Fencing in the News

[LongBlade]

Fencing medal shows MacKay's new attitude
By Rob Brodie
Slam! Sports
Ontario, CA
10/30/05

slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Brodie/2005/10/29/1285121.html

In the days and weeks that followed the most troubling moment of her fencing career, Sherraine MacKay found solace in the written word.

And, perhaps most important of all, some needed perspective.

The Athens Olympics still isn't exactly a favourite memory for the University of Ottawa graduate. She was bitterly disappointed by a shocking first-round loss to an unheralded Greek opponent in the women's epee event.

Though she and her teammates made a major statement with a fourth-place finish in the team competition, MacKay blamed herself afterward for a semi-final loss that prevented Canada from securing a guaranteed medal.

But it wasn't until a month or so later, as she penned the thoughts about the Athens Games that form the concluding chapter of her first book Running With Swords, that Mac-Kay was able to see the experience for what it truly was.

"(Writing about Athens) was completely therapeutic, because you realize you can always find something funny in what's going on, even though it might be terribly painful," said MacKay, for whom humour is so wonderfully instinctive. "It's also therapeutic about just to put it in perspective. You write it and then you realize as you're writing the words, yeah, okay, so we lost that match, is that the end of our lives?

"No, obviously not."

That being said, MacKay admitted during a stop in Ottawa last week that she had to be pushed by an editor at Fitzhenry & Whiteside, her book publisher, to go into great detail about Athens. In her original manuscript, she had "just brushed over it ... for some reason, Athens was too fresh to write about. It just turned my stomach to write about what happened against the French team (in the bronze-medal match)."

MacKay agrees now that it was an essential, necessary part of the book. But it is merely one chapter of a story that is still unfolding.

"Half of the reason why I wrote the book (is that) I know people only see Olympians on one day every four years," she said. "So they think if you win, you're a great champion and if you lose, they think you're a big choker. But nobody's life is one day. Everybody has a story and everybody has a journey."

Since Athens, the journey has taken another turn, and for the better. Shortly after the Games, Mac-Kay and her husband Geordie -- a musician who's become a fencing fanatic and his wife's biggest cheerleader -- left Paris, their home for three years, and relocated to Budapest. There, she is coached by a "fencing genius" -- a Hungarian legend named Gyozo Kulcsar.

Gone, MacKay said, is the intense, often stressful regimen she lived with under her former coach, Daniel Levavasseur, in Paris. While Kulcsar pushes her to be better every day, MacKay said he does it with "a carefree spirit and genuine enjoyment for fencing."

"He truly understands the whole give and take of the game and gets that across to me."

In other words, another dose of much-needed perspective.

"It's just so much less pressure and stress than it has been," said MacKay, a native of tiny Brooks, Alta. "I look back at how I reacted (after losses) and I just can't believe that people didn't grab me and shake me and say 'What the heck, it's only fencing.'

"I can't believe that I took it that seriously, that it consumed my life, that I was so stressed out about something that's really only poking a person with a sword. That's really all it is. It's a pleasure and, for the first time in my life, I really realize that."

MacKay is convinced it is the prime reason she was able to achieve another historic first three weeks ago. At the world championships in Leipzig, Germany, she won the bronze medal in women's epee -- the first medal of any colour won by a Canadian at the event.

"Geordie said it best," MacKay said. "He said 'I've never seen you fence so relaxed.' ... Not being stressed out about it gives me extra time to think about what's going on.

"In Athens, I was hoping I wouldn't lose. Now, when I fence, I'm thinking 'What do I have to do to win this match?' It's really different, it's a good change."

The result has MacKay feeling she's "closer than I've ever been" to being the best in the world. And so the journey continues, all the way to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

She will continue to fence and, MacKay adds, she'll continue to write. But the self-examination in print is likely over.

"I don't think I'm going to write another book about myself," said MacKay, who is trying her hand at a novel instead. "Let's just say that if you ever want to not become self-obsessed, just write a book about yourself. It makes you realize there's only so much you can say.

"So there definitely won't be a sequel (to Running With Swords)."

She'll also chase the ultimate glory in Beijing, but now with a healthy balance between the 30-year-old woman who savours every moment of life and the sport she loves, and the competitor who's striving to be the best on the piste.

Said MacKay: "I'm not really worried about Beijing, in terms of not being able to perform. But to be honest with you, if I don't, I've still had a really great career and I'm not going to regret anything that I did. Either way, it'll be okay.

"It would just be nicer to be okay with a gold medal around my neck."

[LongBlade]

Fencer Sherraine MacKay pokes fun in her book "Running With Swords"
The Brandon Sun
Ontario, CA
11/2/05

www.brandonsun.com/story.php?story_id=8989

From the world champion fencer who painted a clown face on his mask to catching a frog between her bouts, Canadian fencer Sherraine MacKay has an eye for the amusing and the ridiculous in her sport.

MacKay also has a flair for storytelling, which will help smooth any wrinkles out of a reader's brow at the prospect of reading a book about a fencer. Fencing is a sport many Canadians know nothing about, but MacKay is helping move it more mainstream.

She became the first fencer from this country to win a medal at the world championships when she captured the bronze in epee last month, and she has also written a book "Running With Swords", published by Fitzhenry and Whiteside for $27.95 in hardcover.

MacKay wrote the book without a ghostwriter, which makes it rare among sports autobiographies. Her voice comes through clearly and you can't help but feel she's a fun girl to hang out with as she can turn the mundane into madcap.

MacKay has been living, training and competing in Europe since 1998 and her travels provide much of the fodder for her book.

She expends more ink on how she latched onto the unlikely sport of fencing while growing up in Brooks, Alta., and the challenges of pursuing it to the highest levels, than on the intricacies of fencing itself.

"It's not a how-to book because, let's face it, I'm some skinny, loud-mouth kid from southern Alberta," MacKay said during a recent stop in Toronto. "Half of the challenge is selling it in terms of a comedic-slash-inspirational book, which is kind of a weird sell, but I know it speaks to so many people.

"It's just a really great achievement in my life to be able to have written a book and actually have somebody publish it and have somebody want me for more than just poking people."

MacKay draws you into the fencing world with vibrant descriptions of her opponents on the piste: Germany's Britta Heidemann "fences like she would rip your head off and then chase your headless, quivering body across the gym through a shower of your gushing blood."

She also tackles with humour and candour the harder issues of her sport: obsession with her weight, trying to survive below the Canadian poverty line in a city as expensive as Paris and her crushing defeat in her first bout at the 2004 Olympics Games in Athens, where she was considered a contender for a medal.

MacKay started keeping notes on incidents in her life about three years ago and parlayed that into a diary on CBC Radio in the months leading up to Athens.

"I was not thinking book at all," she said. "What got me started writing these things was telling the same stories to 17 friends and family."

She said she had feared Fitzhenry and Whiteside would no longer want her story after her loss in Athens, but after assurances from the publishers, she completed the manuscript and found the writing of it helped her deal with her disappointment.

"It was cathartic, it was inspirational and really made me look at why I was doing things and how I was doing things and it also made me laugh," MacKay said. "When I would write about funny things I would say 'this sport is hilarious' or 'life is hilarious' or 'yeah, this was traumatic and I can't believe I dealt with it in this way."'

MacKay and her husband Geordie have moved to Budapest, Hungary, where she is training under a new coach. MacKay is 30 and wants to have a child, so she expects to retire following the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Her post-fencing career may be writing, if her first effort is any indication.

"I'm working on a novel right now, to try my hand at creative fiction," MacKay said. "It's completely different than writing non-fiction and I know that.

"Who knows if I'll be any good at it, but now is the time to try.

"If I try and fail, it's nothing I haven't done in fencing before."

[LongBlade]

Focus On: Fencing's Tim Hagamen
Converting hype to reality is one of the toughest tasks in sport, but it's becoming routine for fencer Tim Hagamen [/b]
by Cassie Lawton, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
GoCrimson.com
Harvard University
Nov. 3, 2005

gocrimson.collegesports.com/sports/m-fenc/spec-rel/110305aaa.html

Tim Hagamen came to Harvard in the fall of 2002 as the most highly recruited fencer in America. He lived up to the billing and then some, immediately making his presence felt in the collegiate realm. Now entering his junior year with the Crimson, Hagamen has already helped Harvard to two of the most successful seasons in program history.


Tim Hagamen, Class of '07

As a freshman, Hagamen captured the individual saber crown and led the Crimson men's saber team to its first Intercollegiate Fencing Association title in 62 years.

The season did not stop there, as he was one of five Harvard freshmen selected to compete at the NCAA Championships. Hagamen was an automatic qualifier to the national event, which worked out well since he had to miss the NCAA regional while competing in an international tournament in Greece as a member of the U.S. senior national team. He returned to finish seventh in saber at the NCAA Championships, earning second-team All-America honors, but it wasn't the individual accolades that made a lasting mark that season.

"While I was successful individually, the most satisfying part of the year was our success as a team," said Hagamen, a social studies concentrator who resides in Mather House. "Although we didn't win the Ivy championship, we beat perennial fencing powerhouse Columbia and really came together as a team. I learned that with teamwork anything is possible. A good team is significantly better than the sum of its parts."

That sense of camaraderie, as well as superior academics, were the two deciding factors that brought Hagamen to Cambridge.

"The fencers at Harvard are very close-knit, and the atmosphere is almost completely team-oriented," said Hagamen. "Our team is really unique in that respect. It separates Harvard from other schools where the focus is more on individual results outside of the context of a team."

Hagamen, who hails from New York City, began his fencing career at age 13 by joining the fencing squad at Riverdale Country School. He spent six years as a member of the varsity squad but also independently trained at the Fencers Club in Manhattan, echoing the path taken by 2004 U.S. Olympian Tim Morehouse.

His fencing career took off almost immediately and landed Hagamen on the international stage early on. He soon found himself at many international competitions in Europe and was also a member of the Under-17 and Under-19 national teams as a junior in high school. He took second in the U-17 World Championships that year, making him a seasoned competitor before stepping foot in Cambridge.

"International experience definitely helped with my transition to college," said Hagamen. "It raised the level of my fencing significantly and helped me better cope with pressure. At the same time, college fencing was surprisingly different from what I had experienced before. In college, there is only a small number of bouts to fence, meaning every touch counts that much more. That aspect, in combination with a team setting, really intensifies the fencing and makes it incredibly exciting."

Following his successful freshman campaign, Hagamen took off the 2003-04 academic year to train in an effort to compete for a spot on the U.S. team traveling to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. He pursued a program that pushed him to a new level in his fencing. As part of his training, he was fencing five or six days each week for about six hours per day. In addition he spent two hours each day, five days a week, working out in the gym. While he did not make the U.S. squad, he returned to Cambridge with a renewed hunger for the sport and eager for the chance to rejoin his team.

He picked up right where he left off, helping the program reach new heights once again during the 2004-05 season. Hagamen helped lead the men's squad to a share of the Ivy League title, its first since 1977. The success continued from there. For the first time in Harvard history, the men's and women's fencing teams won the combined events at the 2005 IFA Champion-ships, including a men's saber team title. Overall, the Crimson teams came back from the IFA event with six trophies, the best performance by Harvard at the championships in modern times. Hagamen turned in the most dominating of the Crimson's individual performances, winning the individual saber title despite an injury that would have sidelined most competitors.

In the final competition of the year, Harvard sent 10 individuals to the NCAA Champion-ships, where Hagamen finished third in the saber, helping the Crimson to a sixth-place finish. He earned a bronze medal and first-team All-America honors, capping a year filled with memorable team and personal milestones.

"Winning the Ivy title was a goal that seemed unfathomable at the beginning of freshman year, so it was a great feeling to see it come to life," said Hagamen. "Then the team cleaned up at IFAs. We came home wih so many trophies that we barely had enough room on the bus. It was great to see Harvard dominate like that."

Not bad for his first two years of college. Now ready to embark on the second half of his collegiate career, Hagamen has been charged with leading his team as the 2005-06 captain.

"I expect a lot from this team," said Hagamen. "I think it is the most talented group of fencers Harvard has ever assembled. We have the ability to take on any school in the country. If we work hard and come together as a team, I know that we can beat anyone and do better than we ever have before when it comes time for the NCAA tournament. Individually, I would like to do at least as well as last year and contribute as much as I can to the team."

With that in mind, expectations at the Malkin Athletic Center are high. The Crimson will not be satisfied with last year's Ivy title, but instead will push to take it to the next level during the upcoming season. The team wants to take the Ivy title outright--as opposed to sharing it with Columbia, as was the case in 2004--and finish among the top three at the NCAA tournament. If his first two seasons with the Crimson are any indication, Hagamen is the ideal leader to take Harvard where it wants to go.

"We are expecting good things again from him this year," said head coach Peter Brand, the 2005 Unites States Fencing Coaches Association Coach of the Year. "Tim is in good shape. Not only is he a terrific individual fencer, but he is a good team leader. He is a quiet guy, but everybody looks up to him."

Hagamen's story does not necessarily end at the conclusion of his collegiate career in 2007. According to Brand, Hagamen is the most talented fencer in America in saber. As a result, he has an opportunity to compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team that will go against the world's best at the 2008 games in Beijing.

"While I would really like to make the Olympic team, even having a chance at the team involves considerable sacrifices over the next three years," said Hagamen. "At this point, I am thinking that I will give Beijing a shot, but that could change depending on how much progress I can make in the next two years."

Given everything that Hagamen has helped the Crimson accomplish in his first two seasons, chances are good that he'll live up to his billing.

[LongBlade]

Swordplay is child's play in Wilsonville fencing class
Former Olympian Anna Angelova hones her young students' spirited sabre skills[/b]
By Holly Carpenter
The Oregonian
November 03, 2005

www.oregonlive.com/metrosouthwest/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/metro_southwest_news/1130844800122320.xml&coll=7

Jacob Balin stands next to his teacher, the blond top of his head rising just above her hip, as she slips a bulky-looking fencing mask onto him.

The mask bobbles a little before settling. The boy shifts and wiggles.

"It's too big," the 6-year-old declares.

Behind him, a half-dozen classmates brandishing plastic swords have already disappeared beneath their masks, jackets and gloves.

"This is the smallest mask, Jacob," instructor Anna Angelova replies. "We'll have to go to Target and get you a new head so it will fit better in the mask."

Angelova shares an easy rapport with her young students.

During weekly fencing meetings at the Wilsonville Community Center, the former Olympian reconciles her beginners' Hollywood-inspired fantasy of freestyle swashbuckling with the discipline of saber fencing.

She focuses on fundamentals, teaching them the moves and language of the sport. Students pair up, working their burgeoning skills in one-on-one duels.

It takes about one year of practice to be competition-ready, said Angelova, who also coaches at the Oregon Fencing Alliance. The alliance, which produced Olympic gold medalist Mariel Zagunis of Beaverton, offers classes in tandem with area community centers.

Saber fencing, one of three variations of the sport, uses a modernized cavalry sword. It's a fast-paced match that requires quick wits and often rewards the person who strikes first.

Though some of the 6- to 12-year-olds are not much bigger than the sabers they are learning to handle, they are finding that size matters little.

"You don't have to be the best athlete. It's like a physical game of chess. You do use athleticism, but you have to use your brain," Angelova said.

She likens fencing to playing the piano -- students first learn each key, then practice until their fingers can find all the keys reflexively. Once fencers have mastered the basics, they can compete across size, age and gender lines.

The simplified version is this: The athlete who strikes an opponent's target area first wins the point.

"It's pretty complicated. It's amazing how quickly these kids understand all of this information that they get," said Jacob's father, David Balin, a former high school fencer.

Balin enrolled his son because Jacob, like most of his classmates, has a love affair with swords and light sabers. At the end of each class, Angelova lets her students indulge in their fantasies.

"When we play games, they can satisfy what they think (fencing) is. They want to fly around and jump, and the games satisfy that. Once they understand what fencing really is they like it," she said.

That's true for Sterling Sweningson. The 9-year-old, who commutes to class from Aurora, begged his mom for lessons, promising to sacrifice soccer in return.

Sterling's mom, Marla Sweningson, said she would not be surprised if her boy opts to stick with fencing. The class has already provided him with a solid foundation, she said.

"I'm surprised at the level that she's teaching them," Sweningson said. "Even down to the littlest guy in the class, they know who scored the touch, and I'm still trying to figure it out."

[LongBlade]

FENCING: GREAT BRITAIN CALL-UP FOR IAN
The Isle of Man Today
Isle of Man - UK
03 November, 2005

www.iomonline.co.im/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=871&ArticleID=1241925

ST John's fencer Ian Kneale-Barrow has been selected to represent Great Britain at the European Wheelchair Fencing Championships in Madrid, December 2-9.

Ian, a member of the Paralympic fencing squad, will be fencing foil and sabre in the individual and the team events.

He trains at the Isle of Man Fencing Club in St John's and the NSC.

[LongBlade]

Hadley PTA sponsors fencing classes
Swampscott Reporter
townonline.com
The Boston Herald
November 3, 2005

www2.townonline.com/swampscott/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=358897

The Hadley Elementary School PTA is offering a fencing class during the after-school enrichment programs.

Michael Tarascio, professional fencing coach and former World Championship Team member, teaches the students. They begin with simple safety rules, get fitted with jackets and masks, and then learn footwork. The fencers also practice how to parry, lunge and attack so that they can compete in informal bouts, or fights. Each bout concludes with a handshake and salute to their opponent.

"Fencing is a great game for kids to participate in. Fencing requires one to do a lot of problem solving," Tarascio says. "Winning and losing are part of the process, so kids learn how to win - and lose- graciously."

Call Tarascio at 978-210-2711 for more information or visit www.fencing1.com.

[LongBlade]

Northview 4th in fencing
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
11/03/05

www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/highschool/1105/03nsidesrc.html

En garde

Northview placed fourth recently in the Georgia High School fencing league state championships at Roswell. Chris Lu won a gold medal in the boys foil competition, and Tiffany Hubbard took fifth place in girls competition. Lola Dietrick and Josh Lioi both finished eighth in epee competition.

[LongBlade]

Breda Smith is a senior captain on the North Haven girls' swimming and fencing teams
By Chris Piccirillo
Shore Publishing, LLC
Madison, CT, USA
11/3/2005

www.shorepublishing.com/archive/re.aspx?re=3c012a85-46f5-4ff4-97d1-1b562c7c2137

North Haven - Indians' senior captain Breda Smith doesn't swim year-round, but that hasn't hindered her ability to be among the area's best. The reasons are simple. For one, Breda is never stagnant. She gets going before the season starts by training during the summer, then maintains her athletic activity in the winter as a captain on the girls' fencing squad. Secondly, when the swimming season is underway, Breda demonstrates a determination that enables her times to decrease and helps increase the team's win total.

“I actually have no idea. I can't figure it out,” Breda jokes when asked about the secrets to her success. “Every year I'm surprised when I get into the pool and start doing well. A lot of it has to do with fencing because I develop muscle strength that helps me in swimming.”

Coach Martha Phelan has witnessed the improvement over the past four years and attributes a great deal of Breda's progression to her indefatigable work ethic.

“Breda is mature athlete who is very methodical about her training,” Phelan says. “She makes a commitment when she's in the pool to train hard and when a set is explained to her in practice, she breaks it down and goes after it just the way I want her to. Breda has always been a good sprinter, but she's versatile enough to swim whatever event the team needs her in. She's a model captain who never complains.”

Instead, Breda annually improves. She began at North Haven as a frontline swimmer who, in her freshman year, competed in the 100 breaststroke and 400 freestyle relay at the Class M Championship. Breda then swam the 50 freestyle and breaststroke plus the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays at the Class meet for her sophomore season with both relays advancing to the CIAC State Open. She did the same four events at last year's Class meet and both relays again moved on to the Open.

Breda's best individual postseason showing was her time of 1:12.03 in the breaststroke at last season's Class M Championship, which earned her sixth place. She discusses her outlook for the upcoming postseason.

“Last year I was two places from making the Open in the breaststroke and that made me upset so I decided that I really wanted to make it this year,” Breda says. “Now it doesn't matter as much. I just want to have a good race and finish with a better time than last year. I dropped three seconds last year from the regular season to the championship and if I did that this year, I'd be around 1:09 or 1:10, which would be exciting. I'd still love to place for the Open, but that's really an extra bonus because a lot depends on how well other people swim.”

The Class M Qualifying is at Walsh Intermediate School in Branford at 2 p.m. on Nov. 12. Breda has already posted qualifying times in the breaststroke, the 200 individual medley, and the 50, 100, 200, and 500 freestyles. Like all swimmers, she will be allowed to try and reach the championship in two individual events and two relays based on her performance at the qualifying.

Breda will definitely attempt to qualify in the breaststroke, but her other individual event has yet to be determined. The Class M Championship is at Southern Connecticut at 6 p.m. on Nov. 15. The State Open is at Yale at 2 p.m. on Nov. 19.

Breda is one of four senior captains for North Haven along with Lauren Mezzanotte, Laurie Berarducci, and Hannah Hinde. Breda says she always hoped to attain that role and enjoys being someone her teammates can rely upon and trust.

“I like being a leader,” Breda says. “I like that if someone on the team has a problem, they know they can talk about it with me and I can help them.”

Phelan talks about the ways in which Breda's captainship has benefited the Indians.

“Breda is very serious about how she approaches being a captain,” Phelan says. “She's organized with the other captains and is the type of kid that makes sure all their duties are done. One thing we did this year was have the team do dry land exercises at practice before getting into the pool. We break the team up into four groups and have each captain work with a group. It's a chance for the kids to do some strength work outside the pool and for each captain to run the exercise like they were a coach. I never have to worry about Breda getting her group going.”

Breda is the daughter of Greg and Eileen Smith, the latter of which was a swimmer at Hamden. Breda originally got involved with swimming at the High Lane Club, then with the Hamden/North Haven team that is coached by Indians' assistant Rick Lucan. Breda says a lot of her early success on North Haven's swimming team derived from her competition with that squad.

Breda's sister, Mairead, is a sophomore on the Indians' varsity girls' soccer team. Breda played youth soccer up until her freshman year at North Haven. She says her interest in fencing simply comes down to the fact that she likes sword fighting.

Breda, a National Honor Society member, has yet to make a decision on her collegiate athletic career. She says she'll do intramural sports if she decides to not try and compete on the varsity level. Breda says she'd like to attend a college in New York City and continue her work in the drama field, though she doesn't think she'll major that subject.

“I've been doing plays since I was nine and I'm upset that there's not going to be a spring play at the school this year,” Breda says. “My favorite role was when I was the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz two summers ago. I like playing the part of someone else because you're in an entirely different world where you're not yourself anymore. It's a fun and interesting experience. It's cool to think that everyone in the crowd is looking at and listening to me. I sometimes get stage fright during the auditions, but never during the performance.”

Apparently, Breda displays the same degree of confidence on the acting platform as she does on the swimming platform.

[LongBlade]

Fencing has quite a bit to look forward to as new season opens
The Daily Pennsylvanian
By John Goldston
November 4, 2005

www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/11/04/436b26fb58206

Junior Eve Overton fences in a meet last year against Temple. This season, the Quakers are trying to improve on last year's 2-3 Ivy finish. - Dave Walker/DP File Photo

Head coach Dave Micahnik has plenty of reasons to be looking forward to the start of the 2005-06 fencing season.
As he returns for his 32nd year at the helm, he anticipates another strong year for both the men's and women's squads, but that's never easy in the Ivy League.

The Ancient Eight is "the toughest league in the country," Micahnik said.

"The preliminary goal of both teams is to move up in the Ivy standings from last year."

For the men, this means improving upon last year's 2-2 Ivy League record. The women finished 2-3 in the League last year.

In 2004-05, the men placed second in the Intercollegiate Fencing Association tournament, after finishing with a regular season team record of 13-4.

The women's team is coming off a successful 15-4 season, in which it placed third overall at IFAs, with the sabre team coming in first for the second consecutive year.

Help is on the way for both the men's and women's squads -- this year's recruiting class is one of the strongest ever to come to Penn. Many of the incoming freshmen have experience in both national and international competitions.

Micahnik believes that the combination of new and old will create a formidable team.

"The blend of experience and youth on any team is nice, especially when the youth come in with significant experience already."

The men's sabre team is comprised of three freshmen, one sophomore and three juniors. Although many of them may lack NCAA experience, Micahnik expects themto be especially strong.

Freshmen Matthew Kolasa and Andres Eiremo are both nationally ranked, and Kolasa is fourth in the world junior rankings (under 20) for sabre. Along with Hal Emmer, they should both provide a lift.

Even though team captain Stephen Gavalas graduated last spring, the men's foil team returns three All-Americans with valuable experience, led by the new captain -- junior Michael Galligan. Sophomores Corey Purcell and Ron Berkowsky -- who placed third at the last NCAA Championships -- will also play a big role.

The men's epee team is young -- returning sophomores Noah Rohrer and Alex Tozzo will have to step into a leadership role.

On the women's side, two-time All-American and team captain Katelyn Sherry leads at sabre, along with fellow juniors Cassandra Frey and Annika Eiremo. All three bring extensive experience with them.

All-American Holly Beuchel heads the women's epee team alongside juniors Jackie Schramm and Margaret Foster and sophomore Angelika Kyrimi. Joining them are two freshmen, Kristen Hughes and Ana Gutierrez-Colina -- who is nationally ranked in Spain. The team has had no problem coming together as one unit.

"We have great respect for each other, and are willing to help each other out like good teammates should," Beuchel said.

The women's foil team is excited for the return of Zoya Abdikulova, who was sidelined with a knee injury last season. She and returning junior Eve Overton look to lead in foil this season.

The big question will be whether or not the new fencers can adjust to the pace of a college dual meet. Micahnik notes that many of the freshmen are "not yet accustomed to the team dynamic." For most of the careers, they have fenced purely on an individual basis.

Both teams start their seasons tomorrow at the Temple Open.

[LongBlade]

Joe foils his fencing competition
Jane Sehlmeier
Southern Highland News
Australia
3 November 2005

southernhighlands.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=sport&subclass=local&category=general%20sport&story_id=436128&y=2005&m=11


Joe Slowiaczek

Oxley College student Joe Slowiaczek has been crowned Australia's number one foil fencer following a series of strong performances on the national fencing circuit.
The rise to Australia's number one foil fencer makes Joe the only Australian fencer to achieve the top ranking in the open senior category while he is still a cadet.

After winning the first round of the Australian National Championships in the Open division in Melbourne, Joe came second in the foil event in the second round of the Championships in Adelaide.

Despite suffering from a hip injury during the Adelaide event, Joe's performance boosted his Australian ranking from fifth place to equal second.

Still carrying the hip injury, Joe then went to Perth for the third round of the Championships and managed to come third in the foil, losing by just one point to the eventual winner and boosting his national ranking to a clear second.

Buoyed by his Perth success, Joe went to the Australian Open Championships in Sydney and came third in the foil event out of a field of 63 fencers.

Joe was the only senior foil fencer to reach the top eight in both Perth and Sydney, and his Sydney performance boosted his ranking to the number one foil fencer title for the Open division.

[LongBlade]

School Sports: Girls' interest in sport still shows steady decline
By Gareth A Davies
London Sport Terlegraph
04/11/2005

www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2005/11/04/soscho04.xml&sSheet=/sport/2005/11/04/ixothspt.html

Girls are continuing to drop out of sport in their teenage years in greater numbers, according to new research into participation rates among schoolchildren.

A report, commissioned by Norwich Union, has been updated this month, following on from the same research formula conducted in 2003. In the year that Britain won the 2012 Olympic bid, the findings should be setting alarm bells ringing with educationalists involved in sport.

Research two years ago, titled Listening to Tomorrow's Athletes, has seen a picture emerge of growing interest in sport among boys in the last two years, but a steady decline in interest from the female school population.

The research found that shopping, music, reading and television came before sport in girls' interests. Only one in 12 girls sees sport as a favourite pastime. In 2003, girls ranked sport as their joint third favourite activity with watching television and reading books.

The research has found that issues such as fears over body image in teenage years are still prevalent in girls' thinking, making many girls steer clear of physical activity and games.

Parents are being blamed for creating a 'cotton wool' generation of girls and for reinforcing the stereotype that sport is a male domain. Parental concerns for their daughters involve safety issues and bullying. More than one third (35 per cent) of secondary girls do not play regular sport with a family member, compared to 26 per cent of boys the same age.

Likewise, 15 per cent of parents of secondary school girls regularly take them to see live sporting events, as opposed to 40 per cent of parents in the same group who take their sons to live sporting events.

Key findings of the research included the statistics that 21 per cent of secondary school girls do no exercise outside school, compared to 13 per cent of boys the same age. One in five secondary school girls (20 per cent) say that "sport is boring" compared to just seven per cent of boys. Another reason given is "peer pressure". One in five secondary schoolgirls say "my friends don't do sport, so I don't either."

PAUL Dazeley, the epee and foil fencer from RGS High Wycombe, highlighted in this column 12 months ago after he was selected as an England Cadet (under 23) in the European Championships at the age of 16, is still waiting for Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) funding, awarded to many developing sports people.

The scheme was created by the Department for Media, Culture and Sport. Dazeley had no funding to pay for his equipment on his international debut last year, and his parents were forced to pay for his team kit and new equipment in his first international outing. Teachers at RGS High Wycombe organised a book sale to raise money for him.

After the situation was highlighted in this column, fencing was added to the TASS list of sports. Last weekend Dazeley became the English Under-18 boys champion in epee and foil at the Gateshead International Arena. He is progressing well, an automatic selection for England in the Junior Four Nations championship next spring and has been selected for the Junior Commonwealth Games in Madras in January. However, it appears that he is still waiting for TASS funding or indeed any funding at all from the Amateur Fencing Association.

The Daily Telegraph and Norwich Union helping schoolchildren to get active. Please e-mail your letters on school sport to [e-mail]

[LongBlade]

Fencing tournament set
Chester Observer Tribune
Recorder Newspapers
Chester, NJ, USA
11/10/05

www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15516125&BRD=1918&PAG=461&dept_id=506872&rfi=6

MENDHAM – The Mendham fencing club, a member club of the United States Fencing Association, New Jersey Division, will hold an epee tournament at the Mountainview School on Dean Road here starting at 6:30 p.m. this Friday.

Mendham High School fencers will compete in the tournament and pre-registration includes fencers from seven clubs in New Jersey and New York.

Spectators are welcome free of charge. Club member Salim Short fenced epee at the Fall Festival of Fencing Tournament at Bucks County Fencing in Lambertville this past Sunday, Oct. 30, and failed to qualify for direct elimination rounds.

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Fencer Amir wants to reward parents’ support
The Star
Star Publications (Malaysia), Bhd
BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
11/6/05

thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2005/11/6/sports/12500819&sec=sports

JOHOR BARU: Eighteen-year-old fencer Mohd Amir Yunos is said to be a no-hoper at the Manila SEA Games. But he will be fighting for his family.

After all, his parents are paying for his SEA Games debut in the epee.

With the Malaysia Fencing Federation strapped for funds, Amir's parents – Mohd Yunos Abdullah and Normah Mohd Aris – are footing the bill for their son.

The other fencer for the Games is 20-year-old Maisarah Saedon.

Team manager Riduan Abdul has thrown in the towel, saying they were just building a team for the 2007 Games but Amir remains optimistic.

“A gold or silver may be out of my reach but I believe I am capable of winning a bronze,” said the Help Institute A-Level student, who was introduced to the sport by his mother.

“My mum was fascinated to see my Australian-born cousin Tashen Dromey in action while visiting my aunt in Australia. Tashen has represented Australia in fencing and nearly made the team to the Olympics.

“That inspired me.”

At the age of 11, Amir enrolled for lessons at the Touche Fencing Club under chief coach Mok Chek Wlong. He went on to win a silver in the Selangor Novice Foil Championships two years later.

Now, Amir trains under Mok at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club six days a week, hoping to surprise his parents with a medal.

“I have my own target in Manila. I am going there to win a medal, not for exposure. My parents are funding my trip and this is added inspiration for me.”

His parents also paid for his two-week training stint in Trappani, Italy prior to the World Junior Championships two years ago.

This year he took part in the World Grand Prix Championship in Qatar and the Singapore Open where he finished eighth.

“My ultimate dream is to compete in the Olympics,” he said.

Just like Amir, Maisarah, a Human Resource student in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), believes she can surprise the field and steal a medal.

“I believe it will be a 50-50 chance of coming back with a medal.

“Anything can happen if you are in the right frame of mind on the day of your event,” said Maisarah.

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Andrea Wine Places First in Women’s Division of Epee at 26th Temple Open
Wine defeats Erica Waichman of Cornell University[/color] [/b]
GoPSU.com
Penn State University
11/6/05

www.gopsusports.com/pressreleases/pressrelease.cfm?anncid=8879

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – November 6, 2005 – Senior Andrea Wine (Friendswood, Tex.) placed first in the women’s epee division at the 26th Temple Open on Saturday. Wine defeated Cornell’s Erica Waichman in the finals while finishing atop a list of 75 fencers in the epee division.

The Penn State women’s fencing team faired particularly well in the epee division, placing three fencers in the top eight. Sophomore Megan Lutheran (Glen Gardner, N.J.) finished seventh and Katherine Cook (Setauket, N.Y.) placed eighth.

Halli Melnitsky of Haverford College topped Duke’s Allison Schafer in the finals of the women’s saber division. Penn State placed three fencers in the top 25 of a saber division made up of 70 fencers. Junior Lily Matusiak (Wexford, Pa.) took 16th while senior Juliet Howard (Santa Monica, Calif.) and sophomore Rachel Arndt (Stafford, Va.) placed 20th and 25th, respectively.

In the foil division, Penn’s Abby Emerson defeated Sabrina Shapiro of the hosting Temple University in the finals. Both of Penn State’s two lone participants in the field of 73 had respectable showings. Freshman Julia Mouk (New York, N.Y.) finished 14th and sophomore Sara Gonzalez (Princeton, N.J.) placed 19th.

Temple Open action continues tomorrow with the men’s divisions. The Penn State men’s fencing team, along with fencers from 27 other colleges and universities, will compete in the saber, foil, and epee competitions.

FENCING RESULTS FOR TEMPLE OPEN (WOMEN’S)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2005

WOMEN’S SABER
1. Halli Melnitsky- Haverford
2. Allison Schafer- Duke
3. Kristine Jones- Temple University
3. Ashlee Phillips- Temple University
5. Emma Nostrand- Drew
6. Keri Ecker- Temple University
7. Jennifer Kling- North Carloina
8. Alexandra Heiss- Cornell
9. Cassandra Partyka- UPenn
10. Jennifer Ritchey- North Carolina
11. Jennifer Clark- North Carolina
12. Azure Wheeler- Drew
13. Erica Hartmann- Johns Hopkins
14. Megan Hinman- Florida
15. Kelly Karlinski- Clemson
16. Lily Matusiak- Penn State
17. Gina Ferrugia- Clemson
18. Emily Bean- Rochester
19. Nicole Moldovan- Stevens
20. Juliet Howard- Penn State
20. Amanda Hauck- FDU
22. Michelle Gutierrez- Johns Hopkins
23. Cassandra Frey- UPenn
24. Angela Hatter- Florida
25. Rachel Arndt- Penn State
26. Apryl Webb- Stevens
27. Allison Wollenberg- Cornell
28. Lindsay Carling- Indiana
29. Maria MacHarrie- Temple University Fencing Club
30. Laura Sodon- Stevens
31. Monica Kim- North Carolina
32. Courtney Morris- Temple University
33. Jordan Price- North Carolina
34. Maia Hadidi- Stevens
35. Amanda Streacker- Florida
36. Martha Kwoka- Clemson
37. Miriam Bunow- Maryland
38. Julia Joy Gainey- Florida
39. Kim Baldino- Drew
40. Nikki McCoy- North Carolina
41. Vanessa Kauffman- Temple University Fencing Club
42. Stacy Dubov- Princeton
43. Jenna Babyak- Maryland
44. Mary Magrane- Clemson
45. Silvana Pop- Temple University Fencing Club
46. Alla Brafman- Johns Hopkins
47. Dana Litowitz- Haverford
48. Laura Rice- Cornell
49. Lindsay Cumella- Cornell
49. Allison Gray- Florida
51. Helen Kaplan- Temple University Fencing Club
52. Tanya Onyshchenko- Virginia
53. Max Tridente- Stevens
54. Mary Ball- Virginia
55. Nayeon Han- Stevens
56. Meghan Nash- Florida
57. Victoria Vargus- Haverford
58. Tierni Orendoff- Temple University Fencing Club
59. Stacie Sachs- Florida
60. Melinda Douros- Virginia Tech
61. Teresa Wallace- Clemson
62. Kaitlyn Pietras- Clemson
63. Jen Cheng- FDU
64. Carolyn Robinson- Florida
65. Michelle Collura- Virginia Tech
66. Hefui Desai- Temple University Fencing Club
67. Anna Alperovich- Hunter
68. Kristen Heath- Florida
69. Jeeha Park- Indiana
70. Mary Clark Lind- Virginia Tech

WOMEN’S FOIL
1. Abby Emerson- UPenn
2. Sabrina Shapiro- Temple University
3. Jenna Remmert- Temple University
3. Zoya Abdikulova- UPenn
5. Nina Gernes- Temple University
6. Samantha Myles- Temple University
7. Ilana Sinkin- UPenn
8. Meghan Morris- North Carolina
9. Kathleen Reckling- Columbia
10. Maryanne Forsythe- Temple University
10. Eve Overton- UPenn
12. Samantha Giordana- Columbia
13. Kelly Crandall- Florida
14. Julia Mouk- Penn State
15. Jen Carman- Haverford
16. Shannon Flatley- Cornell
17. Anne Kurtz- Virginia Tech
18. Rachel Lieberman- Haverford
19. Sara Gonzalez- Penn State
20. Rebecca Kellogg- FDU
21. Alex DeMitchell- Florida
22. Sara Lefkowitz- Drew
23. Amy Lester- Drew
24. Jessica Wacker- North Carolina
25. Grace Fried- Johns Hopkins
26. Stephanie Godlewski- Drew
27. Joanne Scher- Maryland
28. Rachel Hylton- North Carolina
29. Katie Rebich- North Carolina
30. Katie Zenger- Clemson
31. Colleen Kirk- Stevens
32. Tara Odorizzi- Florida
33. Tracy Kracker- Clemson
34. Joanna Kochaniak- Johns Hopkins
35. Detra Euland- North Carolina
36. Nat Chabebe- Stevens
37. Rachel Cortez- Stevens
38. Amy Graybill- Clemson
39. Ranee Kumar- North Carolina
40. Celia Smith- Cornell
41. Kim Ho- Florida
42. Jessica Cho- Cornell
43. Helen Kourlos- Stevens
44. Lin Ling- Stevens
45. Jessica Wignall- Virginia
46. Christine Lee- North Carolina
47. Soong Yee-Ning- Maryland
48. Thara Gorur- Virginia
49. Cora Provins- Goucher
50. Meredith Peck- North Carolina
51. Julie Ganio- Florida
52. Lin Yi-Chen- Cornell
53. Genie Ko- North Carolina
54. Ashley Farris- Goucher
55. Phoebe Yung- Maryland
56. Laura Jones- Virginia Tech
57. Kaitlyn White- Temple University Fencing Club
58. Nisa Aziz- Stevens
59. Anne Searcy- Swarthmore
60. Adrienne Quiray- Stevens
61. Ashley Goldberg- Clemson
62. Deborah Apple- Goucher
63. Kristan Pardue- Florida
64. Clair Barbasch- Cornell
65. Paige Hill- North Carolina
66. Jessica DaSilva- Florida
67. Lepei Xie- Hunter
68. Meggie Ladlow- Swarthmore
69. Latifah Supian- Stevens
70. Joann Oliver- Clemson
71. Maryse Holly- Haveford
72. Laurie King- Virginia
73. Megan Ribeiro- Virginia

WOMEN’S EPEE
1. Andrea Wine- Penn State
2. Erica Waichman- Cornell
3. Kira Hohensee- Princeton
3. Brianna Ferrara- Temple University
5. Brenna Rabel- Drew
6. Melissa Forsythe- Temple University
7. Megan Lutheran- Penn State
8. Katherine Cook- Penn State
9. Meghan Phair- Cornell
10. Courtney Krolikoski- North Carolina
11. Marla Nacey- Temple University
12. Cindy Jorgensen- Rutgers
13. Kristen Hughes- UPenn
14. Jacklyn Schramm- UPenn
15. Zena Coulombe- FDU
16. Judith Generoso- Stevens
17. Alison Luckhardt- FDU
18. Jasmine Cooper- FDU
19. Elyse Feldman- Cornell
20. Ana Gutierrez- UPenn
21. Jessica Mayerovitch- Maryland
22. Cindy Liu- Johns Hopkins
23. Naomi Bocarsly- Drew
24. Erica Kuehn- FDU
25. Erica Golarza- FDU
26. Rachel Eschenbach- North Carolina
27. Amy Peterson- Clemson
28. Emily Frier- Stevens
29. Jacquie Harkema- North Carolina
30. Ninah Bell- Temple University
31. Christina D’Elia- Florida
32. Amy Buzby- Haverford
33. Leigh Scrimpf- Florida
34. Ashley Lund-Pearson- Rutgers
35. Torren Hoyord- Florida
36. Jackie McCullen- Rochester
37. Melanie Preston- Haverford
38. Marybeth Derbyshire- Maryland
39. Rachel Zuraw- Princeton
40. Kaitlyn Ukert- Temple University
41. Danika Globokar- Florida
42. Nicole Greco- Stevens
43. Robin Coulter- North Carolina
44. Kat Zukaitis- Haverford
45. Vanessa Pena- Haverford
46. Kate Dunne- Johns Hopkins
47. Cathy Gallagher- Johns Hopkins
48. Courtney Stokes- Florida
49. Rachel Cannell- Stevens
50. Susan Frendandall- Clemson
51. Marlina Roberts- Clemson
52. Alaina Floyd- Clemson
53. Michelle Yancey- Virginia Tech
54. Gloria Ham- Clemson
55. Neha Govil- Stevens
56. Morgan Colwan- Virginia
57. Allison Barlow- Swarthmore
58. Alisa Woideck- Florida
59. Ayla Norris- Clemson
60. Emma Standiford- Clemson
61. Sok Risa- Hunter
62. Hope Kaye- Haverford
63. Sallie Lampron- North Carolina
64. Holly Ray- Florida
65. Irene Norman- North Carolina
65. Sarah Saville- Virginia Tech
67. Valerie Burkett- Florida
68. Ari Prior-Grosch- North Carolina
69. Namrata Idnani- Cornell
70. Beijie Min- Hunter
71. Carolyn Valle- Florida
72. Candice Carr- Goucher
73. Carmen DeJesus- Florida
74. Stephanie Green- Purdue
75. Heather Gavigan- Florida

[LongBlade]

Men's Fencing Falls to NYU and Vassar
Sacred Heart University
Fairfield, Connecticut
Nov. 7, 2005

sacredheartpioneers.collegesports.com/sports/m-fenc/recaps/110705aaa.html

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY - The Sacred Heart men's fencing team opened up the 2005-06 campaign at Vassar College on Sunday and came away with a trio of victories against Vassar, Marist College, and Yeshiva University.

In the foil competition, Lucas Bernacki went 2-1 against Vassar and 2-0 against Yeshiva. Jeremy Goun shutout all three schools, finishing with a perfect 9-0 record. Kris Singhaviroj finished against Vassar with a 2-1 record and sweeping both Marist College and Yeshiva University, 6-0.

In epee, senior captain Adam Constantine finished 3-1 during the competition. Charlie Thompson faced off against all three schools, walking away with an 8-1 record. Earl Gendron went against two schools, earning a record of 2-1. Freshman Tom Streko started his SHU fencing career with a 4-2, while senior Robert Howard finished the day 3-3.

Finishing up with the sabre competition, senior Alex Bente and sophomore Matthew Laudicina each had records of 3-2 against Vassar and Yeshiva. Senior Manuel Calderon finished the day with a 3-3 record. Freshman David Rabinowitz started his fencing season with a 3-4 opening weekend.