When asked to list all he sports ‘that U.P.E.I. is anked well in, fencing never rosses the minds of most beople. Fencing, at least ere at U.P.E.L., is one of the least known sports, and yet, bur fencers regularly place ell in many of the tour- aments that they have at- ended.

What is fencing some ight ask? Well, to be brief, lencing is a sport which has been described by most as ‘Playing chess while running he hundred meter dash”. t combines agility, speed, nd endurance with strat- gy. Basically, the object f any fencing match is to core more points or hits on our opponent than he can core on you, up to a maxi- mum score and a maximum ime limit. Fencing is bro- en down into three cate- ories, foil, epee, and sabre, he most popular being foil nd epee.

The UPEI fencing club fas started c.1968 when othar Zimmerman came to he Island to teach here at rhat was then Prince of

UPEI Fencing: Our Hidden Sport

Wales College. He had been one of the founding members of a club at McMaster Uni- versity in 1960. When he came here, he wanted to con- tinue fencing. However, after checking at both the YMCA

and the College, he found that there were no clubs on

the Island. The College was quite willing to help, in fact they donated enough equip- ment for fifteen members un- der the provision that the members were from the Col- lege. Eventually, though, through word of mouth, peo- ple from outside the Univer- sity community became in- terested in the sport.

From there the club grew to forty registered mem- bers that gather every Sat- urday morning in the gym to improve their fencing skills, which makes this club the largest fencing club per capita anywhere in Canada. These members are made up of men and women, some mature fencers, some young people from the surround- ing area. There are com- petitive fencers hoping to achieve a top ranking nation-

ally, and many recreational

fencers just doing it for the fun of it.

This is a sport. that is open to all people because fencing requires skill and en- durance more than speed and strength. It is for this reason that women and men can, at least at the recre- ational level, fence on even terms. But, it has only been within the last ten years that women’s foil fencing has be- come recognized, and more recently women’s epee has fi- nally come to be included in competitions. Women’s sabre fencing still. has to be officially recognized as a

‘competitive sport.

One might think that as a small club they would not be able to fair all that well against some of the larger centers such as Fredericton, Halifax, and St.Johns, but a look at our past record for this year alone should be enough to convince a person that we have some talented people here. Jim Kyathfield, a student here at UPEI is ranked in the top 20 Sabre fencers and will, in fact be going to the national tourna- ment in Montreal this week-

end. In fact, in the last two

tournaments that the club has participated in this year, they came back with a total of fifteen medals. As well, for the first time in the club’s history, the UPEI club was able take home two of the Governor General’s plates. The year started with the Lt- Governor’s challenge in Hal- ifax on the weekend before the February break. Jim Ky- athfield came away with a bronze in both the epee and the Sabre, but got it all to- gether during the gala when he came away with the plate His brother Steve kept up the family tradition and placed first in both the regular sabre event, and once again in the. gala. Both fencers have been fencing for a few years now and will be

in epee.

going to the nationals this weekend.

But the Kyathfield brothers were not the only ones to take home medals. Johanna Eloit placed ond in women’s epee, and Chuck MacPherson, a new- comer to the sport of fenc-

sec-

ing after having started only three months ago, came away with a silver in epee.

The team returned to Halifax two weeks ago and

This

By Barb Mullally

As the semester draws © a close, most intra-mural Ports are finishing up or all to playoffs. This is the time © get out and cheer your fams on.

Although women’s bas- etball was come to a halt, en’s basketball has a couple ore games scheduled. On larch 28th at 10:30, Blan- hard plays Mayflower, while

week in intramurals

a

the Vets face Business at the same time onthe 30th. Intramural

Hockey is into its most excit- ing week of the season. The championship’ round begins on Monday at 7:15. The sec- ond game of the best-of-three series is on Tuesday at the same time. If necessary, the third game will be played on Wednesday at 8:30.

For the last time this semester, co-ed _ volleyball will finish off the week with one game on March 3lst. At 9:30 PM, a combined Bernarding- Marian squad will face the West- erners. End the semester on a successful note. Get out and support your intra- mural team! 8

came away with a total of ten medals. Steve Kyathfield didn’t disappoint the club by returning with a gold in both foil and sabre, and a silver in epee. His brother Jim re- turned with a bronze in both foil and epee, and a silver in sabre. The women’s team made an excellent showing there as well when Johanna Eloit placed first in both foil and epee, while Cora- Lee Desroches, also a student here at UPEI, placed first in sabre and third in foil. But even after all this, club © still recognized lo- cally. Many Students here have no idea what this club

the lems

has prob-

being

has accomplished and will ac- complish in the future. The biggest problem is the cost. Just this year, the Univer- sity funded the club five hun- dred dollars plus a_ small amount to help send an elite fencer away to compete. The government added another one thousand dollars to that, even with all that, there is very little money left over. Expenditures for this year alone total twelve hundred dollars and more equipment still to be bought. Presently, the Fencing club

needs

Cont. on page 13

Attention all ballplayers

By Matthew Beardsley

Anyone interested in get- ting in shape and preparing for the upcoming season is asked to contact myself at

894-9769 or anytime on cam- -

pus. Or if you wish, you may call Joe Picia at 566-2627.

The workouts will take place at Colonel Gray gym

A GOWN FROM

starting the week of March

28. The workouts will be

twice weekly and may

crease from there.

All faults will be worked general

in-

on: condition- ing, stretching, running, arm strength, hitting, etc. Base- ball season is not far away, so

let’s get in shape! 2

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Thursday March _24th=1988

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