Featured Fencer – Nicole Milewski

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Featured Fencer – Nicole Milewski
Fencer Nicole Milewski scores a point on an opponent
Fencer Nicole Milewski (left) scores a touch on an opponent

Meet the Fencer: Nicole Milewski

Weapon: Epee | Rating: A23 | Club Team: Cape Fear Fencing Association | College Team: UNC Chapel Hill

Nicole, at what age did you first pick up a fencing weapon? What made you want to start?

I started when I was eight or nine. Watching the 2012 Olympics, my sister and I saw fencing and she wanted to start, and then about six months after she started, I thought, “This is cool. I want to start, too.”

You’re 19 now. What is it about fencing that has held your attention all these years?

The stages of progress. From the time I was eight or nine until I was about 12 or 13 I was a lot taller than the other girls and I would just advance lunge down the strip and kind of bulldoze them. And then once I got older, I had to actually learn skills and technique and had to think more on the strip. I think that the progress that I’ve had to go through has held my attention because it’s never been stagnant over time. And then just the creativity in every bout. Fencing is not something that’s basic every time. When you’re up against a new opponent they’re doing different things, so you’re always doing something different in every bout you fence.

You’re the top woman epeeist on UNC Chapel Hill’s varsity fencing team. What do you think was a key factor in being recruited?

I think the results I was getting a year or two before I started doing the recruitment process. I think whenever I came in second at Div II at Nationals that was a big thing. You know even though they say ratings don’t matter, I was a B at the time I was trying to get recruited and I just re-earned my B, so they could see, OK she’s still making progress, she’s able to just renew this rating. But I also think talking to the schools that reached out and showed interest, just showing my personality was a big thing. I wasn’t just going to be like, “OK what do you want from me?” It was also about who I was outside of fencing. When I was on the Zoom with UNC the coach asked me, “What’s your comfort food?” Being able to show myself is something that helped me get recruited, too.

I like that. So, it wasn’t just your fencing results and rating that were important, but it was also your personality, who you were, them seeing your maturity level.

Exactly. And being very open with them I would say. Because during the debate between UNC and Temple when I was back-and-forth between which team I really wanted to pursue, I ended up going for UNC because of some family stuff with my sister getting sick and my dad going through some health issues. And so I was very open with the Temple coaches and the day I told them “Hey, I think I’m going to go with UNC because it’s closer to family,” being open and honest with them, I think they really appreciated. It wasn’t like I was like b-sing them and thinking “I’m going to lead you on to the very last minute.” It was very much “You’re one of my top two schools and this is the truth as to why I can’t decide to go there.”

Even though I didn’t end up at Temple, one thing that I really appreciated is that Dr. Nikki Franke [Temple’s coach who recently retired] called Coach Spahr because they have a relationship from when he coached at Johns Hopkins and she asked him if he thought I’d hit my plateau. And he said, “Honestly, I think if she goes somewhere with A and B-rated fencers, she can grow so much. She’s not plateauing.” Which I think is also something that helped me get onto a college team, too, is that I wasn’t plateauing. I was showing progress throughout my results and I was still eager to get better. I wasn’t saying “Yeah, I can come and I can be at the top because I’m the best.” It was “I’m willing to work and I’m willing to show that I can still get better, still contribute, I can do what you want me to do.” Which is also why I got Most Improved Woman Fencer at UNC this past year.

You’ve achieved success at the local, regional and national level over the years. What are the one or two results that have the most meaning or that stick out most in your mind?

First, I would say my Div II silver medal at Nationals. Because it was my highest finish, but also because I was a C19 at the time and this was when I was doing the college recruiting process. It was my last day at Nationals, my fifth event, and I was like, “I need to up my rating right now. I can’t not up my rating right before I’m applying to these colleges.” It was important because I was able to come in with a great result at a time when it was needed. I put pressure on myself, but it was just the right amount that I was able to achieve my goal to get a B rating coming out.

I think the other time was with you [Christi Golder] and Erica [Julien] when we did the team event a few years ago. I think that one was so important because we were down 24-40 and won. Not even just the comeback, which obviously, yes it was amazing to come back and win it, but the thing was realizing I wanted to do that for my team. I looked over and I saw everyone’s faces and I didn’t want to give up for the team. In that moment, it was the most selfless that I’ve fenced. It felt so good to be able to do that for other people. I wasn’t fencing for myself—I was fencing for the team. And I didn’t even think when I won, it wasn’t like “Oh my gosh, I won it. It was we won it.” What that win meant for our team was really important for me. Seeing how your own leadership and energy can lift other people up.

To what do you attribute your success?

I would say all my lessons with Coach Spahr. I started when I was nine or 10 and I won’t lie, there were times I used to cry coming down to practice because I had to focus and I had to do well in my lessons. And then when I hit about 15, I remember I was excited to go to lessons because I got to learn more and just focus on my skills. I’ve probably done thousands of hours’ worth of lessons with him. But I also say the support I receive. Obviously, my dad supports me a lot. And also the teammates at the club. We have a very welcoming environment. And I feel like it was never that you would come in and feel like you had to win all the time. You could have fun. And I think that also helps in your creativity. So the fun on top of the creativity on top of “This is what I need to focus on to do my lessons and develop my skills.” And just the support of my dad and family. It was never like I was alone. And at times when I was struggling, I had people to talk to. That was very important to my success.

That dovetails into what I was going to ask you about this club. You’ve always fenced for Cape Fear Fencing Association. What are a few things about this club that you appreciate the most?

I appreciate the support and I feel like even on your down days where some places it might be like “I beat her tonight,” here at CFFA it’s more of “Are you OK? Is there something going on?” It’s never this toxic energy of “I’m beating this person, you’re beating them.” It’s “Oh my gosh, you beat me tonight. That was a really good bout. You did this really well.” Just the positivity in the room.

We also have a lot of fencers who have been here a very long time, so I feel like the kids coming in are really lucky. I didn’t realize how much I appreciate it until I left for college. I come back and I’m with people who’ve been here my whole life, like Brendan [McConville], Herman [Smith], Coach [Spahr]. They’ve seen me grow up. It’s not a fencing club. It’s home. I always call this my second home. I had this conversation with my dad. It’s my sanctuary. I come here, and everything else that’s going on in my life is gone. I’m just focusing on my fencing. I’m around people who are positive. Any worries are wiped away as soon as I walk in that door.

I love that. It’s something that you wish everybody would have.

Exactly. And that’s why, with the kids coming in now, I want to be a role model for them, because I had role models. I want to stay here until I’m old so for kids coming in, I want to be that Brendan and Herman and Paul [Perkins] and Robert [Thomas] the way they were to me.

Your dad has talked about a “growth mindset” being a big part of your success, both on and off the fencing strip. Can you talk a little about what that means?

I definitely agree with that. There’s been times when my results have kind of tanked or I thought I wasn’t doing that well and with that growth mindset I find myself thinking “Why is this not going well?” Just figuring out why something is happening and then looking back and trying to do better. When I was 15 or 16, I decided I want to get better, I don’t want this to be my top. So I started going to the gym at home, more than just showing up here at the club. I think that was really important.

At the most recent Nationals, the first day I had a really bad mental block. I had a hard time being in the bout, being in the moment. I almost didn’t care about the results and how I did. And I remember the next morning I woke up and I was in that same kind of mindset and I was like “I can’t be this way. I can’t do this because I know if I go in with this mindset, I’m not going to do well.” And so actually, one of the techniques that I learned in my Sports Psych class in college was every time I had a negative thought come into my mind, I would either say to myself “Stop” and completely shut off that thought or say “How can I make this positive?” So, if I was really tired or it was a long flight, I would say “I’m tired now, but I still have a few hours to get hyped up and I can use this time to take the rest I need, so when I’m at the convention center I can do well.” I also think having a growth mindset in the moment in competitions is very important. Rather than letting yourself spiral and shut down, it’s about “What can I do in this moment to make sure I’m good for the bouts I have ahead of me?”

It’s the idea that one bad day of fencing doesn’t have to become bigger than it is. You can learn what you want to improve on and not always be results-oriented in your mentality. I didn’t get the win here, but at least I figured out how this person fences so that if I face them again, I have tools in my toolbox.

Yeah. Junior day, the day I came in ninth at Nationals [out of 278 competitors], I lost my warmup bouts 5-0. I wasn’t hitting a single thing. I was getting blown out. So, I analyzed what it was in my warmup bouts that I did that wasn’t working and I told myself, “I’m not going to do those things in competition.”

You’re in your sophomore year at UNC. What are your long-term goals related to fencing?

Short term goal wise into long term goals, last year I didn’t really do any NACs or national competitions except for Junior Olympics and Nationals because I wanted to focus on our team environment. At the time our team had some issues and there were only three of us who were able to compete in the fall season. So, I wanted to give my all to the team. There were only three of us we could rely on. We had no subs until spring semester. This year I want to focus also on my national results and fence more nationally and go to all the events that I can. And then long term, I want to get on the Div I points list and I want to excel on the Div I points list, but I also just want to keep keep building my game. I think that’s really important because I feel like you can’t progress without building onto what you have right now.

What are your long-term goals related to academics and your future career?

I’m majoring in exercise science right now and then I’m hoping to go to physical therapy school and also do a dual program in physical therapy and athletic training. My long-term huge goal is to work with a professional sports team in athletic training. I’m thinking hockey or basketball or football. I find ice hockey really interesting and the type of injuries you see.

Lastly, what’s a piece of advice you’d give to a young person who’s just starting out in fencing or even the parent of that young person?

I would say, expect bumps and don’t let the bumps in the road make you stop. Because especially as a beginner, it can be hard when you’re losing to people and you feel like “How can I keep up with them?” But if you stick with this sport long enough, you will make that progress. It’s hard when you start off but just keep sticking with it.

CFFA update for December 1

Gregory Spahr Coaches Communication
CFFA update for December 1
If you have noticed that the body cord bags seem fuller than normal, you need to thank Mandy O’Brien and her little elves.  They have been busy fixing them for the last week or so.

Practice will be back to normal this week, with the possible exception of Wednesday night as the UNCW fencers will be starting finals.  I will let you know.  For practice at Surf City and Camp Lejeune on Friday, if you are planning to fence and didn’t a couple of weeks ago, please let me know so I can make certain I have gear for you.

Our
next event will be on Saturday, December 7th.  It will have an open
epee, and an open and an E and under foil.  We are in the more expensive preregistration time now.    Epee is a C1 and could use an A or another B to move up to a B1.  The Open foil needs bodies to become a D1.  The E and under foil needs a couple of Es to become a D1.  Sign up is on
askfred.net. 


Apex
is having a number of youth and adult unsanctioned events on that
date.  Those of you too young for our events may want to go up there. 
Check askfred.

The Salt Lake City NAC is also that weekend.  The only CFFA fencers I see are Herman Smith, Erica Julien, and Kim Phillips.  If I missed you, let me know.  Those wanting to keep up with them on line can go to fencingtimelive.com

We
are looking at having a board meeting on December 11th, location to be
decided.  Herman, Brendan, and I have been trying to make this
organization run without a lot of other long term participation and we
are about at the point where we cannot keep all the balls in the air. 
Whatever skill you can bring is appreciated.  Specifically, we can use
help with ordering gear, media relations (both official and social),
setting up and running tournaments, youth events, etc.  Talk to someone
if you believe you have the right combination of expertise and
interest.  Otherwise, we may be talking to you.  I am assuming there
won’t be any UNCW fencers on that evening as they are in the middle of
finals.

December 14 is an NCFL event, again held at Chapel Hill.  I will start seeing who is going early next week.

December
14-15 is also an ROC up in Baltimore.  All six events are 1-A events. 
The men’s foil and epee are A2s, women’s foil is a C1 and epee is a B2. 
Only the men’s epee is really large.  It is now in late registration.

The
week of December 16th will be the last week of practice before the
holidays.  I’ll do something small for the kids on the 18th and 19th at
homeschool and afterschool.  We are looking at having an adult get
together on the evening of the 18th at Satellite.  Thursday the 19th
will be an in club, bring something to share, holiday party.  No
practice at Surf City on Friday as school will be out.  I will let the
Camp Lejeune people decide if they want a practice that Friday evening
(assuming Wallace Creek is open).

The majority view regarding a youth event on the 21st was against, so I will open up for practice that morning.

With Christmas on Wednesday, I am assuming no one will want to fence Tuesday or Thursday.

We
already have people signed up for the Fairfax RYC/RJCC in Baltimore for
the weekend of December 28-29, so I will probably be there.  If you are
interested, sign up for that event is on the usafencing.org webpage and
ends December 2nd.  Right now the events are pretty small.  I will see if anyone else wants to open up the club
on Saturday.

I
am assuming no one will want to come in on New Year’s eve.  However,
some of the people going to Charlotte may want to come in on the 2nd.  I will need to be on my way to Charlotte, so we will see if someone else can open and shut down.

Times are up for check in at the Charlotte NAC, so I will be mailing everyone after this missive.  Even if you are not fencing, it might be good to go to see what one of these looks like.  That way it won’t be quite as much of a surprise when you do try to go to one.  In addition there will be a number of vendors so you can look at gear, try things on, etc.  Remember to bring your card.  Entry is free if you have a competitive membership.  Without that level of membership the entrance fee is $5.

pax vobiscum,
Greg Spahr
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

Tournament preregistration

Gregory Spahr Coaches Communication
Tournament preregistration
Remember that tonight at midnight is the end of regular preregistration.  After that each event is $10 more.  Epee needs higher level fencers.  Open foil needs an E and some more bodies.  E and under needs bodies.
pax vobiscum,
Greg Spahr
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

CFFA update for November 24

Gregory Spahr Coaches Communication
CFFA update for November 24
Another busy week after which things will calm down for
Thanksgiving.  On Saturday, we had an NCFL meet at Chapel Hill High School.  The Hoggard men’s team of Will Golder and Andrew Whitehead, although fencing a person short, still went 4-2.  That means they had to win 5/6 of their bouts to win the match.  Individually, Will was 17-0 and Andrew was 10-6.  The CFFA mixed epee team actually for the first time ever had a full compliment of 3 fencers.  Considering that they have never lost even when they only had two fencers, their 4-0 result should not be surprising.  Miler Dumas was 8-0, Nicole Milewski was 7-0, and Joey Smith was 5-2.  The best day was recorded by the crew from St. Raphael who won all three of their matches 5-0.  Keely Carter was 7-0, Cole Carter was 6-0, and Gaby Caceres was 5-0.

Amelia and John Alexander have been competing at the Music City RYC and RJCC in Nashville Tennessee, over the weekend.  On Saturday Amelia competed in two events.  In the Cadet women’s epee, she had a rough pool.  However she turned it around and pulled a large upset by defeating a fencer to whom she had lost 1-5 in the pool 15-13.  She then lost to the eventual winner and finished 16th.  She had a better pool, 3-3, in the Y-14 foil.  She won her first DE easily, but lost the second to finish 12th.  John fenced the Y-10 men’s foil yesterday, and also had a hard pool.  He then also pulled an upset, winning his first DE.  He likewise lost to the eventual winner and finished 15th.  Both had better days today.  In Cadet Women’s foil, Amelia was 2-3 in her pool which gave her a first round bye.  She then pulled off the same type of turnaround as yesterday.  She won 15-11 over a woman who had beaten her 5-0 in the pool.  She lost her next DE, but still finished 7th.  John was likewise 2-3 in his pool of Y-10 men’s epee.  He won a close 6-5 first DE, and just lost 9-10 to the number 2 seed.  He also finished 7th.  Congratulations to both.

We will keep a regular schedule up
through Tuesday.  No homeschool, afterschool or evening
classes or practice on Wednesday and Thursday.  No Surf City (no school) or Camp
Lejeune (Wallace Creek shuts at 6 pm) practice on Friday.  I will come in for a Saturday practice for those that heed to work off their Thanksgiving dinners.

Practice will return to normal the following week.

Our
next event will be on Saturday, December 7th.  It will have an open
epee, and an open and an E and under foil.  All
of you lower level foilists who have been waiting for something where
you don’t have to worry about Cs and Bs, etc. should be jumping in.  I
will say again that if you are coming you should get entered now,
because people from other clubs are already making decisions about where
to fence that weekend.  The more competition they see at our event, the
more likely this is the one they will choose.  Currently there are more
Apex foilists entered in our events than CFFA fencers.  Sign up is on
askfred.net.  We need to see a number of our lower level foilists taking a chance to move the numbers up to where we can give away at least a D for both events.  We need to see our higher rated epeeists getting in to draw other high rated epeeists for that event.  Remember that the standard preregistration fees are in effect only until Saturday (11/30) night at midnight.  After that every event is $10 more.  In addition, Herman will be out of town at the Salt Lake City NAC and Brendan will be out of town, so I will need help setting up and making the event run.

Apex
is having a number of youth and adult unsanctioned events on that
date.  Those of you too young for our events may want to go up there. 
Check askfred.

We are looking at having a board meeting on December 11th, location to be decided.  Herman, Brendan, and I have been trying to make this organization run without a lot of other long term participation and we are about at the point where we cannot keep all the balls in the air.  Whatever skill you can bring is appreciated.  Specifically, we can use help with ordering gear, media relations (both official and social), setting up and running tournaments, youth events, etc.  Talk to someone if you believe you have the right combination of expertise and interest.  Otherwise, we may be talking to you.  I am assuming there won’t be any UNCW fencers on that evening as they are in the middle of finals.

December 14 is an NCFL event, but no location has yet been firmly decided.

December 14-15 is also an ROC up in Baltimore.  All six events are 1-A events.  The men’s foil and epee are A2s, women’s foil is a C1 and epee is a B1.  Sabre needs a few more bodies to get a solid rating.  The entry deadline for this is also the 30th of November on the USA Fencing website.

The week of December 16th will be the last week of practice before the holidays.  I’ll do something small for the kids on the 18th and 19th at homeschool and afterschool.  We are looking at having an adult get together on the 18th at some local establishment.  Thursday the 19th will be an in club, bring something to share, holiday party,  No practice at Surf City on Friday as school will be out.  I will let the Camp Lejeune people decide if they want a practice that Friday evening (assuming Wallace Creek is open).

The majority view regarding a youth event on the 21st was against, so I will open up for practice that morning.

With Christmas on Wednesday, I am assuming no one will want to fence Tuesday or Thursday.

We already have people signed up for the Fairfax RYC/RJCC in Baltimore for the weekend of December 28-29, so I will probably be there.  If you are interested sign up for that event is on the usafencing.org webpage and ends December 2nd.  I will see if anyone else wants to open up the club on Saturday.

I am assuming no one will want to come in on New Year’s eve.  However, some of the people going to Charlotte may want to come in on the 2nd.  For me it will depend on the timing of events as to whether I can be here or need to be in Charlotte that evening.

Here are the people I saw signed up for the Charlotte NAC.  If I missed you, please let me know so I have an accurate idea of who is going.  Friday Oliver Div 1 ME       Saturday  Oliver Div 1 MF    Nicole & Kenyatta  Div 1 WE       Sunday  Nicole   Jr WE       Will  ME team       Monday    Will & Kent   Jr ME
Alice, Christi, Kenyatta, Nicole, Erica & Amelia  WE Team

Likewise for JOs in February here is whom I have as going:  Friday   Will Cad ME
Saturday     Amelia and Nicole   Jr WE     Sunday  Will Jr  ME     Amelia  Cad WF
Monday    Amelia & Nicole  Cad WE

pax vobiscum,
Greg Spahr
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

CFFA update for

Gregory Spahr Coaches Communication
CFFA update for
Another weekend with a lot going on.  On Saturday at the Apex Novice cup, John Alexander went undefeated in his pool, but lost a close DE in the semis to end up with the bronze medal.  Jackson Jones was 3-2 in his pool, won his first DE, but lost his second to finish 6th in a large field.  Megan Looney competed in the Women’s open foil.  She had a rough pool, and lost a 14-15 DE to finish 10th.

Sunday was the JO qualifiers, again at Apex.  In men’s foil, Will Golder went 2-3 in his pool. won his first DE, but lost the second and finished 8th.  On the women’s side, Amelia Alexander was also 3-2, but lost her first DE and finished 6th.  For the Men’s Junior epee, Eoin O’Brien was 3-4 in the pool, but ran into Will in his first DE and finished 8th.  Kent Walston was 1-6 in the pool, but proving that such things do happen, beat the number 1 seed in his first DE.  Unfortunately, he lost the next DE and then lost the fence off for third, and finished fourth.  Will was 4-3, defeated Eoin, won his next DE, but lost in the final, gaining the silver medal.  This qualifies him for both the Junior and Cadet epee at JOs.  On the women’s epee side Lydia Huggins had to fence her first DE against Amelia, and finished with the bronze medal.  Amelia went on to avenge a pool loss and won the gold medal.  Both women qualify for the junior and cadet epee events at JOs.  The last event CFFA had participants in was the cadet women’s foil.  Megan Looney again had a rough round, but again made the DE close at 13-15. She finished 5th.  Amelia was 3-1 in her pool and went undefeated in the DEs to win that gold medal and qualify for Cadet women’s foil at the JOs.

Just a note that as I ask everyone to sign up early for our events on askfred, I would ask that you tell me early about what events you might be doing elsewhere.  I try to figure out where I will be based on where I can help the most people, or where the event is important enough that a person can really use my help, such as a National event or qualifier.  I have to make decisions about a week ahead so I can plan what happens at the club.  This week I had made the decision to have practice because there was only one person signed up for Apex on Saturday at the time.  Then a couple more people signed up.  We had a good practice on Saturday, 3 strips of epee fencers.  But I would have had to think about which was more important and could have someone else have opened a Saturday practice.

On another, probably more important issue, when you feel a sharp pain in some part of your body or hear a loud pop; STOP fencing immediately.  Get off the strip and give it a couple of minutes to see whether it goes away, still hurts, or gets worse.  Even if starts going away, being done for the night or event is a good idea.  Better to miss out on a couple of bouts than on 6-8 weeks of fencing.  A dull ache that starts the next day, is a different animal. Tthat is just telling you that you haven’t used those muscles in a while.

Thanks to Frank Milewski for doing the contact and sizing work for the jackets.  The order will be going in and everything should be back in time for the holidays.  We should soon have instructions for the people who missed out but will want a jacket or jacket/pants set once they see how cool? phat? neato? groovy? dope? whatever the current expression is? they are.

The
Charlotte NAC (January 3-6) is open for registration until this Wednesday, November
20th.  It has Div I, Junior, and senior team events.  For those of you
wanting to see what the highest level of competition in the US feels
like, this is as close as this kind of event will ever get. 
Additionally, for those of you who qualify for the JOs, this junior is
open, and will give you an idea of what the JOs will be like.  Div I
means you must have a C to enter.  Junior is for those born in the years
2000-2006.  The senior team means you need 3, maybe 4 with an
alternate, people.  Everyone has to be old enough to fence in Senior
(adult) tournaments.  The team event is a DE from the get go, so you may
not want to enter unless you are going for something else as
well.  Here are the dates, but times have not yet been posted, for the
events in which I believe some of our fencers may be interested.  Friday
1/3  Div I Men’s epee; Saturday 1/4  Div I Men’s foil, Div I Women’s
epee;  Sunday 1/5 Men’s epee team, Junior men’s foil, Junior Women’s
epee,;  Monday 1/6  Junior Men’s epee, Junior Women’s foil, Women’s epee
team.  So far Will is the only one of our fencers I see signed up. Our A, Bs, and Cs
should be thinking about the Div I events; our junior fencers should be
entering those.  There should be teams we can put together, those can be
of any rating and (over 13) age combinations, but must be gender
specific.

A regular week of practice this week, including Surf City and Camp Lejeune.

The
next Surf City beginner Class will start on Friday the 22nd.  Those of you who
wish to continue after the beginner class will just roll into fencing
with the more advanced fencers.  Help get the word out.

The
23rd is the second NCFL meet, this time at Chapel Hill HS.  We need to start looking at timing. ride sharing, etc. 
Teams and individuals that didn’t compete at our event can still jump
in.  That means all you Coastal Christian, New Hanover, and Hoggard fencers.

Also
on that date for non-NCFL fencers, The Harry Rulnick open is being held
in Fayetteville.  It has open adult foil split between men and women
and is a sanctioned event.  Both events are going to give at least an E
away.  All-American fencers have been showing up to our events, so it
would be nice, and probably beneficial to you, if some of our homeschool
and non high school age foilists showed up to this event.

Mid-South has one of their unsanctioned youth sabre events on that weekend.

For
Thanksgiving week, I would assume we will keep a regular schedule up
through Tuesday.  No homeschool, afterschool or evening
classes or practice on Wednesday or Thursday.  No Surf City (no school) or Camp
Lejeune (Wallace Creek shuts at 6 pm) practice on Friday.  I am open to a Saturday practice if there
is a demand.

Our
next event will be on Saturday, December 7th.  It will have an open
epee, and an open and an E and under foil.  If last weekend’s meet is
prologue, the two foil events will look almost identical.  Meaning all
of you lower level foilists who have been waiting for something where
you don’t have to worry about Cs and Bs, etc. should be jumping in.  I
will say again that if you are coming you should get entered now,
because people from other clubs are already making decisions about where
to fence that weekend.  The more competition they see at our event, the
more likely this is the one they will choose.  Currently there are more Apex foilists entered in our events than CFFA fencers.  Sign up is on
askfred.net.

Apex
is having a number of youth and adult unsanctioned events on that
date.  Those of you too young for our events may want to go up there. 
Check askfred.

November 14 is also an NCFL event, but no location has yet been decided.

I want to know if people want to have a youth event on December 21st.  Let me know and if enough people are for it, I will make it happen.  I certainly understand if it is to close to Christmas travel to make it work.

pax vobiscum,

Greg Spahr
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

New CFFA jackets are ready for ordering

Gregory Spahr Coaches Communication
New CFFA jackets are ready for ordering
The time has finally come to get your new CFFA jacket!

After months of planning and long hours at the sewing machine, the newly redesigned Cape Fear Fencing Association jackets are finally ready for ordering. The jackets are all black, with CFFA and the fencer logo over the left pocket, with the classic pirate skull with weapons on the back. The club logo on the back of the jacket has been redesigned with the lettering, skull and weapons now appearing against a black background (rather than the original gray). You can also order black sweatpants, with zippered legs, to match the jacket for the full uniform look

Ordering of the new jackets will take place
this week during the Tuesday and Thursday evening practices from
7:00-8:30pm, and during the Saturday morning practice from
11:00am-1:00pm. Mr. Milewski will be handling the ordering process and
we have a sizing kit, with jackets and pants in every size available, so
that you can try them on at the club to be sure that you order the
perfect fit.  We will devise a way to take care of the Surf City and/or Camp Lejeune people who cannot make it to Wilmington.

The jacket costs $65.00 and the sweatpants cost $30.30. We will be accepting payment this week at the time that you place your order in checks only (made out to Cape Fear Fencing Association), so that the club can then pay the manufacturer as one large order.

The
good news is that by completing the ordering process on Saturday,
unless something unexpected occurs, the jackets and sweatpants should be
delivered during the week of December 15th – just in time for the holiday season and making the CFFA jacket the perfect Christmas gift!

 

For people who enjoy the fine details, feel free to continue reading for even more information on the new club uniforms.

We are ordering the new jackets from a company called the Art of Fencing (aofwear.com). This company was formed by two Fencing Moms, and we became
familiar with them because of their booth at national events. They have
an enthusiasm for the sport and strive to outfit fencers in great
looking, quality gear.

The jacket and pants are from an Italian sports apparel company called Errea. This company outfits many European teams in a multitude of sports, including soccer, basketball, volleyball, and even archery. It
is now starting to move into the US market with recent deals to outfit
US pro soccer teams. It is also the only teamwear company in the world
to be Okeo-Tex certified, which basically means that their clothing is
free of harmful chemicals.For
the fashion-conscious members of the club, you will be pleased to know
that Errea’s clothing is produced in Armani-owned factories in Milan and Parma, Italy!

The jacket is a sport warmup–type jacket, rather than a windbreaker style, and has zippered exterior pockets along with interior pockets. The sweatpants feature a tapered look, with zippers along the lower legs, so that the pants can be removed over sneakers.

Before ordering the jacket or pants, it is highly recommended that you come to the club for fitting with the sizing kit. First, since it is an Italian company, their clothing has a
more Italian cut/style to it, so the usual American sizes may not fit
like you are used to. Second, it is also important to consider whether
you plan to wear the jacket and pants over your fencing gear, as many
people do at national events. Since we will have the sizing kit at the
club during practice, you can just put on your gear and then try
everything on to find the right fit.

Finally, the last thing to consider is whether you want to just get a jacket or get both the jacket and pants. Beyond the obvious coolness
of the full uniform look, this is an important consideration for anyone
who competes at national events (NACs, JOs, Championships). USA Fencing
has a specified protocol for awards – you must present to the awards
area dressed in a warmup suit. This consists of a warm-up jacket and
warm-up pants; while they do not state it on the site, the jacket and
pants must match to be considered a warm-up suit. Knickers or white
jacket may not be combined with a warm-up, otherwise full whites must be
worn. Anyone who competes at this level plans to be on the award stand at the end of the event, so it’s best to look as good as you’ll feel when you get your medal!

If you have any questions, or want more information, stop by the club this week during the Sizing Party and ask Mr. Milewski.

pax vobiscum,
Greg Spahr
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

CFFA update for November 11th

Gregory Spahr Coaches Communication
CFFA update for November 11th
First, Mr. Milewski will be in Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday of this week to size and take orders and payment for the new CFFA jackets and, if desired, the matching pants.  I will be sending out a more detailed note from Mr. Milewski a bit later.  Many thanks to Frank for his dogged pursuit of this.  (Hint, hint: the holidays are coming.)

The good news:  our tournaments Saturday looked so good that a fencer came from Alaska to partake in them.  The bad news:  Y’all let him win.  You are carrying the Southern hospitality thing a little too far in my opinion.  In the opening foil event, Josh White of Salle New Bern prevailed over Victoria Schmidt of Research Triangle Fencing.  Our Amelia Alexander and Catherine Zulueta of the Apex Fencing Academy tied for third.  In the Open epee, Niul Manske of the Anchorage Fencing Club beat CFFA’s Paul Perkins to earn his B19.  Paul re-earned his C19.  CFFA’s Kenyatta Sanford and Will Golder took the two third place cups.  Joey Smith earned his E19 with a twelfth place finish.  (Another advantage of large events.) If we could have had a couple more bodies the Vet epee would have been a C event and some people would have earned or reupped their ratings.  As it was, Mr. Manske took home that first place trophy over Marston Crawford of Salle New Bern.  Paul and David Hueske of Edge of America Fencing tied for the third places.  Of course, Mr. Manske does have an advantage because what else is there to do in Anchorage for abut 8 months out of the year?  Thanks to Brendan for a huge amount of set up work that he did.  Thanks to Ryan Hightower for the Saturday morning set up assistance.  Thanks to Donny Zelinski, Brendan, Josh, and Victoria for refereeing.  Zemi Lawrence ran and observed the event.  Herman and Mike Kinney kept all the armoring stuff running.

On another fencing front, Nicole Milewski participated in the Milwaukee NAC over the weekend.  She had an excellent day Friday in the Junior (13-19) Women’s epee.  She was 5-1 in her opening pool, beating an A and a B; and only losing 3-5 to the woman who would eventually finish 3rd.  She won her first DE.  As sometimes happens at these events, I don’t know if her next opponent was able to watch her first DE.  But her next opponent was an A from the same club as the woman she had just defeated, so she had some level of a scouting report.  She defeated Nicole who ended up in 45th out of 230 fencers.  This gets her National Junior points, and I believe auto qualifies her for the JOs, so no one has to deal with her Sunday.  Sunday’s Cadet (13-16) epee was not quite as good, but still very solid.  A 4-2 pool, with one of the victories being the only loss the B who won the pool suffered.  In her DE she hit a B who had recently won the Division II NAC event.  Nicole finished 78/209 which I think was still good enough to get her a few more Cadet National points.  So a very solid weekend.

The
Charlotte NAC (January 3-6) is open for registration until November
20th.  It has Div I, Junior, and senior team events.  For those of you
wanting to see what the highest level of competition in the US feels
like, this is as close as this kind of event will ever get. 
Additionally, for those of you who qualify for the JOs, this junior is
open, and will give you an idea of what the JOs will be like.  Div I
means you must have a C to enter.  Junior is for those born in the years
2000-2006.  The senior team means you need 3, maybe 4 with an
alternate, people.  Everyone has to be old enough to fence in Senior
(adult) tournaments.  The team event is a DE from the get go, so you may
not want to enter unless unless you are going for something else as
well.  Here are the dates, but times have not yet been posted, for the
events in which I believe some of our fencers may be interested.  Friday
1/3  Div I Men’s epee; Saturday 1/4  Div I Men’s foil, Div I Women’s
epee;  Sunday 1/5 Men’s epee team, Junior men’s foil, Junior Women’s
epee,;  Monday 1/6  Junior Men’s epee, Junior Women’s foil, Women’s epee
team.  So far none of our fencers have signed up. Our A, Bs, and Cs
should be thinking about the Div I events; our junior fencers should be
entering those.  There should be teams we can put together, those can be
of any rating and (over 13) age combinations, but must be gender
specific.

This week will run pretty normal.  Afterschool today as St. Mary is using Veteran’s Day as a Dorian make up day.  I will be in on Saturday to give people a chance at getting their sizing for jackets done and to give the people going to the JO qualifiers a chance for one last practice.

On
the 16th Apex
has another of their unsanctioned youth and adult events. 
Right now we have few (one) people going.

The
JO qualifiers are going to be November 17th at Apex.  This year the
JOs are in Columbus, Ohio.  The Columbus venue is pretty good and the
drive/flight is not too bad.  Hopefully we can have a large contingent
at the qualifiers even if not everyone makes it to JOs.  It is a one day
event, so timing will be tight and I imagine that if you attempt to
qualify in multiple weapons you will be running back and forth from one
to the other.  You need to be signed up by 11/14.  If you fence a Junior
event and qualify for the junior, you are automatically qualified for
the cadet if you are the correct age.  You would not then have to fence
the cadet later in the day.  For that reason, all of the junior events
happen first and the cadet events later.  Right now only the foil events and the men’s sabre events are big.  There are a couple of days to sign up, so things may get larger.  However, I can list a large number of our fencers who are not registered but should be.

The next Surf City Class will start on Friday the 22nd.  Those of you who wish to continue after the beginner class will just roll into fencing with the more advanced fencers.  Help get the word out.

The
23rd is the second NCFL meet, this time at Chapel Hill HS.  We will
start looking at timing. ride sharing, etc. in the next week or so. 
Teams and individuals that didn’t compete at our event can still jump
in.  That means all you Coastal Christian, New Hanover, and Hoggard fencers.

Also
on that date for non-NCFL fencers, The Harry Rulnick open is being held
in Fayetteville.  It has open adult foil split between men and women
and is a sanctioned event.  Both events are going to give at least an E away.  All-American fencers have been showing up to our events, so it would be nice, and probably beneficial to you, if some of our homeschool and non high school age foilists showed up to this event.

Mid-South has one of their unsanctioned youth sabre events on that weekend.

For Thanksgiving week, I would assume we will keep a regular schedule up through Tuesday.  I will leave it up to the homeschool fencers as to whether they want a Wednesday practice.  No afterschool or evening classes or practice on Wednesday or Thursday.  No Surf City or Camp Lejeune practice on Friday.  I am open to a Saturday practice if there is a demand.

Our next event will be on Saturday, December 7th.  It will have an open epee, and an open and an E and under foil.  If last weekend’s meet is prologue, the two foil events will look almost identical.  Meaning all of you lower level foilists who have been waiting for something where you don’t have to worry about Cs and Bs, etc. should be jumping in.  I will say again that if you are coming you should get entered now, because people from other clubs are already making decisions about where to fence that weekend.  The more competition they see at our event, the more likely this is the one they will choose.  Sign up is on askfred.net.

Apex is having a number of youth and adult unsanctioned events on that date.  Those of you too young for our events may want to go up there.  Check askfred.

pax vobiscum,

Greg Spahr
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

CFFA update for November 3

Gregory Spahr Coaches Communication
CFFA update for November 3
We held the first NCFL meet of the season at the Tileston Gym yesterday.  In the A men’s foil Will Golder went 11-1.  Unfortunately he was fencing as a solo act and Hoggard lost all four of their meets.  Ashley also lost of both of their meets in the women’s A foil.  Better results in the B division.  Surf City Middle School was undefeated in 3 meets.  Amelia Alexander was 6-0. James Russell was 5-1, and Jackson Jones was 4-2.  Saint Raphael was 2-1 (only losing to Surf City while fencing a person short).  Keely Carter was 7-1, while brother Cole was 6-1.  St. Mary was also fencing a person short and went 0-3.  Megan Looney individually was 6-1.  Finally, the CFFA epee team kept its tradition of winning even when a person short intact.  They were 4-0 with Miller Dumas going 8-1 while Niicole Milewski was 7-0.  Many thanks to Brendan NcConville for help with the set up and refereeing, Jesse Harvey with refereeing, and Herman Smith, Mike Kinney, and Kenyatta Sanford with armoring. This was one of the most efficient NCFL meets ever as we were done and cleaned up by 2 pm.  I did find a green sweatshirt, a metal water bottle, and a multi hex wrench tool while cleaning up.  Let me know if any of them might belong to you.

The
Charlotte NAC (January 3-6) is open for registration until November
20th.  It has Div I, Junior, and senior team events.  For those of you
wanting to see what the highest level of competition in the US feels
like, this is as close as this kind of event will ever get. 
Additionally, for those of you who qualify for the JOs, this junior is
open, and will give you an idea of what the JOs will be like.  Div I
means you must have a C to enter.  Junior is for those born in the years
2000-2006.  The senior team means you need 3, maybe 4 with an
alternate. people.  Everyone has to be old enough to fence in Senior
(adult) tournaments.  The team event is a DE from the get go, so you may
not want to enter unless unless you are going for something else as
well.  Here are the dates, but times have not yet been posted, for the
events in which I believe some of our fencers may be interested.  Friday
1/3  Div I Men’s epee; Saturday 1/4  Div I Men’s foil, Div I Women’s
epee;  Sunday 1/5 Men’s epee team, Junior men’s foil, Junior Women’s
epee,;  Monday 1/6  Junior Men’s epee, Junior Women’s foil, Women’s epee
team.  So far none of our fencers have signed up. Our A, Bs, and Cs should be thinking about the Div I events; our junior fencers should be entering those.  There should be teams we can put together, those can be of any rating and (over 13) age combinations, but must be gender specific.

The next Monday/Wednesday classes will begin on November 4th at 6:30 pm.
The next Jacksonville classes will start on Friday evening, November 8th.  Everything else is should be pretty normal, for the first week in a while.

Our
next USA Fencing event is next Saturday, November 9th.  Mixed foil, mixed
epee, and Vet epee.  We have passed the regular fee preregistration date, but you can still sign.  Prices now would be $30 for the 1st event and $20 for subsequent events.  Epee is large but could still use higher ranked fencers.  Foil and Vet epees could get rated with more bodies.

On
the 16th Apex
has another of their unsanctioned youth and adult events.  Right now we have few people going so I would probably open up for a Saturday practice, primarily for those going to the qualifiers on Sunday.

The
JO qualifiers are going to be November 17th at Apex.  This year the
JOs are in Columbus, Ohio.  The Columbus venue is pretty good and the
drive/flight is not too bad.  Hopefully we can have a large contingent
at the qualifiers even if not everyone makes it to JOs.  It is a one day
event, so timing will be tight and I imagine that if you attempt to
qualify in multiple weapons you will be running back and forth from one
to the other.  We can probably have a Saturday practice if there is
interest.  You need to be signed up by 11/14.  If you fence a Junior
event and qualify for the junior, you are automatically qualified for
the cadet if you are the correct age.  You would not then have to fence
the cadet later in the day.  For that reason, all of the junior events
happen first and the cadet events later.

The 23rd is the second NCFL meet, this time at Chapel Hill HS.  We will start looking at timing. ride sharing, etc. in the next week or so.  Teams and individuals that didn’t compete at our event can still jump in.

Also
on that date for non-NCFL fencers, The Harry Rulnick open is being held
in Fayetteville.  It has open adult foil split between men and women
and is a sanctioned event.

Mid-South has one of their unsanctioned youth events.

pax vobiscum,
Greg Spahr
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