Young Fencer Achieves Milestone

Jack Woods, 10, of Maplewood, is the youngest "B" rated fencer in the USA.

Most children are merely content with pretending to be knights.  Jack Woods, 10, of Maplewood, took things one step further and enrolled in foil lessons three years ago at the New Jersey Fencing Alliance.  "When I started fencing, I thought of it as knights fighting dragons," Woods said. "I just like the whole style and how you move on the strip. I like the idea and it has a beat to it." The young athlete practices fencing five to six days a week. Woods has criss-crossed the country for dozens of competitions and won numerous awards. All of Jack's hard work work recently paid off when he earned a "B" rating - one level below the highest fencing level - at the 2012 Cobra Super Youth Circuit Competition in Jersey City in April. He also …

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CBS News: Olympic hopeful looks to make a symbolic mark (VIDEO)

Ibtihaj Muhammad, CHS grad and current fencing coach, stands out among Olympic hopefuls.

CHS Fencers Win First Round of the NJSIAA State Play-Off

Columbia's boys extended their consecutive victory streak to 46.

The Columbia Boys and Girls fencing teams had little trouble in the first round of the NJSIAA State play-off “sweet sixteen” tournament this week. On Tuesday, at the New Jersey Fencing Alliance in Maplewood, the defending state champion, top seed and number 1 ranked boys extended their consecutive victory streak to 46 when it dominated 16th-seeded Bergen Tech. The Cougars clinched the meet at 14-2 when Bryn Hammarberg secured the 14th win by a score of 5-2. They went on to win the meet by an overall score of 21-6. Sabre fencers, Andrew Kelly, Stowe Hammarberg, Dan Heffley, Nic Stellini, Jacob Lazen and Matt Binder, combined to go 9-0 in the weapon, while the Jared LeBron, John Kirk and Basile Antoine each went 2-0 in foil. Max Gould also …

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In Fencer’s Hijab...Struggle and Inspiration

A top competitor in sabre is determined to adhere to religious tradition and also represent her country at the 2012 Olympic games.

As Ibtihaj Muhammad competes for a spot on the U.S. Women’s Olympic team as a sabre fencer, she is also vying to make history, as most likely the first U.S. representative wearing a headscarf in the games. It’s not a role she set out to play, but after struggling with the attention that her hijab has brought her over the years, she’s game. “I think my motto in this whole experience is that sports is something you can do in hijab, and you shouldn’t let your faith compromise how athletically gifted you become. Just like race or gender, religion should not hinder you from achieving your goals,” said Ibtihaj, 25. It’s a powerful message and one she is being asked to deliver with increasing frequency these days. Since the press caught wind of …

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Local Fencers Shine in Vegas

Five local fencers place at Summer Nationals and North American Cup

Fencers from the South Orange and Maplewood district had a strong showing at the annual Summer nationals and North American Cup, held in Reno, NV. More than 3,500 fencers competed at the annual event, which took place at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center last week. Samantha Viqueira led the way for Maplewood and South Orange, taking third place in the women’s Y12 foil. The Viqueira family had a lot to celebrate, having Rachel Viqueira take sixth in the division two women’s foil, while taking a silver medal in the foil, as a member of the Gutkovskiy Fencing Team. Alex Viqueira placed 14th in the cadet women’s sabre. Haley Hart was seventh in the D1A women’s epee. Jack Woods was eighth in the men’s Y10 foil.

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Columbia Fencers Excel at States, While CHS Grad Performs at Worlds

Haley Hart won gold in epee, while other local fencers excelled at NJ State Individual Championships. Meanwhile Ibtihaj Muhammad looks like Olympic material.

Columbia High Sschool had some excellent results at the NJ State Individual Championships earlier this month, with Haley Hart winning gold and becoming the state champion in epee. Andrew Kelly won 2nd in sabre, while Alex Viqueira placed 3rd. Brian Kaneshige was 3rd in foil. The best result of Maplewood fencers the previous weekend was Samantha Viqueira at the Mission Fencing Center's Super Youth Circuit. She placed 3rd in Y14, attained her D rating and won the Y12. Marissa Viqueira was 3rd in Y12. Maplewood's own Ibtihaj Muhammad and the women of Team USA had one of their best bouts in history earlier this month as they defeated the reigning Olympic Champions, 45-29, at the Istanbul World Cup in Turkey to win bronze. "I don’t imagine we …

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Wheelchair Fencing at The Alliance

New Jersey Fencing Alliance offering wheelchair fencing program

A new sporting opportunity exists in Maplewood for young and aspiring wheelchair athletes. The state’s first wheelchair fencing program is in session at the New Jersey Fencing Alliance on Burnett Avenue. The program’s mission is to provide instruction to children who are wheelchair-bound because of a handicap. Most of the members of the NJFA program are handicapped because of a birth defect. “Conceptually, it began over three years ago and it has taken almost two years to get it off the ground. It has been a long time coming,” said NJFA president George Janto. The idea for this program began when Janto observed a wheelchair competition at a national fencing tournament, where his daughter was competing. At that point, he never knew it even …

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Maplewood Fencers Score at National Competition

Locals finish in top 20 ranks, including Ibtihaj Muhammad, who took the number one spot in Division One Women’s Sabre.

Earlier this month, several Maplewood students competed in the national USA Fencing-sponsored Summer National Fencing Tournament. Six Maplewood fencers finished in the top 20 in their respective weapons, with Columbia High School graduate Ibtihaj Muhammad taking the number one spot in the Division One Women’s Sabre competition. “I’m excited to see what she’s going to be able to do in the future,” U.S. Fencing Manager of National Events Ashley Razo said. Over 3,500 athletes competed in 96 events in the tournament, which Razo said is the largest fencing tournament in the world. Fencers qualify through earning points at regional competitions held throughout the year. Patch reader and fencing enthusiast Bill Viqueria sent us a list of high-…

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Louis Toledo, Martial Arts & Kickboxing Instructor

11:57 pm on Monday, July 27, 2009

Awesome Job.   more ›

NJ.com: Columbia's Brian Kaneshige Named Fencer of the Year

The Star-Ledger honors the CHS Sophomore

After a remarkable 59-0 season, CHS Sophomore Brian Kaneshige is named as the Star-Ledger's Boys State Fencer of the Year. Read the Full Story: Boys State Fencer of the Year (High school Boys Fencing news).