Archive for November, 2004

Junior World Cups are the most competitive and challenging tournaments for youth fencers. Restricted to top fencers between the ages of 17 and 20, a select few younger fencers can compete depending on skill level. This was Ben Parkin’s second Junior World Cup -and he’s only 15!

Eleven countries renowned for their fencing programs competed in this event including Spain, Australia, Italy, the US, Puerto Rico, Great Britain, Portugal, Hungary, and Turkey just to name a few.

Ben walked into the direct eliminations seeded 42 after the first round of pools. He breezed past the top 64,trouncing a young Spaniard 15-9. In the round of 32 he faced off against Senne, from Italy, and lost 15-6. This is the second time Ben, only a cadet, fenced his way into the top 32 of a Junior world cup.
Congratulations!

Below you can see Ben, Mauro and Ben’s Father, Lenny celebrating in beautiful downtown Madrid after the competition.

This past weekend Houston was the site of the season kick-off for the United States Fencing Association’s Southwest Regional Youth Circuit. This highly competitive series features contests (referred to as bouts) between children aged 8 to14. They are grouped by weapon, age, and in some cases gender. Weapons consist of the traditional Olympic-style fencing swords of saber, epee, and foil, though often scaled down in size for the youngest competitors. The event drew children from as far away as Arizona.

Local fencers from the Salle Mauro Fencing Academy followed the guidance of head coach Mauro Hamza as he led them to numerous bronze, silver and gold medal finishes. Hamza, only recently returned from coaching the Egyptian Foil team during the Summer Olympics in Athens, and his staff appear to have their students off to another year of outstanding results as they compete in local, regional, national and international events.

Highlights of this weekend included gold medal finishes for David Filteau (Y10 Saber) and Michael Dudey (Y-12 Foil), and an incredible two golds for Elizabeth Donnenberg (Y12 and Y14 Women’s Epee). Christian McNamara (Y10 Men’s Foil), Michael Dudey (Y14 Foil), and Anna van Brummen (Y10 Women’s Epee) won silver medals. Bronze medalists included Signe Ferguson (Y10 Women’s Foil), Magnus Fergusson (Y12 Men’s Epee), Travis Overton (Y14 saber), Joe Peterson (Y10 Saber), Jack Hudson (Y10 Epee), and Christian McNamara (Y12 Foil). Fourth place medalists were Mexi Gremillion (Y10 Women’s Epee), Thomas Dudey (Y10 Men’s Foil), and Benjamin Freiman (Y12 Men’s Epee).

The next event on the circuit is in El Paso early next year. Series champions will be crowned in Houston late next spring at a season ending finale hosted by Salle Mauro Fencing Academy and held at Rice University. That event is open to the public.

With stiff competition coming from all over the world, Salle Mauro’s fencers placed extremely well – all achieved international points. Keep in mind this was a junior level WORLD CUP event and most of the competing fencers below are in the younger cadet age group.

Ben parkins took 19 place in the Junior men’s foil event, earning international points. He narrowly missed making the top 16, losing 15-14 by a single point. Here you can see Ben to the right preparing for his bout with a Canadian foilist. At the time of this event, Ben was ranked number 4th in the Cadet National Rankings.

Another Ben, Ben Nichols, made top 64 losing to the fencer who went on to win the sliver medal. For his efforts, Ben earned 2 international points. You can see Ben below and to the left, walking away after fencing a competitor.

Zoltan Krudy made the grade by placing in the top 64 in the men’s junior epee event. He had an unlucky bracket to fence through and found himself face to face with the number one seed in a direct elimination bout. After a hard fought bout, he lost 15-14 by only one touch.  Nevertheless, Zoltan earned 2 international points at the event.

Salle Mauro’s McDermott fencing twins tore up the strip in the women’s foil event.

Cathy McDermott fenced fantastically well making it all the way to the top 32 and winding up 25th place. She was proud to earn 4 i nternational points at this tournament.  Lizzy McDermott had a hard time in pools but came back very strong seeding 27 going into DEs. She earned 2 international points at this event. You can see the two twins to the right with their coach, Mauro, right before the twins take a quick lesson at the venue to prepare for the tournament ahead. Preparation and coaching at a major competition are essential aspects of training at this level. Below that is another picture of one of the girls having her weapon tested before a bout.

Finally, Neely Brandfeild, currently ranked #2 in the Youth Under 14 National Standings, fenced two age groups above her level – making it all the way up to top 64, earning 2 international points. Below and to the left Neely walks towards the en-guard line to fence a competitor

Salle Mauro fencers are back from trouncing the competition at the recent Division 2/Youth North American Cup event in Atlanta, Georgia – and have brought 6 medals back to prove it!

It was a happy reunion for Lizzy and Cathy McDermott and the rest of the team. The fencing twins went to boarding school earlier this year, but if you think they got rusty – just check out their results!

Neely Brandfeild and Elizabeth Donnenberg are the spearheads of Salle’s the talented women’s epee team. They not only placed strongly in their age group (Youth 14) but also in the more challenging Cadet age group above them.

Many other fencers from the Salle competed at this tournament, but here are the following medallists:

Cadet Men’s Foil (144 Competitors)
7th Parkins, Benjamin B

Cadet Women’s Épée (81 Competitors)
8th Brandfeild-Harvey, Neely

Cadet Women’s Foil (112 Competitors)
7th McDermott, Catherine

Division II Men’s Foil (178 Competitors)
5th El-Saleh, W.M. Michael

Youth-14 Women’s Épée (31 Competitors)
3rd Brandfeild-Harvey, Neely
7st Donnenberg, Elizabeth

The young Michael El’Saleh fenced with the big boys in the adult Division II event and narrowly missing the gold in a close bout. Michael is not only a great fencer but also a dependable director, his good nature and easy smile, are well known in the section.