Lack of practice time severely hampers the University club sport fencing team, according to coach Norm Campbell, who fenced on the U.S. National
Team.
Three Oregon fencers qualify for nationals
By Tom Mann
The University fencing club will be represented at
the national championships by not one, but by three
members of the team.
Jeanine Tucker, David Wichner and Peter Harmer
have qualified in their styles of fencing and will com
pete in the national fencing tournament in the first
week of June.
In order for a fencer to qualify for the nationals,
they must be the best in their geographical area. The
smallest geographical area is called a division, then
there are sections and finally nationals.
As a team, Oregon is the three-time Northwest Col
legiate champion. However, Wichner feels “for a col
lege on the West Coast it’s unusual” to have three
members of one team going to nationals.
There are thre type's of weapons used in fencing,
the foil, the epee and the aber. Wichner and Tucker
will compete in the foil competition while Harmer
uses the epee.
The difference between the weapons is in the
usage of them. The foil is a stabbing type weapon.
The target area is limited to the torso — the arms,
legs and head do not count as a point if hit.
Points are scrored when the tip of the foil, which is
connnected to an electrical source, touches the
metallic vest that the competitor wears. A point is
registered by a colored light that turns on when the
target is hit.
If the tip hits a “grounded” target, one which is not
metallic, a different colored light flashes, announc
ing that the tip of the weapon did not score on the
target.
The first competitor to reach five points wins the
match and moves on. The loser is either eliminated
or fights to improve his or her record depending on
the tournament.
i ne second rype ot weapon used in tournaments is
the epee. The only difference between the foil and
the epee fighting is that epee is full contact fighting.
Since the whole body is a target, the tip of the epee
registers any contact that is made. A director, who is
more or less a referee, watches the action and set
tles any differences pertaining to the surface that the
epee hits.
Sabre fighting uses more of a slashing and cutting
stroke than a stabbing thrust. The target is above the
waist and sabre fights are also scored electronically.
Wichner describes his sport as being an “intense
'mental chess game.” “At first it’s just reaction,”
adds Tucker, who says that the more experienced a
person gets the more skillfull they become.
Although there is a lot of stabbing, slashing and
cutting involved, the injury rate is remarkably low.
Every weapon has a guard over the tip to help pro
tect the athlete against injury. “Scrapes and bruises”
are the most common injuries, says Wichner, who
pulled down his collar to display a recent wound.
The way to avoid injuries is to be calm and relaxed
when fighting, says Wichner. There is also an em
phasis put on peripheral vision, and most of all
mobility.
Fencing coach Norm Campbell stresses mobility
over technique because the fighter is more of a
threat if he’s mobile and technique come naturally
after the fighter has learned mobility.
Campbell describes fencing as “ego-centered
domination” of an opponent. Ten years ago Camp
bell was on the United States National team and has
coached professionally for six years, three of them at
Oregon.
Oregon’s coach has a bleak view of the chances of
his three pupils at nationals. It is Tucker and
Wichner’s first national competition and only
Harmer’s second.
Photos by Travis Johnson
Three members of the fencing team will attend
nationals in the first week in June.
“They’re going to get killed,” says Campbell, “but
it will be a good experience.”
Campbell believes the three competitors could do
better if they had the time to put into training. Both
Wichner and Tucker go to school and Harmer is
working on his master’s thesis. They only have time
to put in six to eight hours of training per week.
“It’s a question of desire,” says Campbell.
“Harmer is a superb athlete and David and Jeanine
are hungry.”
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