities Catalog and online listings.

At the KC Fencing Center, classes involve ten 60-minute sessions which meet twice per week and cost $85 per person for Johnson County residents or $94 for nonresidents. A class for youth meets at 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday beginning Aug. 30, while a class for ages 14 and older meets at 7 p.m. on the same days, also beginning Aug. 30.

At the Fencing Athletic Club, one format of classes involve eight 60-minute sessions which meet twice per week and cost $85 per person for Johnson County residents or $94 for nonresidents. A class for ages seven through 10 in this format meets at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday begin beginning Aug. 30, while a class for ages 11 through 13 meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday beginning Aug. 29.

A second class format involves four 60-minute sessions which meet once per week and cost $50 per person for Johnson County residents or $55 for nonresidents. A class for ages seven through 10 in this format meets at 10 a.m. Saturday, beginning Sept. 3, while a class for ages 11 through 13 meets at 11 a.m. Saturday, also beginning Sept. 3. Adult classes in this format for ages 14 and older are offered a 7 p.m. Monday beginning Sept. 5 and at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, beginning Sept. 7.

The JCPRD's ACTIVITIES catalog, with information and a registration form, is available for pick-up at all Johnson County Library branches. For more information or to register, call [phone] VOICE or [phone] TDD. To register online and for updated program listings, see the District's website at www.jcprd.com.

[LongBlade]

Zen Fencing Academy keeps tradition alive
By Gregory Krupey
Pittsburg Tribune-Review
August 12, 2005

pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/westmoreland/s_362070.html

If you stroll through Jeannette and peek in the window at 614 Clay Ave., you might be surprised to see people wearing white suits and mesh masks dueling with long, thin swords -- but don't worry, you're standing in front of the Zen Fencing Academy.

What is Zen fencing? Is it some sort of trendy New Age sports meditation, like yoga with swords? In fact, it's nothing like that at all.

"Our motto is 'Sport fencing with a martial arts attitude,'" says Dion Shively, 34, the bearded and genial owner-coach of the academy. "I competed in fencing on a low level nationally, and I found some people didn't take the sport's tradition of chivalry and sportsmanship as seriously as they should. I was turned off by the competitive aspect of these people.

"The idea basically was to have a club where fencing was treated more like a martial art, where there was respect for the sword. We want to be good fencers and we want to win, but winning comes secondary to fencing well."

The question remains, why Zen fencing? Why not kung-fu fencing, or karate fencing?

"I named it the Zen Fencing Academy for my hero, a gentleman by the name of Joe Odom, who sadly passed away last year," Shively said. "He was my role model as a fencer and as an instructor. He founded a club in Pittsburgh, Fencers For Fun, as a method of keeping kids off the streets. He always came to (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) to help us out because we didn't have a coach. We always referred to him as the 'Zen master of fencing'. He was that wise old Pat Morita kind of character."

Like Morita's character in the movie "The Karate Kid," Odom was a teacher who didn't spare his students' egos to get them to learn their lessons, Shively said.

"When he was in his late 60s, he was still beating us young kids who thought we were hot stuff, but was still nice enough to work with us and help us along," Shively said. "So I always had it in the back of my mind that there was this Zen kind of philosophy, this martial arts aspect to fencing."

Besides that martial arts attitude, another difference between how fencing is taught at the Zen Academy and elsewhere is that students are introduced to the art of fencing with a sword called the French epee, rather than with the more commonly used French foil.

In most fencing schools, students begin with the foil, move on to the epee and finally graduate to the sabre, which has a curved blade, unlike the straight-edged blades of the foil and the epee. All three swords are light and flexible, with "buttons" on their tips and blunt edges to render them harmless.

"The epee is the most pure defensive weapon," says Shively. "It's got a very simple rule system. The entire body is a target, and if you and your opponent both hit at the same time, you both get a point. There's not a whole lot of relying on the director to make calls.

"In both foil and sabre, there's only a limited area that can be hit," he continued. "If both fencers are hit at the same time, there's a fairly complex rule system for determining who gets the point, and you have to rely on the judges to be fair and accurate."

But the greatest benefit of fencing with the epee may be the certainty it gives to the competitive fencer.

"I find with epee, if I win or if I lose, I know that I earned it either way," Shively says. "With foil or sabre, sometimes I'm not sure whether I earned it or not, depending on how the calls go."

Shively, who hails from Bellefonte, near State College, was introduced to fencing at the age of 18, as a student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, but his love affair with the sword began much earlier.

"What appealed to me is what hooks most people, and that's Hollywood," Shively says. "'Zorro,' 'The Three Musketeers,' even the sword-fighting stuff from 'Star Wars.' It hits the fantasy button in all of us. Every boy at some point grabs a stick and tries to sword-fight his friends with it in the back yard. We all have that kid inside of us who dreams of knights and sword fighters."

There is a world of difference, however, between the choreographed fencing performed by swashbuckling movie stars such as Errol Flynn and the swordsmanship practiced by real fencers.

"Sport fencing is very different from what you see in movies," says Shively. "In fencing, the moves are small and tricky. In the movies, the moves are big and flashy. They're meant to show well before the camera. Actors are trying to look good and not hit somebody. Fencers are trying to hide what we're doing and hit somebody. We try to look good at what we do, but we don't want to telegraph any big, flashy moves because that makes it easier for your opponent to hit you. There has to be a certain subtlety to it."

Despite Hollywood's distortions, Shively was not disappointed by what he found in fencing.

"There is something noble and chivalrous about the art of the sword, and fencing still has a good flavor of that," he states. "You're actually going to see sportsmanship and courtesy in this sport in a way you don't see it in modern athletics. That's what I try to focus on. That's why we have this Zen aspect of fencing that says, 'This is an art with a noble tradition. This is a sport between gentlemen.' I try to keep that modern sports mentality of 'win at all costs' out of it."

This doesn't mean that Zen fencing embraces the post-modern theory of everybody wins, so nobody loses.

"When you compete, you still have your ego on the line, but the important thing is, win or lose, you still want to be a gentleman. You still want to show courtesy, you still want to treat your opponent with respect.

"If you watch a football game or a baseball game, you don't see sportsmanship like this," notes Shively. "In fencing you've got to salute your opponent before every match, and you've got to shake hands. These are the rules."

This means that trash-talkers, cheap-shot artists and "hot dogs" need not apply.

"You will find a few of them, but in fencing they are a much smaller percentage than in any other sport," Shively said.

He maintains fencing can help turn such behavior around.

"I've actually seen kids who have bad attitudes or temper problems come into fencing and I've seen them leave with much more self-control and self-respect," Shively said. "I've seen them go from really lousy kids to pretty nice people, people I could respect. I think fencing can have an uplifting effect on the soul. It's very much a Western martial art."

Indeed, the evolution of fencing parallels that of the Oriental martial arts now so popular in America, Shively points out.

"Fencing came from fighting schools that trained people to kill with the sword. They developed the styles and rules. Once the sword was no longer the primary instrument for war, it slowly became a sport," he explained. "It wasn't invented to be a sport, it grew out of something that was a life-and-death matter, and evolved into something for gentleman to learn back in the Renaissance.

"In America, when people dueled, they would use pistols," Shively noted. "We didn't have fencing schools where gentlemen went to learn the sword. In Europe they had that, and those schools became the basis of the fencing clubs they still have today."

After graduating from IUP, Shively moved to Greensburg in 1995. He continued to serve as a volunteer coach with the IUP fencing club from 1997 to 2001. It was there, in 1999, that he met Jason Burchianti, who started fencing with the Penn State Fencing Club in the mid-1990s. In 2001, Burchianti became one of the fencers who started Zen fencing with Shively.

"Jason has found a lifelong hobby as well as a great form of exercise," Shively said. "He lost 80 pounds since we opened the club."

Shively tells of a similar transformation in himself after he first took up the sword.

"Prior to fencing I was extremely unathletic and totally uninterested in sports. Now I am in much better physical shape and am an avid sports fan," Shively said.

Another founding member is Shively's wife, Rachel.

"I introduced her to fencing, but she doesn't fence much. She did, however, strongly encourage me to start the club in the first place," he said.

Shively chose Jeannette as the home of Zen Fencing Academy because the city "offered a convenient location where I could rent a storefront which I could afford. Price, location and parking were all very reasonable."

One original purpose of the Zen Fencing Academy was to forge a team that could compete in regional fencing tournaments.

"We are a member club of the United States Fencing Association, which governs fencing throughout the country," Shively explains. "That means we can hold tournaments and our members can go to tournaments. Many clubs throughout the country host tournaments on a fairly regular basis. Most tournaments are in Pittsburgh or State College, a few in Cleveland and Harrisburg or anywhere that's got fencing. We also go down to West Virginia frequently."

"At one point a group of five of us were competing fairly regularly. Right now there are only one or two of us who intend to compete in the upcoming season," he said.

One of the best things about fencing tournaments, says Shively, is the surprise they can deliver.

"You'll walk into a tournament and see this hulking bruiser versus a little 70-year-old guy, and you never can be sure who's going to win," he said. "It all depends on whether that old man has been fencing for the last 50 years. If he has, he probably doesn't make many mistakes. In this game, just when you think you know everything, someone comes along who teaches you that you're wrong."

However, training fencers for competition isn't Zen Fencing's exclusive concern.

"We don't require that people compete here. I'm here for the people who want to get really, really good at this and compete in it, but we're also here for the people who just want to come in and get some exercise, blow off some steam, or just come in and have a really good time," Shively said.

The personality of the average Zen fencer varies, but they have one thing in common: they are often the least likely people to take up fencing.

"We attract a different crowd than mainstream sports. We tend to get the people who never exercised, or thought of themselves as athletes, or ever considered taking up any sport," Shively said. "It appeals to the romantic as well as the intellectual side in a lot of us. We get a decent cross mixture of people, a lot of dreamers, gamers and other types."

Perhaps what is so attractive about fencing to these people is its eccentricity. Fencing allows for individual expression within a disciplined structure.

"How you like to style your fencing is really up to your temperament," Shively said. "Some people are aggressive and tend to move around a lot; some people are very passive and let their opponents make the first move. No two people fence entirely alike. It's one of the things that makes it so interesting."

Those challenges are always literally in your face, on the point of a sword. There's no hiding from reality in this sport.

"In fencing, it's just you and your opponent. You don't have teammates you can blame. You usually don't have a referee to blame. You either win or you don't. Every time you go out there, it's a test of your own skill and ability and how hard you work," Shively said.

Unlike many sports that are best played by the young or that exact a hard toll on the body after many years, fencing tends to rejuvenate and demands brain power as much as muscle power.

"The best thing about this sport is that you can do it all your life. I know people who started fencing when they were 70 years old," Shively said. "This is a sport where using your head really counts. 'Physical chess' is a term that's been frequently applied to fencing. Really, the mind is the most important weapon you have in this sport."

Shively is optimistic about fencing's future. He sees its popularity on the rise, nationwide and especially in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

"I think fencing is on the move right now. There's a lot of high school groups that are now taking up fencing. Pittsburgh has a high school fencing league," he said. "The number of clubs in the region has grown dramatically in the last 10 years and has produced some very fine fencers."

But he cautions that it is still an uphill battle and much outreach remains to be done.

"We still have a long way to go. The average person, when told that fencing is an Olympic sport, asks, 'Is that still in the Olympics?' It's been in every Olympics there has ever been in the modern age," Shively said. "There's fencing in every summer Olympics and it never gets televised. There's no fencer who is a household name. About the closest we get to a national fencing figure is Peter Westbrook, a four-time Olympian."

If fencing fails to experience an upsurge of interest locally, it won't be because of a lack of effort at the Zen Fencing Academy.

"We have all the fencing equipment here, so it costs nothing for people to stop in and try it out," Shively says. "They don't have to purchase anything, and we don't do long-term contracts, either. So it's easy for people to try it for a few weeks or months."

"Fencing is very safe," he adds. "Injuries are extremely infrequent and generally very minor. We wear heavy-duty protective equipment such as a mask that will protect your head and face, and a double-layer jacket in case any of the blades break. The most you'll get is a couple of bruises here and there. The weapons are very flexible and fairly soft; they aren't sharp and pointed."

Even if fencing doesn't reach a level of popularity greater than it currently enjoys, there will always be a hard core of fencers.

"Most people who try fencing like it, and a lot of them end up doing it for the rest of their lives," he says. "Fencers have been around for a very long time, and we intend to be around for a very long time to come. People's fascination with the sword will never go out of fashion."

[LongBlade]

Fencer is right on target
By Max Bowen
Boston Herald/Abington Mariner
August 12, 2005

www2.townonline.com/abington/artsLifestyle/view.bg?articleid=304357


Wayne Jenness, 24, of Abington.
(Staff photo by Bert Lane)

When Wayne Jenness went to the Bay State Games, he didn't expect to go far.

But when it was all said and done, he went home with a bronze medal in fencing.

Jenness competed in the Open Men's Epee, one of three styles of fencing. The other two are foil and saber. What sets the epee apart, is that any area of the body can be a target, while the foil is limited to areas of the torso and groin and the saber targets body parts from the waist up. Jenness uses the epee because the weapon lends itself well to fencers with tall, thin bodies.

Jenness was one of 21 people taking part in this competition. After going up against six other fencers in the preliminary bouts, the competitors were placed into an elimination bracket based on the outcome of their matches.

"I saw this was going on and I figured I would give it a shot," said Jenness.

Jenness' won the medal after defeating Lev Bass of Dedham. A fencer for the past four years, Jenness said most of his bouts end with close scores, but in this match he beat Bass 15-8. He received his medal the day of the match, July 17.

"I was surprised that it was so easy," said Jenness. "He must have been tired."

Jenness entered the Bay State Games shortly after returning from a yearly national competition held by the United States Fencing Association. This year's competition was held in Sacramento, California. He normally practices three or four times a week, although he had taken a short break since finishing the nationals. After seeing the competition he would be facing, and given the time he had spent away from fencing Jenness didn't think he would place high, but decided to try anyway.

"For whatever reason, I was just on in the last match," said Jenness.

David Blake, one of the coaches at Prise de Fer Fencing Club in North Billerica, where Jenness practices, said he has made a lot of progress over the last two years. Though he primarily uses the Epee, Jenness has taken some lessons on how to use a saber.

"He came pretty close to winning the gold," said Blake. "I hope to see him win it next year."

Jenness was one of 21 people taking part in this competition. After going up against six other fencers in the preliminary bouts, the competitors were placed into an elimination bracket based on the outcome of their matches.

"I saw this was going on and I figured I would give it a shot," said Jenness.

Jenness' won the medal after defeating Lev Bass of Dedham. A fencer for the past four years, Jenness said most of his bouts end with close scores, but in this match he beat Bass 15-8. He received his medal the day of the match, July 17.

"I was surprised that it was so easy," said Jenness. "He must have been tired."

Jenness entered the Bay State Games shortly after returning from a yearly national competition held by the United States Fencing Association. This year's competition was held in Sacramento, California. He normally practices three or four times a week, although he had taken a short break since finishing the nationals. After seeing the competition he would be facing, and given the time he had spent away from fencing Jenness didn't think he would place high, but decided to try anyway.

"For whatever reason, I was just on in the last match," said Jenness.

David Blake, one of the coaches at Prise de Fer Fencing Club in North Billerica, where Jenness practices, said he has made a lot of progress over the last two years. Though he primarily uses the Epee, Jenness has taken some lessons on how to use a saber.

"He came pretty close to winning the gold," said Blake. "I hope to see him win it next year."

[LongBlade]

Competition whipped at Waco
Megan Haberzettle takes honors at Games of Texas
Nueces County Record Star
Robstown, Texas
August 10, 2005

www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15010176&BRD=1157&PAG=461&dept_id=172072&rfi=8



Two fencers from the Coastal Bend Fencing Society competed at the Games of Texas in Waco July 21-24.

The Games of Texas is a mini-olympic style event conducted by the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation.

Megan Haberzettle (Photo Center) won first place in the Y14 Mixed Sabre event where she was the only female competitor and second place in Women's Sabre where she was the youngest competitor and only fencer under 18.

Her mother, Grace Haberzettle (Photo Right), helped referee in Mixed Epee, Sabre, Foil and Women's Epee events. She also competed in the Women's Sabre tying for third place in that event.

More information about fencing in the Coastal Bend is available at coastalbendfencingsociety.com or email [e-mail].

[LongBlade]

Summer reading gets boost
Programs aim to create lifelong patrons
By Deborah Kennedy
Cincinnatti Enquirer
August 13, 2005

news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050813/NEWS0103/508130388/1059/NEWS01

Summer reading isn't just about books anymore.

"People today expect more," said Kiki Dreyer-Burke, public relations manager for the Campbell County Public Library. "We live in a very visual age and if you are serving your public, you need to meet their standards."

Adults, teens and children participating in the library summer reading programs of Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties often walked away with prizes for their efforts.

Incentives create a community of lifelong library patrons, said Boone County Public Library public relations coordinator Becky Kempf.

"Kids who take part in summer reading will realize that the library is a cool place to be and they'll want to come back," she said.

Jill Burket-Ragase, youth services coordinator for the Boone County Public Library, said the visits librarians paid to schools at the end of the year helped bring in 700 more summer readers than they saw in 2004.

"And we had record attendance at many of our programs. It's exciting to see our patrons so excited. We have as much fun as they do I think," she said.

Some of those programs included demonstrations of fencing, smock making, magic and Japanese medieval art.

A key aspect of the programs, according to Sheryl Epping, a Crestview Hills mother of six, was their cost - free.

"There wasn't a question of whether or not we could do this or that. The kids were excited and I could say yes," she said.

Epping's 14-year-old son, Ethan, loved the fencing demonstration at the Mary Ann Mongan branch of the Kenton County Public Library. His 11-year-old sister, Lydia, enjoyed the "read-in."

"You go there and you read all day, which is perfect for me because I love reading," Lydia said. "I want to host one at my house now."

No matter how diverse the library's offerings, many children's minds were focused on one book this year, that just happened to fit in perfectly with Boone and Campbell's medieval theme.

"The new Harry Potter was a great tie-in with its fantastical and magical elements. I don't know if it was intentional or not. Either way, we can't keep it on the shelves. We still have a waiting list for that one," Burket-Ragase said.

[LongBlade]

Softly as I leave you - our oldest Olympian took life in his stride
By Fergus Finlay
The Irish Examiner
16/08/05

www.examiner.ie/pport/web/opinion/Full_Story/did-sgNdKaJKHc406sgadLjt5C321I.asp

GREAT cities have a genius for throwing up characters and institutions, people and places that somehow manage to represent the quirks and foibles of the city.

For years after I married into the Carpenter family, I couldn’t travel anywhere in the world without meeting someone who knew the Club Hotel in Glenbrook, just outside Cork city.

They’d had their first dance there, their first drink, their first kiss. It often seemed that for thousands of people, and not all of them from Cork by any means, the little family hotel by the banks of the Lee held a very special place in their affections.

And what made it so special for many was the personality of the Club’s proprietor, George Carpenter. A man larger than life, George had built the Club Hotel, a lot of it with his own hands, and ran it for more than 30 years. Now, “ran it” might be a bit of a misnomer. George was made to be a host, a man capable of welcoming the great and the good but extending exactly the same warmth to the not-so-great (and sometimes the not-so-good).

It was Joan, his wife, who did most of the work behind the scenes, with a small and dedicated staff, but she was always content to allow her husband to represent the public face of the hotel.

What made the place famous in its early days was not just the warmth of his welcome, and his ebullient and outgoing personality, but also his attitude to Lent. Cork at that time was run, to all intents and purposes, by the dictates of Bishop Cornelius Lucey, a man who strongly believed that all dances were occasions of sin, and dances during Lent were actual mortallers.

George, on the other hand, was a Protestant, and besides, the Club Hotel was just outside the diocesan limits. For a number of years, therefore, if you wanted a Saturday night dance, or even a Saturday night drink, during Lent, then the Club Hotel was the only place in town - except they were called ‘socials,’ and not dances. That was George’s solution to the conflict between God and Mammon.

And throughout, he was the heart and soul of the place, always welcoming, always on duty, always ready and able to break up a fight. He was, through all the years I knew him, a strong, fit, athletic man, brilliant with his hands, and always ready to tell a yarn.

He was in his day known throughout the city as a man willing to defend Cork against all comers.

It wasn’t surprising that he was so fit because he had been one of the city’s most successful sportsmen throughout his youth and adulthood. Last year he and Joan attended a Dublin lunch where Ronnie Delaney was honoured as Ireland’s greatest Olympian, and George as Ireland’s oldest living Olympian - he was then 95. Standing there, in the company of Delaney, Eamonn Coghlan and other great Irish sportspeople, George was as proud as I’ve ever seen him.

He had indeed represented Ireland, not once but twice, as a fencer. The first occasion was in Helsinki in 1952, and the second was in Rome in 1960. Throughout all those years, he was a regular winner of the Irish Fencing Championship, as indeed was Joan. And he taught fencing to others - there is still a prized photograph in his house of George helping to prepare Micheál MacLiammóir for a fencing scene in Hamlet.

By the time he qualified for Rome he was already over 50, and gained distinction as the oldest competitor in those games. For years afterwards he would tell stories about how he and Joan had travelled there, in his own car over several weeks, and of how they had had to organise their own accommodation and training facilities.

But he had a way with him. Not too many Cork Protestants representing their country in the Olympics wangled a private audience with the Pope in Castelgandolfo. Mind you, George Carpenter was possibly also the only Corkman alive who had met Adolf Hitler. HE told the story himself in a colourful memoir he wrote and had published when he was over 90. A trip to Germany on the liner Columbus in 1935 as part of the Boys Brigade; an accident that led to himself and a friend being treated as first-class passengers, gorging themselves on cold beef and salmon while their pals were in the third-class mess with bangers and mash and cups of tea; arriving in Germany to be told that the entire troupe were now the guests of the Hitler Youth; a visit to Templehof Airport where they were shown Goering’s private plane.

And, finally, lunch in the Reichchancellery where they were joined by the Fuhrer himself. He spoke to them in German about the virtues of youth, and gave them the Nazi salute as he left. They replied with the Boys Brigade salute. Throughout his long life, George was an avid and astute follower and teacher of sport. I remember him saying to me, years ago, that he had seen a young girl of 16 from Cobh in a race at the Mardyke, and assuring me that she had the talent to go a long way. Her name was Sonia O’Sullivan. And until he was well into his 80s he taught fencing to students in UCC, and was always proud of the fact that the youngest and fittest of them never got through his defences.

And for years and years he was an ardent fan of two teams above all - Munster and the Arsenal.

But those who knew him will remember one thing more than any other.

It was never just George, it was always George and Joan. Next month they would have celebrated 67 years of marriage - surely some sort of record. And throughout all those years, Joan was his rock, his commonsense, his anchor. Those who knew them best knew how much he really depended on her, and how important she was in his life.

The 67th celebration won’t happen now, because George passed away last Saturday night. His health had been failing steadily for some time, as the years finally caught up with his indomitable spirit. He protested regularly that he wasn’t ready to go, and several times proved there was life left in the old dog yet. Last year, for instance, he and Joan celebrated their 66 years of married life by taking not one, but two, cruises on the Shannon - and staying up late over a glass of Paddy in Johnny Hough’s pub in Banagher in the course of the trip.

In recent days, though, it was clear he was ready to give up the fight. He lay on his bed, breathing steadily, as life slowly ebbed away. Then Frieda and Yvonne, two of his daughters, decided to play him some music. As the sound of Finbar Wright, one of his favourites, filled the room, singing Softly As I Leave You, his breathing changed, quieted, and stopped. And one of his city’s oldest and proudest citizens, a Corkman to his boots, finally slipped away.

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Athletes way behind in training
By Richard Dy
Manila Bulletin, Phillipines
August 17, 2005

www.mb.com.ph/SPRT2005081842135.html

NATIONAL TRAINING director Michael Keon admitted yesterday that the Philippines is way behind in schedule as far as training is concerned, but he remains optimistic that sending a second wave of athletes to China would still be “helpful” in the country’s bid for the overall championship in the coming Southeast Asian Games.

With just three-and-a-half months left before the Games officially kick off on Nov. 27, Keon stressed that "sending the athletes to China is better than never at all."

"We’ve tried very hard through the First Gentleman’s Foundation and the PSC (Philippine Sports Commission) to raise funds. The first batch of national athletes are doing a fantastic job there in China training. I’m really pushing for a second batch and I’ve told this to (PSC) chairman (William Ramirez)," said Keon before sportswriters shortly after the Philippine Olympic Committee General Assembly yesterday at the Milky Way Restaurant in Makati City.

The first batch of national sports associations which sent their athletes in China to train include swimming, wushu, gymnastics, diving and weightlifting.

Meanwhile, Ramirez said the second batch, which include volleyball (men), fencing (men and women), badminton, football (men and women) and canoe-kayak, could leave for China sometime at the end of the month if funds are available by then.

"We’re currently discussing this China trip for the second batch with the NSAs. Kasama dun sa discussion ang FG Foundation," said Ramirez.

Keon has stressed that Vietnam, a rising power in the region, has sent its own national athletes to train in China.

While Keon mentioned earlier that the country is slowly losing the hometown edge due to some last-minute changes in venues on several sports, the second trip to China could somewhat help the national athletes’ cause.

Fencing association president Celso Dayrit has mentioned that he’s also hoping his athletes could go to China for a one-month training since China has produced world class fencers.

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Russia, Italy reap last fencing team golds at Izmir Universiade
China View
www.chinaview.cn
August 20, 2005

news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-08/20/content_3378908.htm

IZMIR, Turkey, August 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Russia and Italy, the top two finishers on the medals tally of the fencing tournament at the ongoing 23rd Universiade, enriched their glory here on Friday respectively with the titles of men's sabre team and women's foil team.

Russia, which fielded Alexei Diatchenko, Alexei Frossine and Ilia Mokretsov, defeated the Ukrainian trio of Dmytro Boiko, Vladimir Lukashenko and Oleg Shturbabin to win the title. Italian fencers Dmytro Boiko, Vladimir Lukashenko and Oleg Shturbabin knocked out their Polish rivals to take the bronze.

In the women's action, the Italian team of Valentina Cipriani, Elisa Difrancisca and Margherita Grambassi triumphed over Jang Se Jung, Lee Hye Sun and Nam Hyun Hee of South Korea to win the top honor.

Russia, starring Aida Chanaeva, Julia Khakimova and Eugyenia Lamoniva, stepped onto the third place on the podium by beating Hungary.

China, fielding 20 fencers for the World University Games, reaped only two silver medals and two bronzes. Team manager Wang Jian said as teams like Russia and Italy had brought here the best of their players, to grab a gold became hard for China whose team was made up of university students.

Russia topped the tally with four gold medals, two silvers and six bronzes at the end of the eight-day tournament, and Italy was placed second with two golds, two silver and two bronzes.

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South Korea wins women's foil individual at 23rd Universiade
People's Daily Online
China
August 17, 2005

english.people.com.cn/200508/17/eng20050817_202887.html

South Korea's Lee Hye Sun scored the winning point in overtime to win the women's foil individual at the 23rd World Universiade, beating Italian Granbassi Margherita by 8-7.

Margherita took the lead at the beginning before Lee caught up shortly for a 3-3 tie. The two fencers then staged a seesaw struggle, finishing undecided at the end of the ninth-minute fight.

In the one-minute overtime, the Korean fencer scored the decisive point to win at 8-7.

Khakimova Julia of Russia and Japanese Ikehata Kanae, who respectively lost to the Italian and the Korean by 15-9 and 6-2 in semifinals, shared the third place.

Earlier of the day, Russia reaped both the gold and silver in the men's sabre individual on the same piste. Yakimenko Alexey triumphed over his compatriot Forssine Alexei with a narrow win of 15-14.

The bronzes were split between Tretiak Vladislav from Ukraine and Spainish Casares Fernando.

Women's sabre team and men's epee team are scheduled on Wednesday, the sixth day of the fencing tournament at the ongoing University Games.

[LongBlade]

U.S. rules swimming, China dominates diving at Universiade
People's Daily Online
China
Augsust 18, 2005

english.people.com.cn/200508/18/eng20050818_203194.html

The United States swept half of the last eight swimming golds on offer at the 23rd World Universiade on Wednesday as China continued to dominate the diving competitions by bagging both titles up for grab.

Cullen Jones, Maritza Correia won the men's and women's 50m freestyles and Justin Mortimer and Megan Jendrick struck golds in the men's 1,500m freestyle and women's 100m breaststroke to complete the Americans' golden run in the swimming pool.

Ukraine's swimmers also went home happily with latest victoriesin the men's 50m breaststroke and men's 4x100m medley relay while Otylia Jedrzejczak of Poland and Japanse Aya Terakawa split the other two titles distributed on Wednesday in the women's 200m butterfly and women's 200m backstroke.

As the swimming competition of the 23rd Universiade lowered its curtain after six days' exciting races, with 15 Universiade records renewed in the Manisa Swimming Pool, the United States took the lion's share by winning 11 gold medals, nine silvers and five bronzes, followed by Poland with six golds and two bronzes, while Asian country Japan, with five golds, six silvers and nine bronzes, squeezed for a third place at the overall medal tally.

The three countries pocketed more than half of the golds on offer, especially the United States who made a haul of three and four golds separately on Day Five and Day Six.

China, who dispatched 19 swimmers here, clinched two golds and two bronzes to rank seventh at the medal table. 20-year-old Qi Hui, 2002 world champion (short-course) and former world record holder in the women's 200m breaststroke, claimed the two titles in the women's 200m and 400m individual medley and one third place finish in the 200m breaststroke. The remaining bronze went to ZhaoTao in the men's 200m individual medley. Both swimmers came from Tianjin Industry University.

"We have fulfilled our task," Chinese team manager Tian Jianjunsaid, "The competition here was really stiff, but with two golds, we're satisfied."

American Eric Shanteau, champion in the men's 200m and 400m individual medleys, became the best male swimmer in terms of overall strength.

As for Poland, who suffered an anticlimax, came by two golds in Day One and Day Two apiece, but fell to claim only two titles in the rest four days.

Poland, who has sent its national team members, was parallel in its men's and women's strength, with three golds and one bronze from each side. Out of its six titles, four came from 200m, one from 100m and the rest from 800m.

Japan, with several national team swimmers coming here, put on a medal-winning show. Like in the Athens Olympic Games, Japan stood in the third place as well. However, Japan bagged 20 medals, only five fewer than the United States. While in Athens, the Americans won 20 medals more than Japan.

The Universiade wrestling also wound up on Wednesday as Ali Ashkani of Iran, Turkish Seref Tufenk and Margulan Assembekov of Kazakhstan won the 60kg, 74kg and 96kg men's Greco-Roman titles respectively.

Japan, host Turkey and the United States bagged home one half of the 21 gold medals offered in the five-day wrestling competitions.

Japan had four gold medals, and both Turkey and the United States took three apiece. The Japanese titles were all from its women wrestlers; the United States also struck its three golds through its men entries, and all from the freestyle, while Turkey had two from the Greco-Roman categories and one from the men's freestyle.

Turkey exploited its hosting place to put the wrestling competitions into the agenda of the 23rd World Universiade. Although ranked second in the gold tally, Turkey still beat Japan to second in the number of medals.

The real question that every viewer carries for the 23rd Universiade diving competition is not "Will China win another goldtoday?" but "Is it possible that China can not score another gold?"

Li Ting/Mo Hanna, and Wang Feng claimed the women's 10m platform synchronized and the men's one-meter springboard here Wednesday.

Li and Wang, both collected two gold medals, helped China clinch all the six titles of the 10 diving events so far.

Mo Hanna and Li Ting, who just won the women's 10m platform Wednesday, led after each round of the five-dive final and finished the show with a splendid three and a half somersault in tuck position, denied any chance for their competitors to take over their position.

The duo took home the gold with a total of 344.34 points. DPR Korean divers Hong In Sun/Choe Kum Hui won the silver with 319.26 points and Mexican Espinoza Paola/Luna Jashia clinched the bronze with 312.78 points.

In the men's one-meter springboard, Chinese diver Wang Kenan, who made his debut for the one-meter springboard, made two small mistakes in his first dives, but retrieved his confidence and stability to scored a total 263.16 points to climb from the last to the second position when US diver Colwell Christopher had one major gaffe in his fifth dive.

Another Chinese diver Wang Feng, the just-crowned king for the men's three-meter springboard, continued his stability of performance and good form in the final dives, never missing any of his dives to clinch his second triumph with a total score of 467.88 points.

Wang Kenan scored 406.86 points for the silver and Brazilian diver Castro Cesar won the bronze with 403.89 points.

In track and field, seven countries and regions split a total of seven golds produced on Wednesday.

Jamaican Marvim Essor crossed the line first in the men's 400m final with 45.99 seconds to land the first gold medal of his country at the Universiade. Compatriot Dwayne Barrett finished second in 46.14 ahead of bronze medalist Yuki Yamaguchi of Japan.

The women's 400m title went to Russian Natalya Nazarova, who notched a seasonal best time of 51.31. Senegal's Fatou Bindtou Fall took the silver with 51.33 while Kazakhstan's Tatyana Roslanova was awarded the bronze on 52.46.

The men's and women's 3,000m steeplechase titles were carved upbetween host runner Halil Akkas and Livia Toth of Hungary, who clocked 8:30.16 and 9:40.37 respectively.

Earlier on Wednesday, Latvian A. Kovals crowned in the men's javelin throw with 80.67 meters and G. Kanter of Estonia triumphedin the men's discus throw with 65.29. The remaining gold was taken home by Julia Hutter of Germany, who won the women's pole vault with 4.25 meters.

In the fencing tournament, Ukraine took home the men's epee team gold by beating France 45-30 while Russia defeated Japan 45-38 in the women's sabre team final.

Ukraine, starring Dmytro Chumak, Dmytro Karuchenko and Maksyum Khvorost, kept the lead throughout the final over the French trio of Gauthier Grumier, Benoit Janvier and Jean-Michel Lucenay.

Russia, which knocked out Switzerland for a third-place finish in the men's epee team, won the gold on the same day in the women's sabre team event.

Fielding Ekaterina Fedorkina, Svetlana Kormilitsyna and Elena Netchaeva, Russia triumphed over the Japanese team of Sakura Kaneko, Haruko Nakamura and Seir Nakayama in the gold medal bout. Poland beat Ukraine to take the bronze in the women's action.

Taekwondo powerhouse South Korea collected two golds as Nam Yoon-Bae reaped the men's 84kg title over Mehdi Navai S of Iran and Lee Sung-Hye beat Spain's Andrea Rica in the women's 59kg final.

Patiwat Tongsalap secured the men's 72kg championship, the veryfirst for Thailand at the Universiade, and Yvonne Oude Luttikhuis of Netherlands pocketed the women's 72kg gold.

After Wednesday's finals, China climbed up to the top of the medal table with 15 golds, 10 silvers and eight bronzes. Japan wassecond with 15 golds, eight silvers and 16 bronzes while the United States stood third on 14 golds, 11 silvers and 12 bronzes.

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Ann Arbor fencers get to the point
And that is, say AADS members, having fun
BY AMY WHITESALL
Ann Arbor News Staff Reporter
August 21, 2005

www.mlive.com/entertainment/aanews/index.ssf?/base/features-0/1124619064131910.xml&coll=2

Competitive fencers wear their loyalty on their sleeve. In a world of anonymous white jackets, knickers and black-screened masks, it's the club patch on the arm of a fencer's jacket that identifies him or her.

Or, in the case of the Ann Arbor Dueling Society, paints them as guilty by association.

More than one fencer from the club has stepped up to compete at a tournament and heard, "Ah, you're one of those guys,'' when the referee noticed their patch.

AADS members are serious about their sport, but that doesn't stop them from maintaining the club's reputation as the "Animal House'' of fencing. Their patch is a coat of arms that includes two beer steins, the crossed axes from a Hacker-Pschorr beer label and the harp from the Guinness stout label. Their Web site describes the membership as "Drinkers with a slight fencing problem.''

"As far as fencing clubs go, we aren't the best fencers, but I think we're the best club,'' says Bill Emerson, who took a fencing class during his final semester at Michigan State and loved it. Emerson thought his fencing days were done when he graduated and moved home to Belleville, but within three days of being back, he heard about the Ann Arbor Dueling Society. He's been a regular ever since. He teaches a fencing class in Canton and sometimes substitute teaches classes at the Ann Arbor YMCA.

"I've seen fencing clubs that the reason they got together is so they could afford a coach,'' Emerson says. "We got together because we really like fencing.''

On Saturday, the men and women of the AADS host their eighth Ann Arbor Duelist Open, a tournament that unofficially starts the competitive fencing season in Michigan.

The Duelist attracts about 80 fencers from Michigan, Canada and nearby states, including collegiate and Olympic-level fencers and rising stars like AADS member Tim O'Neill, who started fencing competitively at last year's Duelist Open. O'Neill, 15, and proof that the club is not made exclusively of miscreant barfly fencers, went on to compete in so many tournaments that he tied for the Michigan Ironman award and fenced in the Junior Olympics.

Although there once was a saying around the club that it just wasn't a Duelist Open unless someone fainted, this year the Duelist will move to the air-conditioned luxury of the new Ann Arbor YMCA. The fainting - it only happened a couple of times - they will have to do without.

The Ann Arbor Duelists don't limit their activities together to trying to stab each other with swords. They have bonfires and fence by firelight; they go to the Renaissance Festival and heckle the sword fighters. The last time a new Zorro movie came out, they went as a club to see it. And after open fencing each Thursday night, you can find them at the Old Town Tavern on Liberty Street, where the manager reserves a table for them and has it stocked with pitchers of water when they arrive.

Because fencing is such an individual sport, fencers can tend to be kind of aloof toward each other, but when this club goes to a tournament, they arrive together and everyone stays until the last member is done. If someone breaks a weapon in mid-bout, a club member is digging through bags for a new one as soon as the referee stops the action.

They don't all get to fence as much as they would like. Life intervenes with new homes, job changes, kids, career-launchings. Sometimes that means cutting back on tournaments or travel. But the club helps them keep fencing from becoming something they "used to do.''

"I know that on Thursday night I'm going to go to the club, going to fence with the guys; I'm going to beat them, and I'm going to tease them,'' Bill Emerson says. "Some people have accused us of not being a serious club because we're not going to national events or practicing three times a week. But we are serious in that it's always going to be part of our lives.''

[LongBlade]

Fencer named state champion at games
By Jodie Wagner
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Florida, USA
August 24, 2005

www.palmbeachpost.com/wellington/content/neighborhood/wellington/epaper/2005/08/24/npw26_sptfencing_0824.html

By the time he attended a Wellington Landings Middle School open house six years ago, Jason DiMinico was a veteran of competitive sports.

As a child, the Wellington resident played everything from football to baseball, and wasn't afraid to experience something new.


Cydney Scott /The Post
Jason DiMinico, 16, is a Wellington High School junior and a champion fencer. 'I've always like swordfighting movies,' he said.

"He tried a gamut of sports as a child," said DiMinico's dad, Gerald. "He did all the team sports since he was 4 years old."

But none became a passion for him until he attended the Wellington Landings open house in fifth grade and discovered the school would be offering fencing.

A huge fan of medieval history and weaponry as a child, he eagerly embraced the sport.

"I've always like swordfighting movies," said DiMinico, now 16 and a Wellington High School junior. "I saw it at the open house, and it sounded like a good idea."

Today, DiMinico is one of the county's most acclaimed and decorated young fencers.

In March, he earned two gold medals at the divisional championships in Boca Raton, and followed that performance a week later with four medals at a tournament in Orlando.

In June, he was named Florida State champion for Division 3 at the Sunshine State Games in Fort Lauderdale. His gold-medal winning performance in foil — he also competes in epee — earned him a 'C' ranking in a sport where the majority of competitors are ranked 'D' and below.

"I think I've done pretty well," he said.

Gerald DiMinico isn't quite as modest.

As a frequent traveling companion with his son, he's had the opportunity to watch him grow and develop in a sport that places a premium on footwork, tactics and strategy.

"Fencing requires a lot of intelligence," he said. "It's like a chess game. You're on the strip, forcing somebody else on the strip. Anybody can learn the moves, but then you have to play the mind games with the person who is your opponent; what different attack sequence are you going to do, what different defenses are you going to do?

"(It's) like a chess match, so I think it's good for him because it keeps him physically fit, it teaches him structure, it teaches him discipline. It's something that he's committed to, and he sticks with it."

DiMinico, who no longer competes in other sports, works hard throughout the year to advance his fencing career.

When he first became involved in the sport, he trained several days a week in Jupiter with long-time instructor Joe Forness.

For the past 18 months, he's worked exclusively with South Florida Fencing Club coach William Becker.

Becker, a champion fencer and long-time coach whose club is based in Hallandale, has accompanied DiMinico and other highly ranked students to tournaments throughout the country.

"You get to travel to a lot of places," DiMinico, who competed in Arlington, Texas;, Columbia, S.C.; and Sacramento, Calif., last season, said of the benefits of competitive fencing. "That's pretty cool."

Winning more medals and moving up to a 'B' ranking — two long-term goals of DiMinico — would be as well.

"I'd like to improve my ranking, maybe go up a letter in foil and maintain the one that I have in epee," he said.