USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – More than 1,000 fencers from throughout the United States and Canada will to compete in the North American Cup D this weekend at Wayne Hall in the Cobo Convention Center in Detroit.

Competition will begin on Friday and conclude on Monday. Each of the three Olympic weapons (epee, foil and saber) will be contested in both men’s and women’s categories.  Competition will include athletes in Division II, Division III, Veteran (40+) and Wheelchair categories. The four-day event is free and open to the public.

“This will be an excellent opportunity for the Detroit community to come out and see high quality fencing at all levels. Fans can expect to watch some very exciting bouts,” said USA Fencing Executive Director Greg Dilworth (Colorado Springs, Colo.) “Most of our top veteran and wheelchair athletes will be competing and we’re excited to have this chance to bring a NAC event to Detroit.”

Among the athletes scheduled to compete will be seven fencers who won medals at the 2010 Veteran’s World Championships, including the following:

• Jane Eyre (Swedesboro, N.J.), 50-59 saber gold medalist
• Louise Felty (Louisville, La.), +70 epee bronze medalist
• Marcel Miernik (Irvington, N.Y.), +70 foil silver medalist
• James Adams (Rockville, Md.), +70 epee silver medalist
• Donald Anthony (Columbus, Ohio), 50-59 saber silver medalist
• Anne-Marie Walters (Parkland, Fla.), 50-59 foil silver medalist
• Ray Sexton III (Round Rock, Texas), 60-60 saber silver medalist

The NAC D is one of three opportunities for athletes to earn qualifying points to compete at the 2011 Veteran World Championships, Sept. 27 – Oct. 2 in Agadir, Morocco.

Six members of the 2010 World Wheelchair Fencing Team also will be competing, including:

• Dennis Aspy (Woodstock, Ga.)
• Joseph Brinson (Okolona, Miss.)
• Ryan Estep (Florence, Miss.)
• Mario Rodriguez (Ventura, Calif.)
• Ken McGaha (Douglasville, Ga.)
• Catherine Bouwkamp (Fishers, Ind.)

“Detroit Sports is extremely pleased that the United States Fencing Association has selected Detroit as the site of the 2011 North American Cup D,” said Dave Beachnau, Executive Director, Detroit Sports. “This event will add to the roster of prestigious sporting events held in the Detroit area since the formation of Detroit Sports in 2001.”

En Garde! Detroit will host a free Youth Fencing Expo & Demonstration on Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12 at Cobo Center from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. that will promote and showcase fencing and provide information on important topics for youth and parents and guardians including health, nutrition, financial literacy, cyber-bullying and more.

"This tournament means large scale economic & social impact for the city of Detroit,” said Bobby Smith, Founder and Head Coach for En Garde! Detroit. “The fencing community believes in Detroit, and is traveling here to prove it.”

The schedule of events is as follows (all times approximate):

Friday, March 11
8:30 a.m.
Division II Men’s Foil
Wheelchair Men’s Foil
Division II Women’s Epee
Division III Women’s Saber

1:30 p.m.
Veteran (40+) Men’s Epee
Division III Men’s Saber
Veteran Women’s Foil

2:30 p.m.
Veteran Team Women’s Epee
Wheelchair Women’s Foil

Saturday, March 12
8:30 a.m.
Division III Men’s Foil
Division II Men’s Saber
Wheelchair Men’s Saber
Division III Women’s Epee

1:30 p.m.
Veteran (50-59) Men’s Epee
Veteran (60-69) Men’s Epee
Veteran (70+) Men’s Epee)
Veteran (50-59) Women’s Foil

2 p.m.
Veteran (60-69) Women’s Foil
Veteran (70+) Women’s Foil

2:30 p.m.
Wheelchair Women’s Saber

3 p.m.
Division II Women’s Saber

3:30 p.m.
Veteran Team Men’s Foil

Sunday, March 13
8:30 a.m.
Wheelchair Men’s Epee
Division II Men’s Epee
Division II Women’s Foil
Veteran (+70) Women’s Saber

11 a.m.
Veteran (50-59) Women’s Saber
Veteran (60-69) Women’s Saber

Noon
Veteran (40+) Men’s Saber

1 p.m.
Veteran (40+) Women’s Epee

1:30 p.m.
Veteran (50-59) Men’s Foil
Veteran (60-69) Men’s Foil

2 p.m.
Veteran (70+) Men’s Foil

2:30 p.m.
Veteran Team Men’s Epee
Wheelchair Women’s Epee

Monday, March 14
8:30 a.m.
Division III Men’s Epee
Veteran (50-59) Men’s Saber
Veteran (60-60) Men’s Saber
Veteran (70+) Men’s Saber
Division III Women’s Foil

12:30 p.m.
Veteran (50-59) Women’s Epee
Veteran (60-69) Women’s Epee
Veteran (+40) Women’s Saber

1 p.m.
Veteran (40+) Men’s Foil

About En Garde! Detroit / www.engardedetroit.com  En Garde Detroit is a social enterprise that provides onsite fencing services to schools, corporations and nonprofits across Metro-Detroit. 

About Detroit Sports / www.detroitsports.org  Detroit Sports is a subsidiary of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau that was formed in 2001 to bring regional, national and international amateur sporting events to metro Detroit.

About USA Fencing / www.usfencing.org The United States Fencing Association is the recognized National Governing Body for the sport of fencing in the United States. The USFA is affiliated with the Féderation Internationale d'Escrime (FIE), the international federation for fencing. USA Fencing is based at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.