We now have a B in sabre. Captain Phillips got back to being a B with a 3rd place finish at the Big Blue at Mid-South yesterday. I would advise everyone to watch some of his practice bouts no matter what your weapon. He is the best example of how modern fencing tries to manipulate the opponent that we have. Not only is he doing complicated things strategically, but you can all also learn from his technique. He doesn’t attack from out of distance, he doesn’t hold and push against the other person’s blade on parries, etc. Oliver Galbraith took 2nd in the foil which unfortunately ended up short of the people required to make it the B event the ranks of the fencers would have made it. Catherine Shin from UNCW took 12th. Today was a really tough epee event. Oliver took 9th and Brendan McConville took 15th.
Olympic fencing is now over and the US had a better end of the week than beginning. In women’s foil Kiefer and Prescod both went out in the round of 16. In men’s sabre Dershwitz lost his first DE. However Darryl Homer won the silver medal. In the team competitions, the women’s epee team suffered a heart breaking loss during priority to Romania in the first round. The US then won both of their next matches pretty easily to come out in 5th. The Romanians won both of their next matches pretty easily to win the gold. Both men’s foil and women’s sabre teams ended up with bronze medals. Russia took 7 medals, the US ended in a tie with Italy and Hungary for 2nd with 4.
CFFA has once again been named one of the “Best Fencing Clubs” in the United States based on results at National events. Credit is given for every top 16 placing in NACs and National Championships. This year we are not only listed as a Best Fencing Club for epee, but also for sabre. The foil fencers need to step it up. LOL Only 49 clubs across the US were named for two weapons, only 11 were named for all three.
People still need to be taking care of US Fencing and club dues.
Regular week of practice this week. Tuesday and Thursday nights, Friday at Camp Lejeune, Saturday morning at 10 am. This will be the last week that I can work with the younger ones at 6:30 pm on Tu/Th as the first beginning fencing class of the season starts on Tuesday, August 23rd.
With the Olympics over we can start turning our attention to the new season. September 3rd has y-14, Women’s, and Open epee at Charlotte.
Returning afterschool fencers will start back on Tuesday, September 6th. The homeschool classes will start back up on Wednesday, September 7th. Returning fencers can come in at 12:30 pm with the new beginner class starting at 1 pm.
The beginning afterschool fencing classes will start on Monday, September 12th. The September evening beginner class will start that night at 6:30.
The Kickoff ROC will be once again held in Fredericksburg, VA, the weekend of September 10-11. It will have Div 1-A and Div 2 events.
There is a sabre and epee event at Chapel Hill on the 11th. The division meeting will also be held in conjunction with that event (at the moment).
Our first event of the year will be on September 17th with open foil, epee, and E and under sabre. Please get signed up now on askfred. The more of our fencers are signed up early, the more likely it is that out of town fencers will show up and add to the ratings.
September 24th has U19 and E and under sabre events at Mid-South.
I had forgotten about the ROC, so our first under 12 event will be held on that Saturday (24th) as well.
Sunday the 25th is foil and sabre at Chapel Hill.
pax vobiscum,
Greg Spahr
Head Coach
Cape Fear Fencing Association
Head Coach
Cape Fear Fencing Association
“The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that’s the way to bet.” Damon Runyon
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