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USA Fencing National Championships Come to Minneapolis This Weekend

04/10/2014, 7:45pm CDT
By Nicole Jomantas

London Olympian Race Imboden is one of seven 2012 U.S. Olympic Team members who will be fenicng in Minneapolis. Photo Credit: Nicole Jomantas

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – More than 1,000 athletes are scheduled to compete at the USA Fencing Division I and Wheelchair National Championships and the April North American Cup from April 11-14 in Halls D and E of the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Spectators will have the opportunity to see Olympians, Paralympians and World Championship medalists vie for National Championship titles and positions on the 2014 Senior World Team over the course of the four-day event.

Competition will be held in each of the three fencing weapons – epee, foil and saber. All events are free and open to the public.

Live results will be updated at http://www.usfencing.org/page/show/1187627-2014-div-i-and-wheelchair-championship-april-north-american-cup.

In addition to fencing for national titles, Division I athletes will be in the hunt to qualify for the 2014 Senior World Championships in Kazan, Russia – the most prestigious fencing tournament in the world besides the Olympic Games.

Among the athletes competing for individual titles and team positions are the following Olympians:

  • Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas / Epee), 2012 Olympic team bronze medalist
  • Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas / Epee), two-time Olympian and 2012 Olympic team bronze medalist
  • Race Imboden (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Foil), 2012 Olympian and 2013 Senior World team silver medalist
  • Nzingha Prescod (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Foil), 2012 Olympian and No. 5 foil fencer in the world
  • Nicole Ross (New York City, N.Y. / Foil), five-time Pan American Team Champion
  • Jeff Spear (Wynantskill, N.Y. / Saber), 2012 Olympian and two-time Pan American Team Champion
  • Ann Marsh-Senic (Royal Oak, Mich. / Foil), three-time Olympian and 2001 Senior World Team bronze medalist

Other athletes to watch include four fencers who have won Senior World medals and are aiming to qualify for their first Olympic Teams, including 2012 Senior World Team Champion Ben Bratton (New York City, N.Y. / Epee), three-time Senior World team medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad (Maplewood, N.J.), two-time Senior World team medalist Daria Schneider (New York City, N.Y.) and 2013 Senior World team medalist Eliza Stone (Chicago, Ill.)

In addition to individual events, Division I team competitions also will be held and three Olympians will be fencing in the team competitions only, including Soren Thompson (New York City, N.Y. / Epee), a two-time Olympian and 2012 Senior World Team Champion; Ivan Lee (Cambria Heights, N.Y. / Saber), a 2004 Olympian; and Keeth Smart (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Saber), a two-time Olympian and 2008 Olympic team silver medalist.

National titles also will be awarded in wheelchair events whose lineup of participants includes 2012 Paralympians Catherine Bouwkamp (Fishers, Ind.) and Joey Brinson (Florence, Miss.) as well as 2000 Paralympian Curtis Lovejoy (College Park, Ga.)

In addition to Division I and Wheelchair National Championships, competition also will include April North American Cups which are open to both U.S. and foreign fencers. The April NAC features veteran events for fencers in the 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and +70 age categories as well as Division II events.

The complete competition schedule is as follows (all times are projected start times of preliminary rounds):

Friday, April 9
8:30 a.m.
Veteran Open Men’s Epee
Veteran 40-49 Men’s Saber
Veteran 60-69 Men’s Saber
Veteran +70 Men’s Saber
Veteran 40-49 Women’s Foil
Veteran 50-59 Women’s Foil
Veteran 60-69 Women’s Foil
Veteran +70 Women’s Foil

10:30 a.m.
Wheelchair Men’s Saber

11:30 a.m.
Division I Men’s Team Epee

12:30 p.m.
Division I Men’s Foil
Veteran 50-59 Men’s Saber
Veteran Open Women’s Saber
Wheelchair Women’s Epee

1 p.m.
Division II Women’s Epee

1:30 p.m.
Veteran Team Women’s Epee

Saturday, April 12
8:30 a.m.
Division II Men’s Saber
Division II Women’s Foil
Veteran 50-59 Men’s Foil
Veteran 40-49 Women’s Epee
Veteran 50-59 Women’s Epee
Veteran 60-69 Women’s Epee
Veteran +70 Women’s Epee

10:30 a.m.
Division II Women’s Foil

Noon
Division I Men’s Epee

12:30 p.m.
Veteran 40-49 Men’s Foil
Wheelchair Men’s Foil

1 p.m.
Division I Women’s Saber

1:30 p.m.
Veteran 60-69 Men’s Foil
Veteran +70 Men’s Foil
Veteran Team Men’s Saber

2 p.m.
Veteran Team Women’s Foil

Sunday, April 13
8:30 a.m.
Division II Men’s Foil
Veteran 50-59 Men’s Epee
Veteran 60-69 Men’s Epee
Veteran 40-49 Women’s Saber
Veteran Open Men’s Saber
Veteran Open Women’s Foil

10:30 a.m.
Wheelchair Men’s Saber

Noon
Division I Team Men’s Saber

12:30 p.m.
Division I Women’s Epee
Wheelchair Women’s Saber

1 p.m.
Veteran +70 Men’s Epee

1:30 p.m.
Veteran 40-49 Men’s Epee
Veteran 50-59 Women’s Saber
Veteran 60-69 Women’s Saber
Veteran +70 Women’s Saber
Veteran Team Men’s Foil

Monday, April 14
8:30 a.m.
Division I Men’s Saber
Division I Women’s Foil
Division II Men’s Epee
Division II Women’s Saber
Veteran Open Men’s Foil
Veteran Open Women’s Epee

10:30 a.m.
Division I Men’s Team Epee

11 a.m.
Veteran Men’s Team Epee

Tag(s): News  Courtney Hurley  Kelley Hurley  Race Imboden  Ibtihaj Muhammad  Soren Thompson  Nzingha Prescod  Eliza Stone  Curtis Lovejoy