2022-23 Fencing Roster
Valerie Slackman
- Weapon:
- Epee
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Custom2:
- 37 / Animalistic Skyraiders
- Hometown:
- Commack, NY
- High School:
- Commack
2022 USFCA All-West Region Epee
2023-24 (Junior): Competed in 19 bouts ... earned seven wins ... went 2-0 against Brandeis.
2022-23 (Sophomore): Competed in 90 bouts ... 54 bout victories ... 8th place at NCAA West Regional with eight wins.
2021- 22 (Freshman): Competed in 91 bouts, ranking second on women's team ... 41 bout victories ranked third on team ... competed at NCAA West Regional, placing fifth in women's epee with five bout victories ... USFCA All-West Region.
Before Air Force: Earned four varsity letters in fencing and three in tennis … county champion … All-Long Island … first-team all-county … first-team all-division in tennis … high school coach was her father, Paul Slackman … also competed for New York Fencing Academy and was coached by Sergey Danilov … on the junior national points list … 2019 October NAC Div. II 8th place … American Sign Language, National, Science and Spanish Honor Societies member.
PERSONAL: Member of cadet squadron 37 … daughter of Paul and Dana Slackman … has an older brother … brother, Joey, played football and wrestled at University of Pennsylvania and recently transferred to Florida to play football in 2024 … legal studies major and space warfighting minor … future career plan is to become a JAG officer … active in her squadron as the readiness flight non-commissioned officer ... during the summer prior to sophomore year, completed combat survival training and cyber and space operations ... Why I decided to come to the Academy: “To receive a world-class education and compete in Div. I athletics from an institution which puts forth genuine effort to not only academics but also athletics, and personal development.” … hobbies are playing tennis, chess, jetskiing and spending time with family and her dogs … began fencing at age 12 … credits her brother as having the biggest influence on her sports career … pre-competition superstition is listening to music … dream vacation spot is Bali … guilty pleasure is chocolate … favorite role model is Ruther Bader Ginsburg … something most people don’t know about her is that she used to be an acrobat … notable thing about her high school is that seven graduates are currently competing in Div. I fencing … enjoys listening to The Weeknd, SZA, Travis Scott, Kali Uchis and Kanye West … favorite TV show is Big Mouth … favorite movie is Anchorman … favorite class subject is history … favorite athlete is Alex Zverev … favorite social media follow is usafa25.
