Illinois Fencers Club Starts the Year with Outstanding Results in Several Regional and National Tournaments
Members of the Illinois Fencers Club (IFC) have kicked off the year winning medals in several tournaments. In January, Mikail Heber took a bronze medal for third place in a field of 31 competitors in mixed epee open competition at the Windy City Fencing Youth and Open Tournament at Menomonee Club, Chicago while Gabriel Weininger placed eighth and Alexandr Heber finished 11th. Jakub Nowak finished 6th out of 23 in the Youth 14 mixed epee.
On February 10th the Illinois Fencers Club held its own Y12 and D & Under Tournament at Lions Recreation Center, Mt. Prospect. The 2013 tournament brought out the highest number of participants to date. IFC members results included: Samantha Doro who won 1st place and Andrew Vold who took 6th in mixed epee where there was a field of 26 competitors; AJ Mikkelson also won a first place in Y12 foil and 2nd in Y12 epee; Peter Kulaga placed 2nd in Y12 foil; and Jakub Nowak finished 6th in mixed foil with a field of 25 fencers.
IFC member, Gabriel Weininger, finished in 7th place in a field of 177 fencers in the 2013 Junior Olympic Championships cadet men's epee on February 17th in Baltimore, Maryland. The Junior Olympics are held under the auspices of the United States Fencing Association as the National Governing Body for the Olympic sport of fencing. Since 1967, the junior Olympic competition has given young athletes a chance to perform on a national stage, against the best competitors in the country.
IFC's Marco Mendoza placed 3rd in Y14 mixed foil and Tony Parello finished 7th in E and Under senior mixed foil at the foil tournament at Redstar Fencing Competition on February 24th in Chicago.
Maciek Zmyslowski, an IFC alum, placed 5th in the Open Men's Epee at the Midwestern Fencing College Championships on March 2. Other IFC "alumni" who also participated included Taylor Caruso (18th) and Patryk Ozga (39th).
Two bronze medals were awarded to IFC members at the Tenth Anniversary Arnold Schwarzenegger Regional Youth Circuit Fencing Classic in Columbus, Ohio on March 1st and 2nd. IFC's Andrew Vold won the bronze medal in Y14 men's epee and AJ Mikkelson took the bronze medal in Y12 men's epee and 7th in Y12 men's foil. This event was a world championship event for youth fencers from 6-14 and a Regional Youth Circuit US Fencing Association National Championship qualifier for youth fencers from 7-12.
Three IFC veterans participated in the 20th Annual Excalibur Open on March 9th at West Michigan Fencing Academy: Grand Rapids, MI. John Lartz placed 5th, Tim Glass came in 9th and Bob Baldwin was 20th in a field of 41 “youngsters.”
The Illinois Fencing Club promotes and teaches the Olympic sport of fencing to students of all ages and skill levels and provides a friendly venue for members to practice their sport. It is a member operated non-for-profit sports association that has been serving beginning, recreational, and competitive fencers for more than 40 years. It is located at 411 S. Maple St., Mount Prospect, IL