Air Force Academy
New Mexico Open
Air Force Fencers Bring Home the Gold
10/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Fencing
Oct. 29, 2003
The Academy's fencing team had a successful weekend of competition in Santa Fe at the New Mexico Open. AFA fencer Sam Bartron won the open sabre event. "It was good to take the gold home for Air Force," Bartron said. "The team had a great weekend. We always enjoy competing in Santa Fe," head coach Abdel Salem said. Sean Blas was the second-place finisher in the event. In open epee, Timothy French took second and Gian Carlo Rando took third place.
The Academy's top finishers in the women's events were Ashley Roell, third, in women's foil, Apphia Taylor, third, in women's epee along with Marisa Romero who had a second-place finish in women's sabre.
"My performance was due to the team's support," Taylor said.
In open epee, Jason Stockdale and Curtis Marshall placed 12th and 15th, respectively. Taylor also placed 25th in that event. Serge Mettes, Lydia Bigelow and Joe Keller finished 46th, 53rd and 63rd, respectively.
In women's foil, Natalie Chounet, Ebony Cook and Monica Herrera finished 8th, 12th and 14th, respectively. Fifth place went to Pappy Oboho followed by Josh Trice in open sabre. Alison Freiman placed 13th and Marissa Romero finished 14th. Mary Zinnel, Chris Baron and Kate Gulczynski, all placed 17th, 18th and 19th, respectively.
Teresa Moreno finished 10th while Lydia Bigelow finished 11th in women's epee. Roell also competed in the open foil event, finishing 23rd, while Ebony Cook finished 25th. Julio Gamez finished 36th and Ryan Sealy finished 39th among 58 fencers in open foil. In that same event, Natalie Chounet was 43rd, Monica Herrera, 44th, Joseph Keller, 46th, Kent Morgan, 48th, and Carl Chen, 51st.
Freiman also finished fifth in women's sabre and Gulczynski was sixth, Zinner finished eighth.
"I was happy to represent Air Force in my first tournament this year. I think it was a good starting point for a good career," C4C Gulczynski said.
"We have a young team and they get along very well and enjoy supporting each other," said Salem.
The team will compete in the Junior "A" competition in Louisville, Ky., Nov. 7-9.
