Fencers skewer competition

It was another sucessful competition for the Oberlin College Flaming Blades when they traveled to Cleveland on Nov. 7. The tournament was an open-mixed competition with men and women of all rankings competing against one another (a rare occurrence in Northern Ohio USFA fencing), and the Oberlin women in particular made a great showing. In addition, the competition marked the first year within the past five that the team has been able to field female epeeists, and for the first time in about a decade that the Blades have competed in saber at all.

Due to equipment problems, the team was only able to send two foilists, fifth-year Catie Bull, and fifth-year captain Jay Gates. Unfortunately neither ranked, although Gates finished in the top eight.

Oberlin fielded junior Stefan Kamola in sabre with exciting results. His appearance in the event drew Oberlin into yet another realm of competition. Despite very little training in the weapon - but a very sound base in both foil and epee - he made a great showing, only losing by one touch in most of his losses, even against well ranked sabreurs. After the tournament, with a radiant face, he stated that he was going to commit himself primarily to saber from then on.

OC fielded a total of only five fencers - Bull, Gates, Kamola, junior Jeremy Stone, and sophomore Rachel Wortman - with an unexpectedly successful outcome. Stone, the team epeeist, was having a successful outing until he was just barely knocked out of competition in the second round of direct elimination by teammate Gates. Gates went on to take second place in the tournament.

Bull stayed in the competition until the second round, a fairly high level of success in a tournament, as well. Although the women were knocked out of competition and did not rank, it must be noted that they have just taken up fencing epee and this was the first competitive epee event for one of them. Both were highly praised for their showing at the tournament by the whole of the fencing community and look to be progressing quickly.

Important in the understanding of the women's success is the fact that the level of competition among women in this division of fencing competition is significantly lower than that of the men. For the women to have entered a mixed competition as beginning epeeists and succeeded to the degree that they did is quite an accomplishment and says a great deal about the ability the Oberlin women are showing and the assault that they are making on fencing in the region in both men's and women's competition.