Fencing in the News

[LongBlade]

The Finer Points of Balancing Fencing, Family
By Gillian Tan
The Wall Street Journal
March 25, 2013

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324557804578376542564947164.html

Evelyn Halls, a corporate attorney, can clock more than 100 hours a week advising clients on such issues as mergers and restructurings. Yet Ms. Halls maintains a fencing training regimen that has her ranked second in Australia in women's epee, the heaviest sword used in competitive fencing.

Ms. Halls works as a partner at the Melbourne, Australia, office of global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills. While at the firm, she competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney (coming in 20th) and 2004 Games in Athens (14th).


Australian fencer Evelyn Halls does footwork drills with her with daughter Gabriella, 6.
Credit: James Horan for The Wall Street Journal

Ms. Halls competes overseas and is considering entering the World Championships in Budapest in August, but she says she treats the sport as a hobby, with competitions fit between her family and work commitments. "I don't devote the time and effort that I used to now that I have become a partner," she says. "Also, I have a 6-year-old daughter."

Ms. Halls, 40 years old, practices fencing at least twice a week for up to three hours. That's down from the 10 training sessions a week she did for the Olympics. "I try to do enough to keep my hand in [the sport] as I really enjoy it," she says

She started fencing at 10 years old only to help boost the head count on her sister's class. For the first five years, she says, "I was a reluctant participant and there was no instant love affair."

While competitive fencers generally peak in their late 20s to early 30s, Ms. Halls believes fencing is a sport that appeals to all age groups "because of its intellectual aspect."

"Like all combat sports, fencing is a one-on-one battle of wits with your opponent—in that respect it's very primal, which is one of the reasons I love it," she says.

The Workout
Each training session depends on when sparring partners are available. Training buddies include her husband Peter Osvath, who refereed at the Los Angeles 1984 Games and Sydney Olympics, and her stepson Daniel Osvath, who is ranked fourth in Australia in men's epee and is studying law.


Ms. Halls, left, during a practice at the
State Fencing Centre in Melbourne, Australia.
Credit: James Horan for The Wall Street Journal

In practice at the State Fencing Centre in North Melbourne, Ms. Halls will often fence with a partner for up to 30 minutes, focusing on particular actions and tactical scenarios. She spends 30 to 40 minutes on footwork drills to improve balance and mobility. The drills incorporate different fencing moves over the 14-meter (46.2 feet) length of the piste, or strip, which marks the playing area. Many of the moves include steps forward, steps back, lunges and fleches, from the French word for arrow, which involves "an attacking move where you launch yourself through the air toward the opponent," explains Ms. Halls.

"It's about more than just being able to move forward and backward," she says. "It's really important to always be balanced and ready for the next action."

Since competitions involve knockout stages over the course of 12 hours or more and high periods of intensity followed by long breaks, Ms. Halls works on basic fitness and stamina. She runs about 4 miles a few times a week during her lunch breaks. "If you're fatigued, that's when your technique and concentration start to waver," she says.

The Diet
Ms. Halls, who is 5 feet 8 inches and 139 pounds, maintains a low-fat, low-salt diet. Carbohydrates feature in all three of her meals: muesli for breakfast, a salad sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner. "I need to eat a lot of carbs to have enough stamina for my training. Otherwise, I end up constantly hungry."

For a snack, she has dried fruit and nuts. She consumes three cups of coffee a day and minimizes her consumption of alcohol.

The Gear
Ms. Halls prefers Allstar Fencing clothing and equipment, which, according to the company, are made in accordance with the International Fencing Federation's requirements. Though they include padding, the mandatory full-body suits don't prevent fencers from extensive bruising.

"They're designed so that if blades break, they can't penetrate the fabric," she says.

Allstar's lightweight jacket costs $335, breeches fetch $225 and a plastron, or a quilted pad, which protects the torso and side, goes for $100. An epee costs around $250, which includes a $200 blade. Ms. Halls travels with up to five weapons when competing. She replaces blades twice a year on average.

Fencing gloves cost $40, socks with padded fronts cost $15 and Adidas fencing shoes retail for $140. A mask costs about $185. A tool bag for weapon adjustments and a battery-powered box, which tests whether the blade's electric point will fire, cost a combined $200.

The Playlist
Unlike her peers, who listen to music to relax or psyche themselves up before competing or during breaks, Ms. Halls finds music "makes it hard to get focused."
_____________________________________________________________

Before 'En Garde,' Learning the Tools and the Real Object of the Game

Fencing involves three weapons: the foil, the sabre and the epee.

"At the top level, fencers need to specialize in one of the three weapons as the actions and responses" are different for each weapon, says Evelyn Halls, a corporate attorney in Melbourne, Australia, and competitive fencer. "I started off learning foil and became national champion in that weapon, before switching to epee in my early 20s, as it was more suited to my natural style."

Events involving the epee, the heaviest of fencing weapons, are the only ones where fencers can score points by targeting their opponent's entire body, says Ms. Halls. Events with the sabre, which has a dual edge and a curved guard on the handle, are the only ones where a fencer can score with the edge of the blade, not just the point. In foil events, only touches with the tip of the blade, which is light and flexible, score points. Touches outside the target are—the legs, arms and head—don't count and halt play temporarily, she says.

"Like boxing, it's about convincing your opponent you'll do one thing so you draw them into doing the wrong action at the wrong time, or in the wrong place and then take advantage of their error to hit them," says Ms. Halls.

In individual competition, each bout is three rounds lasting three minutes each, or until one fencer scores 15 touches. Touches are recorded by an electric scoring apparatus connected to the sword's tip. In epee events, double touches—where both fencers hit within 40 milliseconds of each other—result in a point for each. In team competitions, groups of three compete against each other, with a fencer from each team competing in bouts of up to three minutes. The team that reaches 45 touches first wins.

[LongBlade]

Fencing club to compete in national tournament
By Bert Santibanez
The University Star
April 3, 2013

star.txstate.edu/node/6928

Within the Jowers Center on the Texas State Campus resides a mostly unknown sporting organization with a longstanding and distinguished history.

The Texas State Fencing Club, established in 1975, is the longest active club organization at Texas State. For the first time in its history, the club has been invited to compete in the United States Association of Collegiate Fencing Clubs Championships at Michigan State University April 6 and 7. The tournament has open competitions for schools around the country to participate, but receiving an invitation is a special honor.

“The club has a good tradition,” said Wyatt Constantine, international studies senior and fencer. “We have a reputation of fielding good fencers. I’m not scared at all. At the very least, they’re going to remember Texas State. We’re going to be facing a lot of schools where fencing is really strong. It’s going to be awesome.”

To further contribute to the club’s confidence as the tournament approaches, John Moreau, the coach of the club, is no novice to competitive fencing. Moreau has 40 years of fencing experience and has obtained many accolades in his professional fencing career. Moreau was a member of both the 1984 and 1988 Olympic fencing teams. In 2003, Moreau became the United States national champion of fencing at the age of 52, the oldest ever to be named champion.

“We tend to attract the more eclectic athlete, the scholar and the intelligent,” Moreau said. “What they lack for in physical attributes, they more than make up in mental acuity. As a team, we’re not going into the tournament to lose. These kids know what they can do and have a lot of experience. Those (competing schools) put their pants on the same way we do.”

Many intricacies and psychological components are involved in the sport of fencing. The degree of aggressiveness and speed of the sport cannot be underestimated. Fencing is divided into three stylistic categories of fighting: foil, saber, and épée. In the club, the épée version is generally preferred by most members. However, some differ in their preference of fighting style.

“Saber is generally considered a slashing weapon,” saber specialist Jake New said. “The weapon was originally fashioned after the cavalry sword on horseback. Of the three weapons, saber is definitely the fastest pace. I feel like it’s the most technical and aggressive of the other weapons. Since last semester, the club has gained a lot more sabers, and now we’re one of the top saber teams in our collegiate circuit. My goal here for the team is to really build up the saber dynasty, where every tournament we finish first and second consistently.”

As the national collegiate tournament approaches, the Bobcat fencing team feel they have the passion, skill and experience to make a memorable showing on a national level.

[LongBlade]

Northampton Fencing Club hosts competition to support charities
Northampton Chronicle & Echo
03/05/2013

www.northamptonchron.co.uk/community/community-news/northampton-fencing-club-hosts-competition-to-support-charities-1-5052146

Northampton Fencing Club is raising money for Leukaemia Research, the Cystic Fibrosis Society and Epilepsy Action by hosting a fencing competition.

On Saturday May 18, the club is holding a 3 Weapons Memorial Fencing competition for fencers over the age of 13 to take on Gary Baker Epee, Doug Facer Foil and Sean Slootweg Sabre.

There will also be stalls to browse around, as well as games and fencing taster sessions to take part in throughout the day. Money raised will be split between the three charities.

The event starts at 9.30am at The Pitsford Centre Sports Hall, Gate 4, Moulton College, Pitsford Road, Moulton.

For further information and to request a competition application form email Mark Alland at [e-mail]

[LongBlade]

Illinois Fencers Club Holds Hugely Successful Epee Tournament in Mt. Prospect
By jauchinleck, Community Contributor
Chicago Tribune
May 3, 2013

www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/mount_prospect_prospect_heights/community/chi-ugc-article-illinois-fencers-club-holds-hugely-successful-2013-05-03,0,6581776.story

On Sunday, April 28th, the Illinois Fencers Club (IFC) held its 2013 Dominick Epee Challenge - the Chicago area's largest epee only fencing tournament. The tournament took place at the Lions Memorial Park in Mount Prospect with over 100 fencers from many states, ages 12 to 70, participating. The event included competitions for Senior Women's Epee, Senior Mixed Epee, Mixed Team Epee, and Y12 (aged 12 and under) Mixed Epee.

In Senior Women's Epee IFC's own Sammie Doro finished in 3rd place. IFC fencers AJ Mikkelson and Peter Kulaga took 1st place and 3rd place respectively in the Y12 Mixed Epee event.

The Senior Mixed Epee event with its 74 participants classified as an A2B3 event and brought 4 medals for IFC fencers. Maciek Zmyslowski placed 1st and renewed his "A" rating for 2013. Maciek, 22, has been with IFC for 8 years now and says that fencing is for him " a great source of friends as well as sport". In his own words fencing teaches him "patience, self-control, and tenacity" and he plans to "never stop". Aside from fencing he majors in chemistry/integrated science at Nortwestern University. Zmyslowski was immediately followed by his younger teammate Gabriel Weininger who took 2nd place. Gabe, now 15 years old, took up fencing when he was 8 after seeing a fencing scene in the movie "Parent Trap".

Also in the Senior Mixed Epee event David Vishny finished 6th and earned a new "C" rating, and Timothy Glass came in 7th place Additional recognition goes to Jakub Nowak and Andrew Jin for earning their "E" rating.

The United States Fencing Association system of rating fencers uses letters starting with an “A” rating for the highest rated fencer, followed by “B” and so on to “E.” A beginner is unrated, as signified by a “U” rating. Ratings are achieved based upon the placement a fencer finished in at a tournament, the number of fencers who participated in the event and their ratings.

Seven teams competed in the Senior Mixed Team event. IFC fencers came away with both gold and silver medals as the team of Maciek Zmyslowski, Gabe Weininger, and Sasha Heber from IFC and Daniel Hurwitz from Northwestern University Club finished in first place, while the silver medal went to the team made up 3 young IFC fencers: Zimo Zhu, Andrew Jin and Jakub Nowak.

The 2013 Dominick Epee Challenge was the last largest tournament our fencers participated in before preparing for 2013 National USA Fencing Championships. The Nationals will be held June 28 to July 7 in Columbus, Ohio at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The championship, which is the largest fencing tournament in the world, is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and will host 3,500 participants between the ages of 8 and 80 and is the springboard for qualifying for the US Olympic Fencing Team.

As part of the preparation for Sumer Nationals in Ohio on June 15, 2013 IFC is offering an intensive fencing clinic. This one day clinic will provide an outstanding opportunity for those fencers who have qualified for the 2013 Summer Nationals to participate in a full day long event with a duration and intensity consistent with the type of workload that can be expected at the Summer Nationals.

The next IFC event will be the 2013 IFC Youth Tournament on Sunday, June 2, 2013 at the Central Community Center, 1000 W. Central Rd., Mount Prospect with competitions in all weapons including the following categories Y10 Mixed Epee, Y10 Mixed Foil, Y12 Mixed Epee, Y12 Mixed Foil, Y12 Mixed Saber, Y14 Mixed Epee, Y14 Mixed Foil, and Y14 Mixed Saber. This tournament is open to current USFA competitive members.

The Illinois Fencers Club promotes and teaches the Olympic sport of fencing to students of all ages and skill levels and provides a friendly venue for members to practice their sport. It is a member operated non-for-profit sports association that has been serving beginning, recreational, and competitive fencers for more than 40 years. The club meets in the Lions Recreation Center, 411 S. Maple St., Mt. Prospect, IL and can be found at www.IFCfencing.org and FB page.

[LongBlade]

Foil me not: Fencing is growing in region
By Jon Shumake
Clay Today
Fleming Island, FL
May 02, 2013

www.claytodayonline.com/ee/claytoday/en/component/fullstory/20130502_019_art_1/foil-me-not-fencing-is-growing-in-region

Staci Tucker laid two medals, one gold and one bronze, on the coffee table in her family’s living room. Although she said she was excited to win the medals in fencing, she is humble when it comes to her success. She said there were things she could have done better when it comes to the bronze medal, and that she happened to get lucky when it comes to the gold medal.


Fencing is catching on in the Clay County area.


Tucker is a Middleburg teenager who has taken up fencing, which is a sport that is growing in popularity among American teens.

The 15-year-old has been fencing for about three years. She said she likes fencing not only because of the thrill of competition, but because of the people as well.

"I like the excitement, and the fencing community is a big family," said Tucker, who is currently homeschooled. "We get to hang out and support each other."

Tucker fences at the Jacksonville Fencing Club. Anyone can join the club, and its members range from ages 8 to their 70s.

Tucker said she turned to fencing after having to quit gymnastics due to the strain it put on her limbs.

"Fencing doesn’t put much stress on my wrists and ankles and still builds up strength," she said.

Tucker said she heard about fencing through television and movies. Her dad, Matt Tucker, said he received a phone call from the coach after Staci emailed him expressing interest in the sport and attended a youth lesson. He said it was his daughter’s decision to pursue fencing, but he and his wife would have been supportive with whatever she chose to do.

The basic fencing set costs about $150 before its electric. The fencer must go through footwork training by the coach before being asked to get an electric set, which costs another $100.

Matt Tucker said the sport not only gives his daughter a physical challenge, but a mental one as well.

"Her coach always calls it physical chess," Matt Tucker said. "You always have to be thinking of what your opponent is doing."

Tucker’s coach, Raul Toro, has been involved with the sport for over 40 years and he has been coaching in Jacksonville since 1999. He likes to compare fencing to physical chess because fencers always have to be aware of what they’re opponent may do.

"You’re always trying to stay one step ahead of your opponents while on your feet," Toro said. "You do so by using your physical and mental prowess.’ Tucker’s favorite type of fencing is saber, which she started last summer. Saber is unlike the other two fencing weapons, foil and épée, because the entire blade is in play. The target area for saber fencing is anything above the waist, excluding the hands. Tucker said she liked saber the most because it’s the most aggressive of the three.

"I think it’s a little bit more intriguing," Tucker said. "It keeps the hype up when fencing. You never get bored when watching saber."

Toro said Tucker has been progressing well while learning saber. He said they have a goal for her to begin competing in saber in April or May. Toro said he wishes all his students were like Tucker.

"She’s the type of student as an instructor you can mold," Toro said. "She is open to instruction."

Tucker has been competing in tournaments for several years. She went to the 2010 Summer Nationals as a member of the girls’ team. She said it was a learning experience despite her team finishing in last place.

She has also competed in local tournaments. The "River City Dual ‘Til You Drop" is an annual tournament hosted by the Jacksonville Fencing Club. Tucker recently finished 10th out of 26 in her age group. She has qualified for the Junior Olympics in both 2011 and 2012 in women’s foil.

According to Toro, Tucker has a bright future.

"She has the drive to be successful," Toro said. "I see success for her in the future."

Tucker has big dreams for her future, but she grounds them in reality.

"I would love to be in the Olympics, but it depends on school," Tucker said. She is planning to attend school for ministry.

[LongBlade]

NOT Too Young for Swords
The Daily News
Galveston, Texas
May 3, 2013

www.galvestondailynews.com/ad_features/galveston_east/article_b95ed954-b408-11e2-83c8-001a4bcf6878.html

You don’t have to be a grown-up to play with swords. Galveston’s youngest fencers got a chance to cross blades in a competitive format at the Galveston Fencing Club’s recent Buccaneer Open, April 13. This year competitions for “Youth Age 8 and Under” and “Youth Age 10 and Under” in foil fencing were held along with the usual adult competitions.

In the last two years the age diversity within GFC has greatly increased, with fencers ranging from some as young as six to some in their sixties. It was decided to use the Buccaneer Open to allow some of the youngest Galveston fencers to experience actual competition. In the Y-10 foil competition Dylan Gray won first place and Hans Weant took second. In the Y-8 foil, Elyssa Rivera came in first. Henry Roquemore placed second. Stephen Brown placed third. The youth competitions were refereed by April Alford of Houston, formerly the top ranked female senior-level foil fencer in Texas.

In the adult events, Samuel Sypien of the Clear Lake Fencing Club won both the mixed foil and mixed sabre events. Craig King of Friendswood, also a CLFC fencer, won the gold in mixed epee. Rebecca Rea of Kingwood won the women’s epee event. Amanda Grein of Houston won women’s foil. Jessica Bullard of Galveston won the women’s sabre event. In keeping with the piratical theme of the Buccaneer Open, the winner of each adult event also won a cutlass.

The club holds three USA Fencing-sanctioned tournaments each year: the Jean Laffite Classic in the fall for unclassified fencers; the Naomia Abbott Memorial in the spring for female fencers; and the Buccaneer Open, also in the spring, for fencers of all classifications. Additionally the club holds informal tournaments ranging from one-touch epee fencing to singlestick fencing (a Victorian era event).

GFC’s sister club, the Clear Lake Fencing Club, based in Dickinson, will hold its annual Clear Lake Open on May 4. That tournament will be held in the gym at the Gilruth Center at the Johnson Space Center.

The Galveston Fencing Club meets Monday and Wednesday evenings in the gym at the O’Connell School. Classes for fencers 12 and under are held from 6:15-7:15 p.m. Classes for older youths and adults are held from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Those curious about the sport are welcome to stop by and visit.

Students from the O’Connell School and Holy Family School may take classes free of charge. For information on tournaments, classes, fees and requirements you may email the club at [e-mail], visit their website at www.galvestonfencing.2itb.com/ or look for them on Facebook.

[LongBlade]

Twenty U.S. Fencers Advance to Second Day of Absolute Fencing Gear® Korfanty World Cup
BoxScore
May 9, 2013

boxscorenews.com/fencing-twenty-us-fencers-advance-to-second-day-of-absolute-fencing-gear-p56093-68.htm

USA Fencing -Chicago, Ill.- May 4, 2013 – Team USA had a successful opening day at the Absolute Fencing Gear® Korfanty World Cup on Friday as 20 saber fencers advanced to the table of 64 on Saturday.

Thirteen U.S. women and seven men will fence in the final day of individual competition at the University of Chicago Flames Athletic Center.

The U.S. Women’s Saber Team began the competition with three Americans seeded in the top 16 which gave them byes out of Friday’s rounds and into the table of 64.

Two-time Olympic Champion Mariel Zagunis (Beaverton, Ore.) is currently ranked #2 in the world while 2012 Olympian Dagmara Wozniak (Avenel, N.J.) is ranked seventh in the world and her three-time Senior World Teammate Ibtihaj Muhammad (Maplewood, N.J.) who won two past Senior World bronzes with Zagunis and Wozniak, is ranked 14th.

Daria Schneider (New York City, N.Y.) came one step closer to a chance at competing for a third Senior World Team medal when she finished Friday’s competition as the top-ranked fencer in the pools and will enter the direct elimination tables as the 17th seed.

Muhammad’s younger sister, Faizah Muhammad (Maplewood, N.J.), also went undefeated in the pools to advance to the second day of competition where she could meet her older sibling in the table of 32.

Eliza Stone (Chicago, Ill.) returned from Princeton to her hometown to post an impressive 5-1 result in the pools and qualify directly for the table of 64 as well. Ranked fourth in the nation, Stone is attempting to hold her position for the next two international tournaments in order to secure the final spot on the 2013 Senior World Team.

Of the remaining 24 U.S. women fencing on Friday, 23 advanced out of the pools and into the preliminary tables with seven making it into the table of 64 on Saturday.

Ranked sixth in the United States, Monica Aksamit (Matawan, N.J.) went 5-1 in the pools to earn a bye into the preliminary table of 64 where she defeated Siu In Jenny Ho (HKG), 15-8.

Aksamit, a 2009 Senior World Team member, will face Stone in the table of 64 on Saturday with the winner of that bout meeting either former Senior World medalist Aleksandra Socha (POL) or 2013 Junior World Team Champion Sage Palmedo (Portland, Ore.)

After a 2-3 pool finish, 16-year-old Palmedo defeated Sin Ying Au (HKG), 15-9, in the preliminary table of 128 and her 2012 Junior World teammate, Margaret McDonald (Atlanta, Ga.), 15-7, in the preliminary table of 64 to advance to the second day for the sixth straight time this season.

Fencing in her third Senior World Cup ever, junior fencer Emma Keehan (Chandler, Ariz.) finished the pools, 4-2, and defeated Joanna Lew (Durham, N.C.), 15-10, to advance to the table of 64.

Keehan’s younger sister, Sophie Keehan (Chandler, Ariz.) also fenced on Saturday, but lost her final bout of the day to Adrienne Jarocki (Middle Village, N.Y.) who won gold in the team event and silver in the individual at the Junior Worlds last month. Although Sophie was up, 8-4, at the break, Jarocki came back for a 15-13 win.

Kamali Thompson (Teaneck, N.J.) will return to the table of 64 for the third straight year at this event after a 4-2 pool result and a 15-9 win in the preliminary table of 64 over three-time Junior World medalist Martina Petraglia (ITA).

Although 2009 Cadet World medalist Nicole Glon (State College, Pa.) struggled in pools where she posted a 2-4 result, she defeated Jaeyeun You (KOR), 15-11, and 2013 Junior World medalist Martina Criscio (ITA), 15-13, to advance to the second day of competition where she will face Zagunis in the first round.

Competing at a World Cup for the first time since 2010, Alison Miller (Chicago, Ill.) used the home crowd to her advantage on Friday. Miller finished the pools with a 2-4 record, but won her next two bouts over Aziza Hassan (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 15-11, and three-time Junior World medalist Saoussen Boudiaf (FRA), 15-12.

In the men’s event, London Olympian Daryl Homer (Bronx, N.Y.) skipped the first day of competition due to his 10th seed in the tournament.

Homer will open competition on Saturday with a table of 64 bout against his former Junior World teammate, Aleksander Ochocki (Linden, N.J.)

Ochocki, who is ranked fourth in the nation and now nearly guaranteed a position on his first Senior World Team, went 3-2 in the pools and defeated Sam Austin (Chapel Hill, N.C.) to advance to the table of 64.

Two-time Junior World medalist Eli Dershwitz (Sherborn, Mass.) will fence in the table of 64 at his second Senior World Cup of the season after finishing 5-1 in the pools and advancing directly to the second day of competition.

London Olympian Jeff Spear (Wynantskill, N.Y.) also advanced to the second day of competition. Spear, who is coming off a recent injury, dropped just one pool bout and defeated Teddy Weller (ISV), 15-8, to qualify for the second day of competition.

In a bid for his fourth Senior World Team, Ben Igoe (Staten Island, N.Y.) finished the pools, 4-2, and defeated Shaul Gordon (CAN), 15-7, in the preliminary table of 64.

Fencing in a reduced pool after former World and Olympic Champion Aldo Montano (ITA) pulled out with an injury, Evan Prochniak (Hudson, N.H.) finished the pool, 3-2. Prochniak defeated two-time Olympian Valery Pryiemka (BLR), 15-14, to advance to the table of 64 for the first time since 2009.

A 2013 Cadet World Team member, Jonah Shainberg (Rye, N.Y.) may have been fencing in just his second Senior World Cup, but he went 5-1 in the pools and held off Aliaksei Likhacheuski (BLR) to win the final bout of the day, 15-14, and advance to the table of 64.

Competition schedule for the remainder of the weekend is as follows:

Saturday, May 4 (Flames Athletic Center)
9 a.m.
Women’s Individual Direct Elimination Table of 64 – Quarter-finals
1:40 p.m.
Men’s Individual Direct Elimination Table of 64 – Quarter-finals
6:30 p.m.
Men’s and Women’s Individual Semifinal and Final and Final Rounds

Sunday, May 5 (Flames Athletic Center)
8:20 a.m.
Women’s Team Direct Elimination Tables
Noon
Men’s Team Direct Elimination Tables
6 p.m.
Men’s and Women’s Bronze and Gold Medal Matches

Results for athletes who placed outside the top 64 are as follows:

Women’s Individual World Cup:
67. Margaret McDonald (Atlanta, Ga.)
69. Lena Johnson (Peachtree City, Ga.)
72. Sarah Merza (Wayne, N.J.)
74. Ilana Kamber (Short Hills, N.J.)
76. Skyla Powers (Decatur, Ga.)
78. Kimberly Young (Gilbert, Ariz.)
79. Sophie Keehan (Chandler, Ariz.)
84. Desirae Major (Broomfield, Colo.)
86T. Dana Kong (Princeton, N.J.)
86T. Joanna Lew (Durham, N.C.)
94. Gracie Stone (Chicago, Ill.)
98. Francesca Russo (Wayne, N.J.)
102. Allison Lee (Saddle River, N.J.)
104. Aziza Hassan (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
111. Celina Merza (Wayne, N.J.)
118. Riya Dave (Ardsley, N.Y.)

Men’s Individual World Cup:
74. Samuel Austin (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
75T. Michael Costin (Culver, Calif.)
75T. Benjamin Natanzon (Manalapan, N.J.)
77. Jeffrey Dalli (San Carlos, Calif.)
78. Peter Souders (Silver Spring, Md.)
79. Gabe Armijo (San Diego, Calif.)
85T. Sean Buckley (Secaucus, N.J.)
87. Marty Williams (Plainfield, N.J.)
89. Matthew Zich (New York City, N.Y.)
99. John Hallsten (Sacramento, Calif.)
102. Christofer Ahn (Houston, Texas)
106. Vincent Argenzio (Revere, Mass.)
107. Christopher Monti (Cary, Ill.)
108. Thomas Kolasa (Princeton, N.J.)
109. Calvin Liang (Phoenix, Ariz.)
117. Andrew Mackiewicz (Westwood, Mass.)
119. Kaito Streets (Redwood City, Calif.)
120. Bartosz Pukal (Evanston, Ill.)
124. Andrew Fischl (Huntington, N.Y.)
131. Geoffrey Loss (Laguna Beach, Calif.)
133. Donovan Deans (Tempe, Ariz.)
141. Ameen Borojerdi (Plantation, Fla.)
143T. Edward Chin (Livingston, N.J.)
149. Benjamin Marcus (Staten Island, N.Y.)
155. Evangelos Efstathiou (Cambridge, Mass.)

For more information, contact Nicole Jomantas, USA Fencing Communications Manager, at 719.761.7909 or [e-mail].

[LongBlade]

University of Incarnate Word to open Center for Fencing and International Sports
By: Dawn Lee Wakefield
Examiner.com
May 11, 2013

www.examiner.com/article/university-of-incarnate-word-to-open-center-for-fencing-and-international-sports

A ribbon cutting will be held at 10:30 am Monday, May 13, at The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) in San Antonio, Texas, as the official “opening celebration for their new superb UIW Brainpower Center for Fencing and International Sports,” said Margaret Garcia, UIW associate director of public relations in a May 10 UIW press release. The public is invited to see the facility, located at 3200 McCullough Avenue, on the St. Anthony Catholic High School campus, which is owned and operated by UIW. The ribbon cutting will be at 10:30 am, Mon. May 13 at the facility. Among dignitaries attending are Dr. Louis Agnese, UIW President, and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff.

The 18,000 square foot facility includes “eight fencing strips, practice strips, spectator and exercise areas, a gymnasium with basketball and volleyball capabilities, an international sports area for badminton and table tennis and an armory,” Garcia said. The outstanding complex was made possible by a $2 million contribution from the Bexar County Venue Tax. Then, “Incarnate Word funded an additional $1 million toward the facility, bringing its total estimated cost to $3 million,” Garcia noted.

In 2008 San Antonio voters approved Proposition 2, which “provided $80 million to amateur sports facilities in the city.” This is an excellent example of county and university working together to make possible international caliber competition sports facilities that benefit, ultimately, high school and college and perhaps Olympic events down the road. At the time, Dr. Timothy Henrich, professor of sports management and kinesiology, said ‘San Antonio had historically been home to many successful Olympic and international caliber fencers,’ so the new facility gets the city and university one step closer.

The internation facility is definitely in keeping with the mission of the University of the Incarnate Word, which is currently the largest Catholic university in Texas as well as the fourth-largest private university here. UIW’s education mission is decidedly international in scope and the university notes the school “boasts a presence in China, Mexico and Germany, as well as San Antonio and Corpus Christi, with over 100 ‘sister schools’ in 37 countries.

In the new complex, the center will “serve as a multipurpose facility allowing UIW to develop an NCAA fencing program, provide the facilities for a U.S. Fencing Association club for the community, which will serve as a training facility for fencing athletes, including the hosting of regional and national competitions.” Finally, a community outreach initiative known as Dreams for Youth fencing will be possible here.

Dreams for Youth, which is sponsored by San Antonio Sports, presently offers training in diving and volleyball and is a year-round, out-of-school time youth sports program for youth to be trained by experienced coaches in safe, quality athletic facilites. There, the students can “build meaningful relationships with their mentors, participate in sports competitions, and develop social and life skills needed to mature into well-informed, productive citizens, notes the program web site at www.sanantoniosports.org.

There is an International Charity Fund for the Future of Fencing, which notes the expansion of geographic popularity of the sport: “At the last Olympic Games in fencing, 10 sets of medals were played, three dozen top places in total,” which went to 13 countries. Interestingly, winners were from Venezuela, Egypt, Japan, and Norway, where there had been no “age-old” traditions of fencing, the site notes. Goals for the organization are to offer 12 sets to be played at the 2016 Olympics.

San Antonio is uniquely positioned to be the home town of potential future Olympians, thanks to the wisdom of the UIW leadership as well as the foresight of Bexar County officials, and the voters of San Antonio, who combined for the sake of children, something the “city of so many charms” is stellar at doing. Thanks to this partnership, Bexar County and San Antonio’s University of the Incarnate Word will indeed host the premier fencing facility in the region.

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The cut and thrust of competition
By David Scott
The Age (Australia)
May 13, 2013

www.theage.com.au/national/education/voice/the-cut-and-thrust-of-competition-20130510-2jc2c.html

Fencing may be seen as a "minority" sport still, but the University of Melbourne is home to several of Australia's next generation of world-class fencers.

Alasdair Dunham sounds tired and it's little wonder, because the third year Commerce student has just returned from a whirlwind trip to Croatia to compete in the under 20 world fencing championships. Now he's turning his attention to the classes and assignments put on the back burner while he's been away.

Such is life for Australia's leading junior fencers, juggling training with study and the jobs that pay their passage to various national and international competitions. Not that they"d have it any other way.

"It's my passion and I desperately want to perform in the sport, so I'll do anything I can to keep competing," says Mr Dunham. "It's obviously still a minority sport here in Australia, and we"re one of the weaker countries internationally, but that just drives me more."

The journey for Mr Dunham started as a 10-year-old just wanting to play with swords. "I remember they did a session at my primary school for kids in the year above me and I was devastated! I nagged my parents to let me start classes.

"By the time I was 15, and competing internationally, I realised I was getting quite good, and things just took off."

One of the top three under 20 fencers in Australia for the foil - a mixed blade combining the speed of sabre bouts and the mental game of the epee - Mr Dunham revelled in the opportunity to test himself against global competition in Europe this past southern summer.

Across four junior world cup events in Italy, Austria, Spain and France ahead of the world championships, he finished in the top 64 each time. It was a performance he repeated in the main world championships earlier in April.

"I lived and trained in Italy, which is the best place to be for the sport as It's the powerhouse of international competition. It was amazing to be right there training with former world champions and coaches who had won Olympic gold."

The University of Melbourne has become quite a hub for Australia's up-and-coming fencing elite, with no fewer than 12 state or national level fencers, many of whom also compete overseas. In Croatia alone, fellow students Emily Marotta, Amy Reynolds, Lucas Webber and Leah Tausan joined Mr Dunham in representing the Green and Gold.

Although Ms Tausan says she didn't perform as well as expected, it was also a great first experience competing in the world championships.

"It's been a busy few months as I was at the Asian Junior Championships in March where our 3v3 team won gold, and before that in France to train and get European world cup experience," Ms Tausan says.

"The world cup circuit in Europe is a different scene. Every event had hundreds of competitors and anyone competing at that level can participate in elite competition pretty much every fortnight. It raises the bar."

Unlike many team sports, fencing has a year-round season, requiring plenty of diary juggling by competitors.

"Training is five days a week, consisting of an individual lesson, practice bouts, drills and mock competition on weekends," Ms Tausan says. "On top of that I coach school kids twice weekly at North Melbourne (Recreation Centre) which is rewarding, particularly when they want to start playing pirates!"

For Mr Dunham the support from MU Sport - and the University's Elite Athlete Friendly status - has been invaluable, and he sees it as a key reason there are so many elite fencers at Melbourne.

"Given fencing is such a small sport in Australia, It's quite a close-knit cohort, which we certainly notice at overseas competitions.

"It's not easy to juggle study when you're training up to five hours a day, but the University has been very flexible. And I know I've told some of the other Australian junior fencers how useful that's been, when considering life after school.

"You can't do a sport that's not well financed forever as a career, without subsidising it somehow. That's where getting a degree comes in. There are some great examples of Australian fencers who work and continue competing internationally, and I want to follow them.

"However I've also seen people who have gunned for an Olympic spot who for whatever reason haven't made it, and suffered without an education to fall back on. I want to make sure I can balance the rest of my life as well."

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$4 million fencing center lauded at opening
Jerry Brigg, Express-News Staff Writer
May 14, 2013

Read more: www.mysanantonio.com/sports/article/4-million-fencing-center-lauded-at-opening-4512865.php#ixzz2TQ79uAJ8


Olympic fencing bronze medal winners Kelley and Courtney Hurley, provide a fencing demonstration during the grand opening celebration for the University of the Incarnate Word's Brain Power Center for Fencing and International Sports on Monday May 13, 2013. The 18,000 square-foot facility includes eight fencing strips, practice strips and a gymnasium that can be used for basketball and volleyball. There is also an international sports area for badminton and table tennis along with an armory. UIW is hoping to develop an NCAA fencing program and provide facilities for a U.S Fencing Association club. The facility will also serve as a training facility for fencing athletes and host competitions.

The U.S. Olympic sports community Monday hailed the opening of a $4 million training and competition center for fencing in San Antonio.

“This is by far one of the best fencing facilities I've seen in the United States,” said Kelley Hurley, a Warren High School graduate and a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team that won a bronze medal.

The 18,000-square foot facility is located on the campus of St. Anthony Catholic High School.

It was built as a joint project with backing from Bexar County and the University of the Incarnate Word, which owns the high school.

Known as the UIW Brainpower Center for Fencing and International Sports, it will serve as home for a university fencing team and also for UIW-affiliated high school and local club teams.

Fencing is considered a non-traditional sport in Texas, but it is one that UIW president Louis Agnese said he is happy to offer in his NCAA Division I lineup.

“This facility is symbolic of all of what we're trying to do for young people,” Agnese told supporters at a grand opening ceremony. “We are very happy to have fencing here.

“... It's great for the mind. It's great for the coordination. We wanted our kids to be exposed to it.”

Adding Olympic sports has been a trend at UIW. Within the last 11 years, the athletic department has initiated synchronized swimming, swimming and now fencing.

Rob Stull, the chief executive officer at USA Pentathlon, said he attended the fencing facility's grand opening to applaud the community's investment in the Olympic movement.

A former Olympian in fencing and modern pentathlon, Stull said the impending start of a scholarship fencing program at UIW comes at a time when many colleges and universities are slashing non-revenue sports.

“I just think it's wonderful to see a college stepping up on the Olympic program and supporting sports at this level,” Stull said. “We in the sporting community need to acknowledge that, and we need to support that.”

The facility is one of 13 amateur sports projects backed by the 2008 Bexar County venue tax election.

Agnese said the university put up $2 million to match $2 million that came from the county.

Additionally, he said it will cost UIW about $1 million a year to run the facility. Agnese said it's a cost that he hopes to cover by staging competitions.

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Wayne Vallley's Russo golden for U.S. in fencing BY ED MILLS
The Record (Northern New Jersey)
May 14, 2013

www.northjersey.com/sports/207324631_Wayne_Vallley_s_Russo_golden_for_U_S__in_fencing.html

Wayne Valley’s Francesca Russo was part of the United States team that earned a gold medal at the junior women’s fencing team saber championships in Porec, Croatia.

Russo, a junior and the first female fencer from New Jersey to win three state high school titles, helped the United States defeat France, 45-38, in the final round. France was the 2012 junior world champions in saber.

Team USA defeated Spain and Mexico, 45-34, in the table of 16 and quarterfinal round. In the semifinals, the Americans turned back Poland, 45-40.

Russo teamed with Adrienne Jarocki of Middle Village, N.Y., Sage Palmedo of Portland, Ore., and Skyla Powers of Decatur, Ga., to earn the prestigious gold medal for the Americans.

A three-time junior world team member and 2012 cadet world medalist, Russo had a big win over Poland’s Kinga Drozdz in the semifinals. She also had key victories against France’s Manon Brunet and, with her team trailing, 10-6, scored four straight touches and eight total against Oceane Chery-Emmanuel to turn the French match around in the Americans’ favor.

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SportsPassing the Torch: Olympian Shares Loves of Fencing with Arlington Youth
By Rachel Hatzipanagos
The Patch.com
May 15, 2013

clarendon.patch.com/articles/passing-the-torch-olympian-shares-loves-of-fencing-with-arlington-youth#youtube_video-14232965

In the community room above the Cherrydale Community Fire Department, children not even 5 feet tall learn to attack, feint and lunge at opponents.

“Ready? Fence!” a pack of children shout at once as the sound of colliding swords fills the room.

The children are learning the ancient craft of swordplay as members of the Arlington Fencers’ Club, a group of fencing aficionados who promote fencing through youth programs.

Every week, 20 children ages 6 through 14 hone their skills thanks to some help from an Olympic champion.

Coach Becca Ward took home two bronze medals in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Just a few years after being on the world stage, she is passing on the sabre to Arlington youths.

“With kids, you get to teach the basic concepts and see things click in their heads,” Ward said. “I really enjoy interacting and playing with the kids and seeing them learn to love fencing.”

Ward started fencing at 9 years old, an older age then many of her current students. A life-long competitor, Ward was on her the way to diving practice one day when she stumbled upon a fencing class.

That would be her sport.

“I got more and more into it,” Ward said. “There was never a switching point where I said, ‘I’m going to do this; I’m going to be the best fencer in the world.’… It was just one competition to the next and it just snowballed.”

Ward describes her time in the Olympics as a “whirlwind.”

“It was really exciting, really dramatic, really stressful but it went by really, really fast,” Ward said.

She went on to study at Duke University, where she was an NCAA champion three times. At 23 and in her first job at a lobbying firm on Capitol Hill, Ward devotes hours of her free time volunteering with the local fencers.

“I still wanted to be involved in fencing … so I found this fencing club and wanted to be able to teach kids,” Ward said.

The students say they don’t hear about Ward’s time at the Olympics too often.

“Well she doesn’t talk about it very much. But it’s on my mind,” said 12-year-old Emma Tyler.

Tyler, an otherwise soft-spoken sixth grader, said that one of the most difficult parts of fencing is channeling her aggressive side. She gets herself going in this way: “I pretend they’re my brother,” Tyler said.

There are three different types of fencing: foil, epée, and sabre, each with their distinct style of dueling. Sabre is regarded as the most aggressive form of the sport and it’s what Ward teaches her students.

Her classes, about two-hours long, include a warm-up session before the students transform into what looks like miniature astronauts when suited up in their protective gear.

“Owning the gear is a little bit hard to do but you can get them at garage sales and stuff,” Tyler said.

A full suit of protective gear runs from $200 to $700, Tyler said.

“People kind of look at it as a sport for rich people, but the thing is there are a lot of community fencing teams,” Tyler said.

There are several other misconceptions outsiders have about fencing, Ward said.

“We are not pirates, we are not ninjas, we do not fence in circles and have melees,” Ward said.

What fencing really is, Ward said, is what you find at community fencing clubs.

When 9-year-old Blake Rudroff first started fencing just a few months ago, his first thought was “‘this is cool, I get to use swords.”

“I had no idea how good it was going to be, I really enjoy it,” Rudroff said. “It’s really educational for me…plus, it’s a lot of fun.”

At practice, Ward has the students line up on one side of the room, in full gear, and demonstrate advancing at an opponent with their sabers. She teaches them how high to hold the sword in a series of drills.

“It’s a fast, modern sport that’s highly technical and highly strategic,” Ward said. “Once you understand that foundational level, you start picking up the game of fencing, which I think is the best part of the sport.”

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Around Town: Attend a Free Fencing Tournament in Palm Desert
College of the Desert is hosting a fencing tournament on Saturday, May 18, and the event is free for the public to attend.
Palm Desert Patch.com
by Renee Schiavone (Editor)
May 15, 2013

palmdesert.patch.com/groups/sports/p/around-town--attend-a-free-fencing-tournament-in-palm-desert

If you're looking for something different to do this weekend in Palm Desert, why not head out to a fencing tournament?

College of the Desert, along with the Desert Fencing Academy, is hosting an "end of season awards fencing tournament" this Saturday, May 18 in the school's gymnasium, according to COD's Pam Hunter.

"Approximately 80 fencers are expected to compete with local College of the Desert and Desert Fencing Academy fencers," Hunter said in a press release announcing the event.

High school students– some who competed at the Junior Olympics in Baltimore, Maryland, in February– from Palm Desert High, La Quinta High, Shadow Hills High and Xavier College Prep. are all on the roster to participate, according to Hunter.

There will be three main events:

•Saber fencing begins at 9:30 a.m.
•Foil fencing begins at 10:30 a.m.
•Epee fencing begins at 12:30 p.m.

In addition to the fencing tournament, several people will be presented with awards for their recent victories in Maryland.

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Team USA Wins Pan Am medal count with Women’s Epee and Men’s Saber Golds
BoxScore
June 22, 2013

boxscorenews.com/team-usa-wins-pan-am-medal-count-with-womens-epee-and-mens-saber-golds-p57610-68.htm

USA Fencing: Colorado Springs, Colo. (June 22, 2013) Team USA concluded the Pan American Championships with two more gold medal victories in women’s team epee and men’s team saber in Cartagena, Colombia on Friday.

With 14 individual medals and six team medals total over the course of the six-day tournament, Team USA claimed gold in four of six individual events and five of six team events.

Seeded first in the women’s epee competition, Team USA opened with a match against Cuba – a strong team that is often an unknown entity as the Cubans rarely fence World Cup competitions. With a starting lineup of London Olympic medalists Maya Lawrence (Teaneck, N.J.), Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas) and Kat Holmes (Washington, D.C.) who won her first senior medal this week with a silver in the individual event, Team USA took an early lead with Lawrence as the opener. The Americans kept the lead for the next five bouts and held off a late attack by the Cubans as London Olympic medalist Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas) was subbed in for the final bout and picked up nine touches against individual bronze medalist Cleia Guilhon to give Team USA the win, 45-31.

Team USA dominated the semifinals against Canada for a 45-19 victory with all four athletes fencing in the match and Courtney Hurley winning the final bout, 5-1, against Canadian anchor Joanna Guy.

In the gold medal final, Brazil came out with a 5-3 lead after the first bout, but Holmes scored seven to give Team USA a one-touch lead at 10-9. Kelley Hurley won the next bout, 5-2, for a 15-11 overall lead. Lawrence split touches in the next bout and Kelley’s 5-1 victory in the fifth increased Team USA’s lead to eight. Courtney Hurley was subbed in for Holmes at the start of the sixth bout and took a 5-2 victory in her first bout of the match. Kelley Hurley and Lawrence both held off a late push by the Brazilians and Lawrence’s 6-3 final bout put Team USA up 40-29 after the eighth bout. Courtney Hurley returned as anchor to finish the match with a score of 45-37.

The men’s saber team also began the tournament as the top seed. After a bye into the quarters, Team USA faced a difficult opening match against Brazil – a team led by Renzo Agresta who defeated three of the four Americans in the individual event.

With London Olympian Daryl Homer (Bronx, N.Y.) absent from the team competition due to work commitments after his bronze medal win on Tuesday, 17-year-old Jonah Shainberg (Rye, N.Y.) was added to the lineup as a member of his first senior team.

Shainberg gave Team USA a solid start as he outscored Agresta, 5-2, in the opening bout. London Olympian Jeff Spear (Wynantskill, N.Y.) and former Junior World medalists Aleksander Ochocki (Linden, N.J.) and Eli Dershwitz (Sherborn, Mass.) won each of the next seven bouts before Spear anchored Team USA to a 45-18 victory.

All four athletes fenced in the semifinals as well where Team USA won eight bouts and tied one against Cuba for a 45-29 win.

Fencing Canada for gold for the fourth straight year at this event, Team USA had the challenge of living up to a Pan Am legacy of an undefeated streak in the team competition that dates back to the first Pan Ams Zonals in 2006.

With all four fencers back in action again for Team USA, Canada led the match for the first four bouts until Dershwitz scored 10 against 2012 Pan American Champion Joseph Polossifakis (CAN) to give Team USA a 25-24 lead which grew to 40-36 when Spear held off Polossifakis to give Team USA the win, 45-41.

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16-year-old international fencing champion from Houston has eyes set on Olympics
by Matt Musil/ KHOU 11 News
khou.com
June 22, 2013

www.khou.com/news/local/16-year-old-international-fencing-champion-from-Houston-has-eyes-set-on-Olympics-212589541.html

HOUSTON—At an international fencing camp of 90 athletes , 16-year-old Ariel Simmons of Houston stands out. Not just because of his patriotic “red, white and blue” mask but also because he’s the only one who possesses a gold medal from the recent Cadet Fencing World Championships in Croatia.

Simmons is the first American to win the championship since 2006 and only the second American to ever win the event.

“It’s very humbling for sure,” said Simmons. “It was a lot of fun. The experience was overwhelming.”

Now, though, he’s learning how to deal with the title. Every time he enters the gym, his opponents have extra incentive to beat him.

“There’s a target way bigger than there ever was on your back. Everyone wants to beat you and you constantly have to keep that in mind, more than being the World Champion,” Simmons said.

The average age of an Olympic Fencer is 26 years old, so at age 16, Ariel has a ways to go. Still having won a World Championship adds to his credentials, as he obviously has the potential to get to the Olympics.

“Everybody dreams of going to the Olympics. That would be so cool. I would love it. Maybe I can go to Rio or maybe 2020. I just want to work to that because that’s everyone’s ultimate goal,” said Simmons.

In the meantime this student of Carnegie Vanguard High School will continue to work on his skill-set in hopes of attracting a college scholarship.