As the 2010-11 academic year draws to a close, members of the Oregon club fencing can look back happily. In three tournaments this year, the Ducks had a total of seven top-three finishes across all disciplines.
Most recently, the Ducks traveled to Beaverton on May 21 to compete in The Berserker’s Ball, hosted by the Portland State Fencing Club. The Ducks’ Tony Dundon was seeded first after the round robin competition and never looked back en route to the victory in the mixed epee. All told, three of the top four finishers were from Oregon, with Logan Bingle placing third and Ken Hall rounding out the top four. The Ducks did not compete in foil or saber.
Earlier in the year, the Ducks hosted the Three Quacks UO Collegiate Tournament, where Keaton Stagaman cruised to victory in the mixed saber. Adam Lake took second in the epee, and the Ducks best finish in the foil was Bingle in eighth place.
The club started the year at The Viking Clash, where Dundon won the mixed foil, and Bingle and Lake finished second and third in the epee. Oregon did not compete in the saber.
Hall, who is also the club coordinator, said that while the team didn’t compete in a lot of tournaments this year, it allowed participants to put more time into practicing and building the club.
Hall says that anybody can join the club — even if they have no competitive fencing experience. Hall himself got involved with the club after taking a fencing class at the student recreation center last year.
This year, Hall has used the fencing classes as a way to “scope out people who have already demonstrated an interest in fencing.” He said that once students start to practice with the club, they tend to hang around the program for a prolonged period.
“Fencing is definitely a part of my life, and it’s going to stick around for a long time,” Dundon said.
Dundon said that coach Adam Lake, a doctoral student who has been with the club in some capacity for nearly 10 years, simply incorporated fencing into his lifestyle in a long-lasting way.
Hall too joined the club in similar circumstances. He said that he happened across the club at a Club Sports open house and has been in love with the sport ever since.
Next year, Hall said, the club hopes to participate in more tournaments and possibly host a second tournament. Hall said the Pacific Northwest is a fencing hotbed, home to some of the top-ranked competitors in the United States Fencing Association.
The tournaments in which the club participates all operate independently because there is no national governing body for collegiate fencing, Hall said, but a regional competition will likely be held in Beaverton next year.
Hall expects the club to be strong next season, as all of the team’s core fencers are returning. Coupled with new recruits from next fall’s class, Hall hopes to form a team that will set a new standard for success.
One change the club is anticipating for next year is an increase in tournaments participation, said Dundon.
He said one reason the team hasn’t competed in as many competitions is simply because there aren’t many opportunities in the region. He said the Northwest is underrepresented in the collegiate fencing scene, considering the talent pool in the region.
Next year, the Ducks plan to host two tournaments after the success of the Three Quacks UO Collegiate they hosted last winter.
The club currently has 11 members, though Hall said at any given practice there is likely to be about seven members in attendance. Hall said the team generally practices around two hours a day, three times a week.