Riding the momentum of a hot start to its season, the UCSD fencing squad wrapped up another strong performance at the San Diego Division Open, held at Mission Bay High School on Jan. 9, and is now preparing to enter the heart of its schedule as the competition heats up.
Both the Tritons’ men’s and women’s teams are currently ranked first in the Intercollegiate Fencing Conference of Southern California, and they came out eager to show it. In the unique mixed competition, men and women faced off against one another, rather than in different groups. The competition featured participants between the ages of 10 and 50. Despite facing opponents who were much older and more experienced than themselves, Triton fencers placed in the top eight in all three events: epee, sabre and foil.
“Competing at the local level gives us the chance to compete against people in the San Diego Division,” freshman foilist Laurel Yianilos said. “All these events also give us a chance to bond as a team and support one another. We all need confidence to perform, and our teammates help provide that when we’re out on the strip.”
In mixed epee, freshman Chelsea Ambort finished third and senior Scott Carey eighth. In sabre, freshman Jason Runyan took second, junior Bret Martin third, senior Adam Qwan seventh and sophomore Ashok Pathi eighth. Finally, in foil, freshman Cameron Sprowles placed sixth, junior Dave Elgroth seventh and Yianilos eighth.
“One of the coolest things about fencing is that it’s really a coed sport,” Ambort said. “At lower levels, men and women can practice and compete together. Basic gender stereotypes don’t apply in fencing. Not only can we compete against one another, but we beat each other all the time, too. This weekend was just a great example of that. It was a blast.”
Next up for a select handful of UCSD fencers is a trip to Overland Park, Kan., where the North American Cup will be held from Jan. 14 to Jan. 17. Joining Ambort, Martin, Runyan, Sprowles and Yianilos is team captain and epeeist Timothy Tibbs. The tournament is a top-tier competition, and only fencers with high classifications are eligible to compete. According to head coach Heidi Runyan, the competition will be stiff and likely to include members of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team.
“Our goal is not only to achieve strong results, but also to gain some valuable experience,” said Runyan, who added that she is excited that four of the six representatives are freshmen, an indication that the team as a whole will have a strong core for years to come. “I am hoping they return with their skills and competitive edge fine-tuned so they will be able to excel against their collegiate-league opponents.”
Ambort said that also at stake are national points that help determine a fencer’s standing in the U.S. Fencing Association.
“The more you compete and do well at these national events, the more points you get,” she said. “It helps your chances down the road, because when they select the World Cup and Olympic teams, a big factor are these USFA point standings.”
These freshmen aren’t the only new members playing important roles. Runyan herself became head coach of the team just this year, after serving two years as an assistant under former head coach Stuart Lee.
While this may be Runyan’s first year as head coach, she is definitely not a newcomer to the sport. Boasting over 25 years of fencing experience, Runyan brings quite a resume. An active fencer who continues to compete herself, Runyan began fencing in college in both foil and sabre. Through the years, she has compiled a number of impressive finishes, including a Pacific Coast Championship in sabre as well as silver in foil and bronze at the U.S. Nationals Team Foil event. Most recently, she took silver at the Veteran’s Sabre Nationals in 2003.
“[Coach Runyan] has gotten us involved in a lot of community activities and events like the San Diego Open that get the team exposure to the community at large,” Tibbs said. “This has helped us get some more respect and recognition, because it establishes us as more of a foundation. Plus, the team gets more fencing experience, which is always good.”
Other events on the horizon include the Northwestern Duals on Jan. 22, which will be held in Chicago. Following that, fans will have an opportunity to see the Tritons host their second home meet of the season on Feb. 5 against Stanford, Air Force, Northwestern and Cal Tech. The Tritons will send a contingent to the Junior Olympics in Arlington, Texas, from Feb. 18 through Feb. 21 to test their skills against the nation’s best.
In addition to participating in tournaments, the team practices between three and four hours a day, four days a week. Several team members also train on their own time.
“Fencing is a unique sport that helps set UCSD apart from everybody else,” Yianilos said.
