My teammate Daryl Homer took home the gold with James Williams 2nd and myself 3rd. All three of us train at Manhattan Fencing Center under Yury Gelman. Jeff Spear was also 3rd from the NYAC.
This was tournament was the start of the 2nd half of Olympic qualification. We compete again in Portland, Oregon in January and then move on the world cups.
This is a great tournament for a great cause!
On March 6, there is a men and women’s saber open at Manhattan Fencing Center with proceeds to benefit the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center. This hospital takes care of some of our countries sickest children and they need our help!
Fencer Adam Mandel, recently accepted to Brandeis University, is organizing this event. NCAA champion Jeff Spear and I will also be going to the hospital again to teach the kids fencing in conjunction with the fundraiser.
Top fundraiser in each of men’s and women’s events receive $100 Visa gift cards.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE, but it’s a great opportunity to do something good while you’re having fun. Winners names to be posted on MFC website! Contact organizer at thunderstruck614@aol.com for Sponsor Form.
Trophy awarded to winner of each of men’s and women’s events
Places two through eight to receive medals
FORMAT: One round of pools, 100% promotion to direct elimination; Fence-off for third place.
SENIOR WOMEN
Pre-registration closes on 3/05/2011
Registration closes on 3/06/2011 at 2:45pm
SENIOR MEN
Pre-registration closes on 3/04/2011
Registration closes on 3/06/2011 at 4:30pm
Event fees:
If pre-registered by 3/04/2011 – $45 per event
IF NOT REGISTERED BY 3/04/2011 – $60 AT THE DOOR (CASH ONLY)
Sponsorship available in cases of financial hardship. Anonymity assured. Email ksmpod@aol.com
Organizers reserve the right to change the format of the events based on pre-registration
Questions: email: thunderstruck614@aol.com or ksmpod@aol.com or call 914-831-2047
St. John’s Sophomore Sean Buckley (2nd from right) qualified for the Fencing Masters Expo tournament and a chance to fence Olympic Champion Aldo Montano in the main event with his second place finish at the Manhattan Fencing Center qualifier today!!!
Sean finished second behind Daryl Homer (Who is already competing) amongst the 26 competitors! Sean came back from an 4-8 deficit against National Team Member Ben Igoe to finish ahead of the other potential qualifiers.
Next week there are 4 more chances to qualify!
http://fencingmastersnyc.com/compete.html
Get your tickets now for Nov. 17 at Hammerstein Ballroom! www.fencingmastersnyc.com
Will Martin French be the 1st Fencing Masters qualifier Champion? He's competing this weekend in the SaberCave in Texas!
The Fencing Masters Qualifying tournaments kick-off this weekend with the SaberCave at the North Richland Hills Recreation Center: North Richland Hills, TX on Saturday Sept 25.
On Sunday, two more people will earn spots in the Fencing Masters Expo Championship with the Jason Rogers hosted qualifier at Avant-Garde Fencers Club in California and then the Liberty Cup at the Manhattan Fencing Center (I will be competing in this one!) on Sunday.
The winner of the qualifier will earn a chance to compete at the FM Expo Championship with the winner going on to fence in the main event against an Olympic Champion!
All entrants receive a ticket to the Fencing Masters and the top-8 receive FM t-shirts and a portion goes to support our US Olympic Hopefuls! Thanks to all our qualifier liaisons/coaches for their support!
For your chance to try to qualify for the Fencing Masters:
http://askfred.net/Events/upcoming.php?filters[sec_id]=&filters[div_id]=&filters[weapon]=&filters[gender]=&filters[age]=&filters[team]=&filters[event_prereg_count]=&filters[event_rating][op]=%3D&filters[event_rating][prediction]=&filters[name]=Fencing+Master&filters[date][op]=%3D&filters[date][value]=
Nice article in the New York Times about the free fencing classes in Bryant Park as well as some of the other free activities you can find to do in NYC this summer. Pictured above is Coach Sergey Isayenko from Manhattan Fencing Center teaching a new student.
The classes have been mostly adults and sold out each week!
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/05/28/travel/28miserspan-1/28miserspan-1-articleLarge.jpg
Great article in New York Family Sports about the history of fencing in New York City and it’s growth as a sport for kids. The article quotes National team members Nzingha Prescod and Daryl Homer, Olympians from the area and coaches Buckie Leach and Sean McClain.
This is a great piece of targeted media since the newspaper and it’s online version are targeted at families with young children and they include the contact information for a number of clubs here in the city.
Article by Tanya Caldwell:
While some New York City kids are off batting or running or kicking or skating, hoping to get noticed in a field full of athletes, other kids are quietly working on world domination—and winning.
Read Whole Article: http://newyorkfamilysports.com/newyork/article-43-new-york-is-fencingtown-usa.html
Some of the best fencers in the world live right here in New York City, the unofficial fencing capital of the USA. They’re paired with some of the best trainers in the country and get to compete around the globe.
*** On one other note, the article says, “Manhattan Fencing Center has 120 new kids”. If we get half of those kids to attend the world cup in NYC that would be at least one hundred tickets sold if we include their parent(s) and anyone else they might bring…and that’s just one club!
One last picture of Olympian James Williams with coach Yury Gelman and myself. Raising his hands in victory after he just cleaned out his locker. He’s heading to San Francisco to begin his new working at a hedge fund.
Will this be his last time at Manhattan Fencing? I hope not.
Follow the 2010 NCAA fencing championships results live at: http://www.prisedefer.com/NCAA
Good luck to my alma mater Brandeis University and all my Manhattan Fencing Center teammates!
The famed Bryant Park, former home of NYC Fashion Week, and current place to enjoy ice skating, ping-pong, a majestic New York City Public Library, and loads of trendy New Yorker’s hanging out, will soon be getting a new unique addition: THE SPORT OF FENCING!
Beginning April 9, fencing lessons will be available on the front terrace of the New York Public Library run by the Manhattan Fencing Center.
More Details: http://ow.ly/1pmJA
If you’re in NYC and haven’t fenced, but always wanted to try, then here is your chance!
NBC local affiliate news station WNBC stopped by Manhattan Fencing Center today to interview James Williams and me for a story about Olympic Fever and to chat about the prospects of the Games ever being held in NYC.
The piece will air Sunday night after closing ceremonies on Channel 4 News in NYC.
