Five Fencers in Three Events in One Day

The internet connection in my hotel room is dead, so I'm using the lobby computer. So, my time is limited and I can't postany photos. However, I can say that we had a big day today. Allison and Nile made their national tournament debuts; Allison fenced Div III women's sabre, while Nile teamed with me and Preston in the Men's Sabre Team event. Also, Bethany fenced in Div II women's foil.

Our men's sabre team lost its only match today, but we made them earn every touch. After a bystander predicted that this New York team would beat us 45-0, Preston and Nile staked us to a 10-5 lead. The other team came back to defeat us 45-28, but they won't forget us any time soon! Hee hee hee. Bethany made the round of 32 (out of 130+ competitors). Allison didn't make the cut in her event, but gets another chance on Sunday.

Tomorrow (Friday the 10th), Preston takes the strip for Div III men's sabre. If he is switched on the way he was today during the team event, he'll be unstoppable.

It's so great to be able to share the Nationals experience with other DMFC members and families.

- RJL

Reid on the Big Stage / Fencing Hall of Fame

July 6 was a big day for us at the Summer National Championships here in Grapevine, Texas. So much has happened. I'll make it brief; post a comment if you want more detail.

* Reid Wade represented Iowa and DMFC in Y12 men's sabre. It was his first time at this level, and he fenced well and held his own. He insisted on practicing on the metal strips the day before, so we suited up and did a lesson, and he could get used to the different footing. I was impressed by his initiative.
His best bout of the day was his direct elimination bout. His pool bouts were solid, but not great results-wise, and apparently the other fencer's coach thought his fencer would have no trouble. So the coach (a well-known sabre fencer in his own right) went to coach another fencer. Reid won the first bout in the best-two-out-of-three format, and someone from the other fencer's club lost no time in getting his coach to the strip! With both of us coaches standing next to each other yelling and cheering our guys on, the second bout went to the other fencer, 5-3, and the last bout (if memory serves) went to la belle before the other fencer won. I have it on videotape and will check. Anyway, Reid lived up to his "Cardiac Kid" nickname, never giving up, fencing one touch at a time, and handling himself like a pro.

* We stayed to watch Division I men's sabre final (Cheney defeated Homer) and the Y12 men's sabre final. Quite frankly, the Y12 final was more fun to watch. It featured Calvin Liang of San Diego division versus Jonah Sheinberg of West-Rock division. Both fencers were universally described as great kids by everyone I spoke to, both were gracious in victory and defeat, and both fenced with joy and passion. It was an honor and a delight to watch that final.

* After calming down, we attended the USFA Hall of Fame Reception in the evening. Five new members were inducted. The highlight for me was the photo display created by Andy Shaw, whose Museum of American Fencing is an amazing thing. Two-time Olympic medallist Sada Jacobson spoke to the audience about two of her coaches who were being inducted, and we gained new appreciation for the richness of fencing history in this country. There's a tendency to think that US fencing history begins with our recent successes at the World and Olympic level over the past decade, but of course the roots of that success are deep.

A big day! I was delighted to experience it with Reid and Steve, as I was delighted to experience the events of the 4th with the Fitzpatricks. So proud of Jack and Reid, I could burst.

No DMFC fencers are on the strip today. I'm going to rest up in anticipation of the next three days. More to come...

Foil, Fitz and Fireworks on the 4th

Jack Fitzpatrick got us started off at Summer Nationals today, fencing in Y12 men's foil. For his first Nationals, Jack fenced well and held his own. As soon as I can get the good pictures and video sorted out from the bad ones, I'll try to post some here.

The venue here in Grapevine is huge. 62 strips are set up, and with almost 190 fencers in Y12 MF, plus the Y12 women's foil, Y14 men's sabre and junior team foil, plus many others, all 62 stips were BUSY! It's the biggest fencing tournament in the world, they say, and I believe it.

More to come ... RJL

Another Nationals qualifer -- but not in the US

We learned this week that another DMFC member has qualified for Nationals -- in Venezuela! Anson Tonelli, a DMFC member who is with his family in Merida this year, qualified for the 12-14 age group event (called "Infantil B"). I think that makes Anson the second DMFC fencer to have success overseas (Jennifer Semon fenced in college while at Cambridge).

We're delighted over here. Congratulations, Anson! Can't wait to hear about it when you return.

More than just our seven at Nationals

In addition to the seven Des Moines Fencing Club fencers participating in Nationals next week, at least two DMFC alumni will also be there. Yuly Suvorov (Division 1A men's epee) and Sarah Timmons (Division II and III women's epee) represent the Iowa State University Fencing Club, and we knew 'em back when!

A recent USFA email reports 6,325 registrations for fencers at this year's Nationals. I don't know how many people are fencing more than one event, but my guess is that between 3,500 and 4,000 individual fencers are participating. Our guy Jack is in the second-largest single event; Y12 (age 12 and under) men's foil has 190 fencers registered. Seven days from now, that event takes the strip. If I can manage an internet connection, I'll write it up here.

- RJL

One week before Nationals, DMFC fencers are on FIRE!

We have one week of practice left, and our doughty competitors looked pretty sharp last night. I'm probably most excited about watching our 12-and-under fencers in their first national competition. Jack kicks us off on the 4th in Y12 men's foil and Reid goes two days later in Y12 men's sabre.

We had a discussion the other night about preparing for a major tournament like this. Fencing on a metal strip in a huge convention hall while sixty other bouts are going on around you can be intimidating first time out. It can also be an exhilarating and educational experience. Last year when Preston and I went, we kept saying how much we'd love to be able to share the experience with folks back at the club. This year we'll have five people experiencing a national tournament for the first time (one has been to a NAC, which helps).

I can't shut up about it. I'll try to post updates here if I can. We will also bring back pictures and video.

The Fencer's Library

During lessons the other night, we got to talking about the fencing books everyone ought to read. Fencing doesn't produce the athlete biographies or sport histories you find on the bookshelves for other sports; most fencing books are about how to fence, or how to coach. Here are several, though, which deal with the history of the sport and the characters who inhabit it.

Any to add?

* By the Sword, Richard Cohen. A good introduction to fencing history, though limited in some respects. Excellent portraits of Helene Meyer, Jerzy Pawlowski and other notable fencers of the twentieth century.

* The Secret History of the Sword: Adventures in Ancient Martial Arts, J. Christopher Amberger. Excellent research into the history of the sport. Amberger debunks a number of myths about fencing history, and tells an intriguing tale about participating in a mensur.

* Harnessing Anger, Peter Westbrook and Tej Hazarika. Autobiography of the six-time Olympian and thirteen-time U.S. national champion.

Press release: Seven Des Moines Fencers to Nationals

A club-record seven members of the Des Moines Fencing Club will compete in the U.S. National Championships Fencing Tournament, to be held in Dallas, Texas, July 3-12, 2009.

All fencers qualified through tournaments held earlier in the season. Leading the charge will be Heartland Circuit champions Preston Kirkpatrick and Bethany Dorin. Kirkpatrick, of Des Moines, will compete in Division II men's sabre on July 8 and and Division III men's sabre on July 10. Dorin, of Pleasant Hill, will compete in Division II women's foil on July 9.

Also representing DMFC:

• Jack Fitzpatrick of Des Moines, 12-and-under men's foil, July 4;
• Reid Wade of Des Moines, 12-and-under men's sabre, July 6;
• Allison Crawford of Granger, Division III women's sabre, July 9, and Division II women's sabre, July 12;
• R. J. Lesch of Adel, veteran's men's sabre, July 12;
• Nile Engelhardt of Waukee, who will join Kirkpatrick and Lesch in the men's sabre team event, July 9.

Ten Thousand Fencers!

http://www.tenthousandfencers.com/

The goal is to get 10,000 people to try fencing. With the attention fencing will likely receive in the USA this fall during the Olympics, this is achievable. We of the DMFC typically have about 20 new fencers every four months, so we'll be doing our share!

~ R. J. Lesch

DMFC's Excellent Adventure

I was having some rosy thoughts about the club last night, and thought I’d share them.

In some respects, this has been the most successful year in DMFC’s history:

• most fencers attending Summer Nationals (three)
• most fencers qualifying for Summer Nationals (fifteen)
• most fencers attending a NAC (eight)
• most fencers attending Regional Youth Circuit events (ten)
• best attendance yet at our Crossroads Youth Classic in October
  
• three top-eight finishers on the Heartland Circuit points lists, including our second Champ ever
• … and our own Maestro!

Yet it feels as if our club’s best days are still ahead.

• The club's membership is stable, with potential to grow if we can find the coaches to support that growth.
• Our most competitive fencers are gaining experience and improving with every tournament.
  
• It's an Olympic year, and that will likely boost interest in fencing. We saw a huge bump after the 2004 Olympics, and coverage of fencing at the 2008 Olympics is likely to be better than in past years.

Looking forward to 2008-09!


~ R. J. Lesch

USFA Elections: Ballots are in the mail

USFA members will soon receive ballots in the mail for the upcoming national officer elections. All USFA members of age 18 and over can vote in the elections.

This year we have two slates from which to choose: the slate nominated by the USFA's nominating committee, and a challenger slate running collectively under the label "US Fencers for Change".

I'm not endorsing either slate here. However, if DMFC members have questions about the candidates, I wanted to make sure we have information available to help them cast an informed vote.

USFA Nominating Committee slate: I'd hoped to put links to information about this slate, but the only item I could find was this article on Fencing.Net from last December announcing the nominees. Two of the nominees are good folks who have been of great service to the Des Moines Fencing Club in the past.

US Fencers for Change slate: This slate's website gives the candidate biographies and platform.

Ballots were supposed to have been mailed on May 7, so we ought to be getting them in the mail soon. Study the slates, ask questions, and cast your vote.

~ R. J. Lesch

Fencing Gear for Sale!

There is some fencing gear currently available for sale. Please see Jennifer at club if you are interested in either of these items or email her at jlsemon@mchsi.com

Dry foil, size 5. Great for practice! Hardly used! Originally purchased from American Fencers' Supply. German grip. Can be purchased new for $38 plus shipping, asking $25.

Dry epee, size 5. Great for practice! Hardly used! Also purchased from American Fencers' Supply. German grip. Can be purchased new for $54 plus shipping. Asking $35.

I purchased these dry weapons just before starting to fence at a club that only practiced on electric strips and just have never switched back to them. Dry weapons are great for practice so you don't wear out the wires, tips or blades on your electric weapons.

If you have gear you would like to part with, please provide us with the information and we will make periodic posts to the blog.

DMFC Photos on 3/17

Monday night (3/17) we're going to take some club photos between 7:45 and 8:15. Please wear your whites for the photos! Dawn will be doing the honors for us. The youth will do photos after classes and the adults before classes begin.

Hope to see everyone there!

Updated: DMFC fencers at the NAC in Rosemont

After four days of fencing at the NAC E in Rosemont, Illinois, here are the results for DMFC's fine cadre of fencers:

Friday:
Division III men's sabre: R. J. Lesch, 43 of 88; Preston Kirkpatrick, 50 of 88.

Saturday:
Division II men's sabre: Preston Kirkpatrick, 44 of 115
Division II women's epee: Sydney Royal, 82 of 114; Jennifer Semon, 83 of 114.
Division III women's foil: Bethany Dorin, 66 of 110; Dawn Tigas, 89 of 110.

Sunday:
Division II men's epee: Jim Musgrave, 20 of 119
Veterans men's sabre: R. J. Lesch, 19 of 49

Monday:
Division II men's foil: David Bell, 27 of 118; Jim Musgrave, 42 of 118.

Full results are available on the USFA website (www.usfencing.org).

Overall, I felt that we all fenced at or near the best of our abilities and handled ourselves well. I'll have some more specific comments later, and I hope the other fencers will add theirs. I also thought this was a well-run NAC.

~ R. J.

No Youth Hour Thursday

Just a reminder that there will be no fencing from 7-8pm on Thursday, March 6th. There will be open fencing from 8-10pm that day. This is because most of the coaching staff will be in Rosemont, Illinois for the NAC. Wish us luck and we'll see you next week!

Eight to Rosemont

Eight fencers from the Des Moines Fencing Club will fence in the North America Cup tournament in Rosemont, Illinois, from March 7-10, 2008. This is double our previous best for a NAC.

Granted the location has a lot to do with so many of us going. It still shows how far we've come as a club.

The Iowa Division is sending fourteen fencers in all, which has to be a record for the division.

~ R. J.

ISU F.R.O.S.T.Y. Open Results

The ISU F.R.O.S.T.Y. Open was held on Saturday (2/2) at ISU. Congratulations to the Des Moines and Johnston fencers who participated. Our clubs posted some excellent results:

Mixed Foil:

2nd Jim Musgrave
6th Larry Stevens
6th Mark Walter

Mixed Epee:

3rd Ethan Nutter
5th Kevin Sullivan
8th Kevin Powell
12th Eric Everett

Mixed Saber:

3rd Preston Kirkpatrick
3rd RJ Lesch
12th Nile Engelhardt
13th Allison Crawford
15th Dawn Tigas
18th Samantha Crawford

Well done, everyone!

Steve

Upcoming Tournaments!

There are some great tournaments coming up for both youth and adults!

The following is just a partial list. Many more tournaments are shown on AskFred.net

Ironman Epee, February 10th (St. Paul, MN, epee only)
Iowa Divisionals, February 23rd (Des Moines, IA - Events TBD)
Aramis Youth Tournament, March 9th (St. Paul, MN)
Minnesota Open, March 15-16th (St. Paul, MN)
Hawkeye Novice, March 29th (Iowa City, IA)
Midwest Sectionals, April 12-13th (St. Paul, MN - Adult and Y12 Events)
Capitol City RYC, April 12-13th (Lincoln, NE)

If you are interested in any of these tournaments, please let the coaching staff know. We may be able to have a coach there to work with you. In particular, we are hoping to have coaches available at both Midwest Sectionals and the RYC in Lincoln.

~ Jennifer ~

DMFC Closed President's Day (2/18)

The Des Moines Fencing Club will not be holding practice on President's Day (2/18) due to the building being closed.

Steve

Icicle Invitational Results!

Congratulations to the Des Moines Fencing Club members who took part in the Icicle Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska this weekend. We had some great results!

Special congratulations go to Ben Dorin, who earned his E2008, and Preston Kirkpatrick, who earned his D2008.

Great job, Des Moines fencers!

Mixed Epee
Jennifer Semon – 30th
Sydney Royal – 34th

Mixed Foil
Jim Musgrave – 9th
Bethany Dorin – 10th
Ben Dorin – 11th (earned his E2008)
Dawn Tigas – 32nd

Mixed Sabre
Preston Kirkpatrick – 3rd (earned his D2008)
RJ Lesch – 9th
Allison Crawford – 15th
Dawn Tigas – 17th

Women’s Epee
Jennifer Semon – 6th
Sydney Royal – 7th

Women’s Foil
Bethany Dorin – 2nd
Dawn Tigas – 14th

Women’s Sabre
Dawn Tigas – 3rd

New blog!

We've decided to try something new! We now have a Des Moines Fencing Club Blog! The board members and coaches will be using this blog to post interesting links, tips, articles, tournament announcements, results, just about anything you can think of!

Help us get started! Tell us what you want to see!

If you have any questions, as always, you can email the club at dmfc@mchsi.com!