2017 Capitol Clash

Noah is heading to the 2017 Capitol Clash SYC Fencing Tournament next weekend.  This is a super-regional national qualifying tournament where he can win points that will earn him a national ranking and help him qualify to compete in the national championship tournament this summer. He will compete January 15 and 16 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Conference Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Noah is slated to compete in two events: Y14 foil and Cadet foil.

173 fencers will compete in Y14 men's foil on Sunday
115 fencers will compete in Cadet (under 17) men's foil on Monday

Live scoring can be viewed at: http://live.capitolclash.com/

The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center boasts 2000 guest rooms and 470,000 square feet of meeting space.  It is the largest combined hotel and convention center on the East Coast.

Fencing will take place in the EXPO HALLS A, B, and C on the lower level.

If you are planning to come watch Noah fence, here is what you need to know:
- Entrance to the venue is free, open to the public.
- If you have some portable, folding chairs you might want to throw them in the car.  There will be some chairs at the tournament, but it'll be nice to have an extra nearby in case there are not enough. As I recall, though we've never needed to use our own chairs.
- There will be a good bit of time when Noah is not fencing.  You can watch other fencers, explore the exhibits, read a book, do crossword puzzles... There will not be free wifi.
- Wear comfortable shoes.  You'll be standing on concrete floors all day.
- If you are not familiar with the format of the sport, take at look at our "rules" page (the link for that is in the menu bar at the top of this page).
- Plan to show up about the time each event is scheduled to begin.  They won't start on time, but Noah will fence a good bit at the beginning of each event, then the elimination rounds begin.
- I'll have my cell phone. Call if you need to find us once you arrive at the venue.
- You don't have to stay for the whole thing.  But you'll probably get hooked once it begins!

A word about the schedule:

SUNDAY, January 15
Noah will fence the Y14 foil event on Sunday.  It it slated to begin around 8:15 am and will last into the afternoon. There will be 173 competitors in this event. This is Noah's age group, open to fencers up to age 14.

MONDAY, January 16 (MLK holiday)
Noah will fence the Cadet foil event on Monday.  It should begin shortly after 11:45 am.  This event will last all day long and into the evening. There will be 109 competitors in this event. This event will include fencers up to age 16.

- Results will be available LIVE online.  You can check scores as they are updated during the event.  http://live.capitolclash.com/

- Parking: Discount parking in the Gaylord Resort lot will be available for $12 .. You'll need to collect a blue discount parking card outside the fencing hall (at the registration desk B). Present this card (or insert in the machine) when you leave along with your parking ticket.

National Harbor public parking garages will cost $18 if you are there for more than 4 hours.  The ST. GEORGE lot is the closest public lot to the fencing venue.  It is across the street from the resort.  More info at: http://parking.nationalharbor.com/


- Driving directions: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/maps/travel/wasgn-gaylord-national-resort-and-convention-center/

Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center
201 Waterfront Street
National Harbor, Maryland 20745

Sunshine State Games

On June 18 and 19, Noah competed in the 2016 Sunshine State Games--Florida's State Fencing Championship Tournament. The festivities took place at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. West Palm Beach.

Noah competed in five events and came home with three medals!! The two days were filled with excitement.

He had two amazing bouts against brilliant fencers--he lost both encounters, but was very excited by his result. One was against a top-rated (A-rated) epee fencer. Noah was able to keep things close against this guy until the end of the third period. Noah scored nine touches and only allowed 13.

Noah had another thrilling encounter in the Div3 sabre event. His semifinal bout against a very energetic 16-year-old fencer was close all the way. Fast action. Noah lost this one 13-15.

Noah's successes let him to medal in three events:
Bronze Medal in Y14 Foil
Bronze Medal in Div 3 Sabre
Silver Medal in Y14 Sabre

Now it's time to train for Nationals.

Training

National Championships!!

Noah has qualified to fence in four events at the United States Fencing Association's National Championship Tournament in Dallas, Texas this summer. He's training hard and very much looking forward to the challenges ahead.

First a word about each event.

Three of the events he will fence are age-based competitions. Y14 men's foil, Y14 men's epee, and Cadet men's foil.

Y14 events are for fencers age 11-14. For purposes of fencing, Noah is 13--he'll be eligible to fence in Y14 events for another year. So Noah is not yet at the top of the age group.

There are currently 263 fencers registered for the Y14 men's foil event, and 201 registered for the Y14 men's epee event. Both will be A-rated events. All of the best fencers in the country will participate.

The Cadet men's foil event is for fencers age 13-16, so Noah is at the bottom of this age group. Noah loves a challenge, though. There are 199 fencers registered for this event. It will be an A-rated event.

The fourth event Noah will fence is the Div 2 men's foil event. This category is for fencers age 13 and up rated U, E, D, or C. Noah is a C-rated fencer, so he will be among the better fencers in this event despite being one of the youngest. 213 fencers in this event combine to make this a B-rated event.

Foil Fencing
Foil fencing uses a conductive vest that serves at the target. Only touches made on the vest are valid scores. Foil fencing also uses right-of-way rules. Only the fencer with the right-of-way can score. These factors create a sport that is fairly aggressive.

Epee Fencing
In epee fencing the entire body serves as the target. No right-of-way is involved. Any touch is a score. This inspires a more defensive approach for the fencers.

Here is the schedule of events for Noah:
Sunday, July 3 - Cadet Men's Foil
Tuesday, July 5 - Div2 Men's Foil
Wednesday, July 6 - Y14 Men's Epee
Thursday, July 7 - Y14 Men's Foil

The scoring can be followed live online. We'll provide the link in a later post along with tips on the venue should you be interested in attending to watch Noah fence!!

Go, Noah!!!

Hollywood!!

Okay, so it was Hollywood, Florida, but still a good time.

Noah earned two medals at the Hollywood Allez 2016 foil tournament yesterday. Some fantastic fencing with very strong opponents. Noah came away with Silver in the Y14, and Bronze in the Div2. Exhausted by the end of the day, he finished 12th in the Senior Open event.

Another great fencing experience!!!

Four more medals...

Noah earned four more medals in competitions this past weekend.

On Saturday, he saw action in the Atlanta Foil Tournament where he took gold in the Y14 event, and bronze in the Senior foil event. The senior event was especially exciting. Noah was able to beat three B-rated fencers in the pool round to earn the #1 seed going into the DEs. Pretty nice in a tournament with four B-rated fencers.

On Sunday, Noah switched over to sabre for two local events. He won gold in the Div3 competition, and silver in the Senior event.

A fun, busy weekend of fencing.

First Place Region 6 Foil Ranking

The Regional Youth Circuit season has drawn to a close and Noah has earned the number one spot on the regional rankings list for foil. Noah competed in three RYC tournaments and placed first, first, and second to earn the most number of points for the season.

April Region 6 RYC

Noah spent the weekend in Longwood, Florida at the Stoccata Region 6 RYC (Regional Youth Circuit) tournament. In this type of event, competitors earn points toward qualifying for the national championship tournament held in the summer. They are also in a race within the region for recognition. Our region includes eleven states from Maryland to Louisiana to Florida. Noah fenced two events this weekend: Y14 foil, and Y14 epee.

Saturday kicked off with the foil competition. It included fencers from Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Noah won all of his pool bouts to earn the #1 seed going into the elimination rounds. Noah's first DE matchup proved to be pretty easy as he won 15-1. The semifinal bout was not much more difficult. Noah scored a 15-4 win. As expected, the final was the most challenging. Noah built up a good 6-2 lead, but his opponent rallied with four straight touches to tie the score. Not to be outdone, Noah retaliated with four straight touches of his own on the way to a 10-7 lead at the break. Noah finished the bout in the next period, winning 15-10.

Sunday began with the epee event.What a day this was! Not having fenced much epee this year, Noah started slow, losing his first two pool bouts, both by the score of 3-5. He closed out the pool round with 5-0 wins over both of the weaker fencers in his group. This result earned him the number 8 seed in this 15-person event. His first elimination matchup (DE) was with the number 9 seed, a smart fencer he'd seen before. Noah was down early, 1-3, and lagged a bit, arriving at the first break still behind 5-8. Not too bad. Noah rallied at the beginning of the second period. After being down 5-9, Noah scored four straight touches to tie the score. Thrilling! Some tough fencing brought us to the end of the second period with Noah in the lead, 12-11. At the outset of the third period, his opponent scored twice against Noah's one touch, bringing us to 13-13. Nerve-wracking. Noah found one more touch (now 14-13). Lots of torrid action ensued before the final double-touch which won the match for Noah.  Final score: 15-14. A close one!!

The round of 8 was next. Noah was up against the number one seed in the bracket. Noah started slow. It was looking like an uphill battle against this guy. Noah was down by a score of 4-8 at the first break. His opponent scored first in the second period. 4-9. Noah rallied, scoring the next three touches, then a double touch, and another single touch for Noah. The score is now 9-10. Noah is within one. After another double touch and a point by the opponent we are now at 10-12. The closer his opponent gets to the winning score (15), the more pressure is on Noah. Another double, and then Noah scores on his own, bringing the second period to an end with the score 12-13. Noah is within one, but his opponent only has to make two touches to win. The third period begins. Noah scores! tying the score 13-13. But shortly the fencers are called for non-combativity. This is called when no one scores for one minute. They skip to the last minute of the period, and since this is the last period, "Priority" is added to encourage the fencers to score.  Noah wins the coin toss and is awarded Priority. This means he will win if the score is still tied at the end of the one-minute encounter. The fencers' efforts are renewed. More action! Noah scores!  He thinks he won, but no, the entire minute must be fenced in this instance. But now he's in the lead! 14-13. More intense fencing ensues resulting in a double touch which wins it for Noah. 15-14. What a duel!!!!

In the semifinal match Noah faces a number 3 seed (there was a three-way tie for third). The first period was close, with Noah ahead 6-5 at the break. Noah got off to a good start in the next period and was able to increase on that easy lead to wrap this one up 15-10.

In the final Noah faced the number 2 seed. A strong fencer who had performed as expected throughout the elimination round. This gold-medal bout was something.  Noah takes the early lead, 2-0. His opponent rallied and now Noah is down 2-3. Noah sneaks in a couple more touches to bring the score at the break to 4-3. The second and third periods move slowly--Noah still leads, 6-4, after two periods. We eventually arrive at the end of regulation tied at 8-8. They enter a Priority overtime period. Noah's opponent won the coin toss so if there is no score during this one-minute encounter he will win. Noah must score to win. Fencing in this period was much more intense that what we'd seen earlier. Noah had to score!!  And score he did, to win the day!  Final score: 9-8. We'll take it!

NOTE: In February 2015 Noah laid down the epee and decided to only fence foil. All of his efforts were directed at that as he improved his game and moved up through the rankings. He earned his C rating on foil in December 2015. Earlier this month, Noah decided to fence an epee event. He won! and earned a C rating in epee.  This week's epee tournament was only his second one since FEB 2015. Another win!

Busy Schedule

Noah has been a busy fencer in recent months. His fencing has improved noticeably and his recent results reflect this. He has won or placed high in several adult events recently. He has also updated his rating to a C2016. Take a look at the results page (linked in the menu above) to see how he is doing.

Noah won a gold medal today, besting a B-rated fencer in a small event. He'll be travelling to tournaments in Orlando, Atlanta, and Miami in the next three weeks for some big events where he hopes to meet some great fencers and collect a few more medals. Check out his schedule on the schedule page...maybe you can see him in action in a city near you! All tournaments are free to attend.

2016 Capitol Clash

Noah is preparing for the 2016 Capitol Clash SYC Fencing Tournament, a super-regional national qualifying tournament where he can win points that will earn him a national ranking. He will compete January 16 and 17 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Conference Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Noah is slated to compete in two events: Y14 foil and Cadet foil.

156 fencers will compete in Y14 men's foil on Saturday
109 fencers will compete in Cadet (under 17) men's foil on Sunday

Start times, and live scoring can be viewed at: http://live.capitolclash.com/

The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center boasts 2000 guest rooms and 470,000 square feet of meeting space.  It is the largest combined hotel and convention center on the East Coast.

Fencing will take place in the EXPO HALLS A, B, and C on the lower level.

If you are planning to come watch Noah fence, here is what you need to know:
- Entrance to the venue is free, open to the public.
- If you have some portable, folding chairs you might want to throw them in the car.  There will be some chairs at the tournament, but it'll be nice to have some nearby in case there are not enough.
- There will be a good bit of time when Noah is not fencing.  You can watch other fencers, explore the exhibits, read a book, do crossword puzzles... There may be free wi-fi available.
- Wear comfortable shoes.  You'll be standing on concrete floors all day.
- If you are not familiar with the format of the sport, take at look at our "rules" page.
- Plan to show up about the time each event is scheduled to begin.  They won't start on time, but Noah will fence a good bit at the beginning of each event, then the elimination rounds begin.
- I'll have my cell phone. Call if you need to find us once you arrive at the venue.
- You don't have to stay for the whole thing.  But you'll probably get hooked once it begins!

A word about the schedule:

SATURDAY
Noah will fence the Y14 foil event on Saturday.  It it slated to begin around 1:00 pm and will last into the evening. There will be 156 competitors in this event. This is Noah's age group, so he'll do best on this day.

SUNDAY
Noah will fence the Cadet foil event on Sunday.  It should begin shortly after 11:30 am.  This event will last all day long and into the evening. There will be 109 competitors in this event. This event will include fencers up to age 16.

- Results will be available LIVE online.  You can check scores as they are updated during the event.  http://live.capitolclash.com/

- Parking: Discount parking in the Gaylord Resort lot will be available for $12 .. You'll need to collect a blue discount parking card outside the fencing hall (at the registration desk B). Present this card (or insert in the machine) when you leave along with your parking ticket.

National Harbor public parking garages will cost $13 if you are there for more than 4 hours.  The ST. GEORGE lot is the closest public lot to the fencing venue.  It is across the street from the resort.  More info at: http://nationalharbor.com/parking


- Driving directions: http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-national/directions-transportation/directions/index.html

Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center
201 Waterfront Street
National Harbor, Maryland 20745

Trial by Fire

Noah had another amazing day fencing yesterday!

The Winter Garden Fencing Club hosted this senior foil "Trial by Fire" event at a venue in Ocoee, Florida. Eighteen fencers participated, twelve of whom were ranked fencers. The event carried a B1 rating.

Since Noah is ranked a C15 in foil, he drew the number four seed going into the pool round. His pool included one B-rated fencer, Noah (C-rated), one D-rated and one E-rated fencer, as well as two unrated fencers.

Noah handled the unrated fencers easily, winning those bouts by scores of 5-1 and 5-2. The D-rated fencer who he had fenced before, also proved to be no match for him; Noah prevailed in this bout 5-1. The E-rated fencer put up a bit more of a fight before going down 5-3.

Noah's battle with the older B-rated fencer was the one to watch. Noah has never beaten this fencer. Last week, Noah had him on the ropes, ahead 3-1 before finally losing 4-5 to this guy. So today the stage was set for a gritty rematch. Noah fought hard in this close bout and pulled out the win!!  5-4.

Having won all of his pool bouts, Noah earned the number 3 seed in the Direct Elimination bracket. (There were two other fencers who won all of their pool bouts. They placed ahead of Noah because they had allowed fewer touches to be scored against them.) As a high seed, Noah earned an easier path in this round. His first match was against the number 14 seed, an E-rated fencer. Noah won 15-12--not a blow out, but we'll take it.  Next he faced the number 6 seed, a D-rated fencer. Noah again found the win, 15-9--in better form. Noah arrives in the semifinal round, assured of a medal. He faced the number 2 seed (C-rated) in the semis. He's fenced this guy before and had trouble. Today proved to be not much different; Noah fought hard and went down in a good match by the score of 12-15.  This guy went on to be the gold-medal winner in the event.

Noah wins a bronze medal (third place) in a senior B-rated event. Bravo to Noah!!!

Blue and Orange

Noah competed in the senior mixed foil event at the University of Florida Blue and Orange tournament yesterday.

Some good fencing.

Noah had a tremendous showing against a B-rated fencer in the pool round. Noah scored first, then his opponent matched him. Two hard-fought touches brought Noah a 3-1 lead. One more touch by each fencer brought the score to 4-2, Noah was within one touch of winning. His opponent was able to fight back to win the match, however.  A very exciting bout.

Noah lost one other bout in the pools, earning the #17 seed going into the Direct Elimination round.

His first DE was an easy 15-4 win against the #16 seed. His next bout pitted him against the number one seed--an A-rated fencer considered to be one of the best fencers in Florida.  Noah found a way to score several touches against him, but could not prevail, losing 5-15.

Taming the Bull

Noah had a wonderful time yesterday at the University of South Florida's "Da'Bull Touch" fencing tournament.

The day began early (after a two-hour drive) with the Senior Mixed Foil event. Noah started slow with two quick losses in the pools. His third bout, against a D-rated fencer, was a close one. After starting behind 0-2, Noah came back to tie the score. They then traded touches scoring : 2-3, 3-3, 3-4. Noah fought hard and tied the score, 4-4. His opponent was able to score the winning touch, though.  Noah won his last two pool bouts. First a 5-1 win against an unrated fencer, then a close victory (5-4) on a come-from-behind effort aided by a red card awarded to the other fencer.

Noah earned the number 15 seed going into the elimination bracket of this senior event. He faced an E-rated fencer in the first round. Noah started the encounter fairly strong edging ahead with a 7-5 score. His opponent put on the gas and scored three times in a row, taking the lead, 7-8.  Noah came back with a strong push to bring the score to 12-9 at the break. The other fencer scored first after the break, but Noah then scored three times to win the encounter 15-10.

Noah's next bout was against the number two seed. This guy was good; he jumped out to a 5-0 lead as Noah lost points rushing to attack. The first period ended with Noah down 2-9. In the second period, Noah was able to make a few more touches and also improved his defense, holding on to end the second period 6-14. Noah scored first in the third period, but could not avoid the inevitable, losing this one 7-15 to the fencer who eventually won the event.  Noah finished 16th in the senior mixed foil event.

After a break for lunch, the Div 3 Foil event began.  After the busy morning, Noah fenced well in the pools for this event. In fact, you might say he dominated this round of competition, winning his bouts 5-1, 5-1, 5-0, 5-1, 5-1, and 5-0. As a result he earned the number one seed and a first-round bye going into the elimination bracket. He won his first DE 15-5, and had a similarly easy time with his next opponent, winning 15-3. The semifinal match-up was a good one, with Noah winning 15-7.

The gold-medal bout was the toughest encounter Noah faced all day. The fencing was intense; the score stayed close, tied 7-7 at the break. Noah scored first after the break, but his opponent kept matching him to a score of 12-12. Noah was able to finish with three consecutive touches to win the Div 3 Foil event. With this win, Noah earned a C2015 rating.

Interesting tidbits:
- The semifinals of this event included three women and Noah.
- The top eight fencers in the Div 3 event were from eight different fencing clubs.

Golden Boy!

Yesterday, Noah competed in an RYC Y14 foil event in Atlanta.

Noah had seven in his pool, so he fenced six bouts. His first encounter was with a fencer from Virginia. He was up for a moment, 2-1, early on, but quickly fell behind as the other fencer scored three touches in a row. Down now, 2-4, Noah scored again, but couldn't pull it out, losing by a score of 3-5.

The remainder of his pool bouts went pretty well. He won four of them by a score of 5-2, and won the last 5-1.  He was the top fencer in his pool, earning the number two seed going into the elimination bracket.

Noah earned a bye in the round of 16. This round took forever since the organizers only used two strips and two referees. Eventually, Noah's DE bout in the round of 8 started. After all that waiting, this was a good warm-up bout for Noah. He was facing the number seven seed. Noah scored the first seven touches, allowing him to relax and try some new things. He won, 15-6.

The number three seed was next. Not an easy bout, this.  Noah fell behind quickly, down 1-6. Not looking good. But Noah rallied and brought the score to within one, and edging ahead to lead at the break 9-8. In the second period, Noah scored, then his opponent scored, then Noah, then his opponent.  11-10.  Then Noah scored twice. Then the other fencer scored twice.  Noah was then able to make the final two touches for the win. A hotly-contested battle.  Noah wins, 15-12.

The gold-medal final bout was against the fencer who beat him in the pools. I don't think Noah was too concerned since he tends to warm up during the course of an event, and he was fencing well. Noah began strong, scoring three unanswered touches. His opponent won 5 of the next nine points, but at the break Noah was still in the lead, 7-5. Noah came back after the break to score two more quick touches to extend his lead. These were then matched by his opponent, but then Noah scored four unanswered points to bring the score to 13-7.  Then it was the opponent's turn. He turned turned it up and scored the next four touches. Now 13-11. Not over yet. Noah did eventually score the final two touches to win the day. 15-11. A gold-medal performance!

Another Medal!

This week, Noah fenced an RYC Y14 foil event in the Orlando area.

Noah lost two of his five pool bouts, earning the fifth seed going into the direct elimination round. He beat the number 12 seeded fencer handily, 15-3. The number four seed gave him a bit more of a fight, but Noah came out on top, 15-12.

In the semifinals, Noah faced the number one seed, losing 3-15 in a one-sided encounter.

Noah comes away with a bronze medal to add to his collection!!!  He also earned points that will help in the regional points race.

USF Oktoberfence

Noah's most exciting tournament so far this year took place on October 10 at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

The day began with the Senior Foil event. Noah was looking good in his pool bouts, winning three and losing a close one with a score of 3-4. This proved good enough to earn the fifth seed and a first-round bye going into the elimination round. The four fencers seeded above him were all rated fencers.

His round-of-sixteen match was against the number 12 seed. Noah survived a close duel with a 15-14 score. His next match was against the number-four, rated fencer. Noah was feeling good, leading 11-0 at the break.  But he fell apart in the second period and took a hard loss with a score of 14-15.

After a break for some food and to gain his composure, the Div 3 competition began. This event was initially a C2 event with 25 participants, however, one person withdrew at the last minute to bring the classification of the event down to a D1. It was still a strong event, with ten ranked fencers vying for gold.

Noah got off to a slow start in the pool round, winning two bouts, and losing two more. This earned him the 14th seed going in to the direct elimination round. He faced the 19th seed in the round of 32, winning easily, 15-4. His second encounter was with the number three seed. Noah dug deep and had an amazing bout--pulling out the win, 15-11. In the next round, he was to face the number six seed, another rated fencer. Working on the adrenaline from his win against the number 3 seed, Noah fought valiantly and pulled off another win!  15-10.  With this victory, Noah enters the semi-final and becomes eligible for his first USFA rating. (The top four fencers could earn ratings in this event.)

The semi final match was against the number two seed. Noah was on a roll. Winning 15-5.  On to the final, gold-medal bout.

In the gold-medal final, the number nine seed proved a valiant opponent in a fiercely-contested match. But Noah survived (15-13) winning his first senior/adult-event gold medal and earning a D rating!!!!  Go Noah!!!!!!

The finalists

Official Results

View full results on askfred.com.

A New Season

The 2015-1016 fencing season has begun. Noah's first event was a referee observation tournament in Newberry. Noah fenced the Senior Foil competition. This was his first-ever adult tournament. Now that he is 13, he can fence in several adult fencing events. Noah is looking forward to the challenge!

Noah won two pool bouts, and lost two, earning the number 9 seed. He lost his first DE bout, 11-15, to the number 8 seeded fencer. This guy was an E-rated fencer who placed sixth in this competition to earn a D rating. Noah wasn't pleased that he lost, but this was a nearby event run to help young referees practice and be observed. Not bad for a first-of-the-season event.

Noah's second competition this fall was the Atlanta Fencing Classic SYC. This was a big event. He fenced Y14 and Cadet foil events. The Y14 competition included 44 fencers, several of whom were highly rated. Noah struggled in the pools as he faced these guys, winning two and losing three bouts. He earned the 26 seed going into the next round of competition. He won his first DE against the 39th seed, 15-5. He then faced the number seven seed in a tough match, losing 10-15.

In the Cadet Foil event, Noah would fence much larger opponents. He won two of his six pool bouts.  Lots of good fencing, but a tough result.  Entering the DEs, he was the 22nd seed. Outmatched by the number 11 seed, Noah succumbed 1-15. 

His results in Atlanta did not earn him national points or qualify him for the summer nationals, but hopefully he learned a few things about himself and had a pretty good time doing it. He does not regret his losses.  

On to face the rest of the season!!

Atlanta SYC

This weekend, Noah heads to Atlanta for a super-regional, national-qualifying fencing tournament. Here he will have a chance to earn points toward a national ranking, and qualification for the National Championship Tournament next summer.

The Chayevsky Atlanta Fencing Classic SYC will be held at the Atlanta Convention Center / Cobb Galleria Centre. Should you wish to attend, here are some details:

Venue address: Cobb Galleria Centre; 2 Galleria Parkway, SE; Atlanta, GA
Venue web site: http://cobbgalleria.com/
Parking at the Centre is free.
Entrance to the tournament is free for spectators.

Noah will be fencing on Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3. Registration for his events closes at 8am. We check in by then, but fencing will not start right away. Competition will begin with pool bouts (groups of 6 or 7 fencers) results of which will determine seeding in a single-elimination bracket. Noah will fence five or six brief, but exciting, bouts over the span of an hour or two. The elimination round consists of longer bouts. Noah will fence until he loses. Maybe one bout (20 minutes or so), or several, which could keep him active until mid-afternoon. We won't be easy to find in the hall, so call my cell phone if you need to find us. (contact me via email if you need my number: jhelton@ufl.edu).

They keep the hall quite cool for the comfort of the fencers. It is often a good idea to bring a sweater. Also, bring a good book, there is lots of down time between bouts.

On Friday, Noah will fence in the Y14 Foil event. This is his age group--he is 13. On Saturday, he will fence in the Cadet Foil event, then next-highest age-group (for fencers aged 13-16). There are 46 fencers registered for the Y14 event, and 32 Cadet fencers registered. Both events are "rated."

Fencers who place in the top 8 in the Y14, C2 event, will earn Ratings. The Cadet event is rated B2; the top 12 fencers will earn ratings there. The top 40% of fencers in each event will earn national points and be eligible to compete in the summer National Championship Tournament in Dallas, Texas. Medals will also be awarded to the top finishers.

See our Rules page for more information on the format of the event, and more detail on ratings and points.

Looking forward to the fun!!

State Champ!!

Noah competed at the Sunshine State Games--Florida State Fencing Championship--this past weekend. He had a spectacular showing that demonstrates how he has worked his way back from last year's injury and is ready for the future.

Saturday he saw competition in the Y14 Foil event. This event, open to fencers 14 and under, included six rated fencers, one A (the highest rating), 3 Bs, and 2 Es.  Noah is unrated. He enjoyed fencing the older crowd.

He had a thrilling encounter with a B-rated fencer during the pool bouts. Noah started the bout winning the first three touches. Exciting! His opponent evened the score, then Noah went up 4-3. One more touch and Noah would beat the older, B-rated fencer! His opponent tied it up. The next person to score a touch will win the bout. After some fierce fencing, Noah's opponent scored the winning touch. Noah was excited about almost winning that one. An excellent showing against a strong opponent.

He won three of his five pool bouts, losing only to the two B-rated fencers in his group. This earned him the 5th seed going into the next round (the single-elimination bracket) of the Y14 foil competition.

Noah won his first Direct Elimination round match 15-6 against the #12 seed. His second match was against the #4 seed, another B-rated fencer. Noah fought valiantly before succumbing to this guy. It was quite an accomplishment to score 10 touches on this fencer who eventually won the silver medal in this event. Noah placed fifth,  just out of the medals, right behind all of the A- and B-rated fencers.   Noah was very happy with his performance on this day.

Sunday, Noah competed in the Y12 Foil competition. This is his age group. Going into the pool round, he started with the number 2 seed behind an E-rated fencer.  It takes some excellent fencing to earn an E rating as a 12-year-old. This fencer is also nationally ranked. As a result of their #1 and #2 preliminary seeding, Noah and this fencer were placed in different pools.

Noah had great success in his pool bouts, winning them all and allowing only 3 touches against him in five bouts. As a result, Noah earned the #1 seed going into the single-elimination round of the Y12 foil event.

He received a bye in the first round. His second round match was against the #8 seed.  At the end of the first period, Noah was ahead 9-2.  He then scored six quick touches in the second period to win the match 15-2.

His semi-final bout was against the #5 seed. His opponent scored first, but Noah quickly retaliated with 8 unanswered touches.  He was up 12-4 at the break, and finished the match with three straight touches early in the second period.  Winning 15-4.

Noah's final match was against the #2 seed--the much larger, E-rated, nationally-ranked fencer. Just as the match got underway, Noah was issued a yellow card--in the noisy hall, Noah had thought an off-target touch had been scored so he turned his back on his opponent. When play resumed, the opponent scored the first touch on Noah. Noah tied it up.  1-1.  The larger fencer then scored the next two touches. 1-3. Noah scored again, then his opponent scored four touches in a row. Noah was down 2-7. After a few words of advice from his coach, Noah regrouped and came back. He scored. His opponent scored. Then Noah went on a tear and scored five consecutive touches, tying the score at 8-8. Wow!  What excitement. His opponent scored twice more bringing us to the break at 8-10 with Noah down by 2.

When the second period began, Noah fought hard and won the next four touches in a row. Ahead now, 12-10.  Still anyone's game.  His opponent scored. And scored again. Now 12-12. Noah bore down and was able to fight for three more consecutive touches to win the match and the gold medal!!!!  An amazing come-from-behind win!  Noah is the 2015 Florida State Champion in Y12 Foil.

He can't wait until competition resumes in the fall.

Competition Venue

The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center boasts 2000 guest rooms and 470,000 square feet of meeting space.  It is the largest combined hotel and convention center on the East Coast.

Fencing will take place in EXPO HALLS B, C, and D. A map of the set-up in these halls can be found online at: http://bit.ly/1zgXeJm

Noah will be staying with relatives, so he'll have a great time visiting with them when he is not fencing.

If you are planning to come watch Noah fence, here is what you need to know:
- Entrance to the venue is free, open to the public.
- If you have some portable, folding chairs you might want to throw them in the car.  There should be some chairs at the tournament, but it'll be nice to have some nearby in case there are not enough.
- There will be a good bit of time when Noah is not fencing.  You can watch other fencers, explore the exhibits, read a book, do crossword puzzles... There will be free wi-fi avialable.
- Wear comfortable shoes.  You'll be standing on concrete floors all day.
- If you are not familiar with the format of the sport, take at look at our "rules" page.
- Plan to show up about the time each event is scheduled to begin.  They won't start on time, but Noah will fence a good bit at the beginning of each event, then the elimination rounds begin.
- I'll have my cell phone. Call if you need to find us once you arrive at the venue.
- You don't have to stay for the whole thing.  But you'll probably get hooked once it begins!

A word about the schedule:

SATURDAY
Noah will fence the Y12 epee event on Saturday.  It it slated to begin around 2:00 pm and will last into the evening. There will be 68 competitors in this event.

SUNDAY
Noah will fence the Y12 foil event on Sunday.  It should begin shortly after 11:30 am.  This event will last all day long and into the evening. There will be 108 competitors in this event.

- Results will be available LIVE online.  You can check scores as they are updated during the event.  http://live.capitolclash.com/

- Parking: National Harbor public parking garages will cost $11 if you are there for more than 4 hours.  The ST. GEORGE lot is the closest public lot to the fencing venue.  It is across the street from the resort.  More info at: http://nationalharbor.com/parking
              Discount parking in the Gaylord Resort lot will cost $12 for self park ($35 for valet parking) You'll need to collect a blue discount parking card outside Hall C. Present this card (or insert in the machine) when you leave along with your parking ticket.

- Driving directions: http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-national/directions-transportation/directions/index.html

• Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center
• 201 Waterfront Street
• National Harbor, Maryland 20745