SPORTS

Yeofencers duel on home turf in tourney

by Becka Rich

The courageous swashbucklers of Oberlin clashed swords on Saturday, sustaining their efforts with doughnuts.

Twenty-two fencers representing seven clubs, including Oberlin, arrived at Hales Gym Saturday for a foils-only tournament. In addition, eight young people, mostly coaches' children, made up an additional 12-and-under pool.

According to fencer senior Gavin Malcolm, the fencers ranged in ability from very good to beginner. Placing first was 14-year-old Andrea Ament who is 6th in the nation in women's foil.

"She's amazing," first-year Jaime Burns-France said of Ament. "It blows me away."

Oberlin fencers did fairly well overall, with Malcolm placing 6th, senior Andrew Murphy 9th and Burns-France 12th.

Malcolm received an "E"-rating, the lowest possible, as a result of his placement. This will affect his pool placement at future tournaments. The other Oberlin fencers remained unranked.

Throughout the tournament, Oberlin's fencers munched on doughnuts, "the power food of fencers," said junior Andreas Orphanides, who placed 16th.

Their goals were modest entering the tournament.

"In this tournament I had the goal of beating someone who wasn't in the club," Murphy said. "It's not about winning, it's about how we do compared with how we normally do."

Sophomore Meredith Benton, who placed 19th in the tournament agreed. "I didn't place very well, but I had a good time, so I think we did well."

Some fencers expressed frustration at the way in which they lost their bouts. "The fact that [the opponent] would do the same thing over and over again and would get in every single time [was frustrating]," Burns-France said. "[My opponent] would flick me every single time." Flicking involves touching the other fencer with the very tip of the foil. According to Burns-France, it can be painful.

According to Malcolm, the club had problems with reserving the gym, security, and equipment. Fortunately they were still able to hold the tournament. One member of the club, junior Angela Burkeen, did not compete, but helped out by running around and handing people other foils when their foils malfunctioned or bent due to the weapon's age or the ferocity of a bout.

Malcolm said that Burkeen contributed greatly to the tournament running smoothly. "I'm going to name my first kid Angie, I don't care what it is," Malcolm said.

Back // Sports Contents \\ Next

T H E   O B E R L I N   R E V I E W

Copyright © 1998, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 126, Number 14, February 13, 1998

Contact us with your comments and suggestions.