The Big One
The Big One left me wanting more. The DE that sent me home was very close and it was one of the most interesting bouts I had so far. I could have won it - I didn't - but it was an intense bout and I was actually reacting and adjusting my actions; some of it worked, some didn't, and there were tears of course, and screaming and smashing the bathroom door, but in the end I feel good about it. I love collegiate events, and even though the Big One technically isn't a team event, having teammates cheer you on takes competition to a whole new level.
So... There were 62 fencers in women's epee - 9 pools. I was in a pool of 7 and went 3-3. First there was some new girl from UNH (5-4). Then Salvatore from Brown, who swept our pool; she was a lot better, so after she got 3 touches on me I just focused on not getting hit any more (0-3). Then that girl Kapura who was the BC C-strip last year; I was up 3-1 but she caught up and then scored in extra time. Whatever. I got a nice toe touch on her. Then there was some girl from Tufts who held her blade too high and I couldn't find a way around it. She was also tall, blond and pretty, and it was distracting. We doubled and then she got one in the last 20 seconds or so, then another double, then I scored, but the director called halt a split second earlier, so it ended at 2-3. I was pissed. I gave her a fuck-you-very-much salute and crushed her fingers when shaking hands. I know it was petty of me and I'm still kind of embarrassed about it, but only kind of, and no one really saw it anyway. We are fencing Tufts next weekend, and she owes me a touch. In fact, she probably owes me a bout, and I'm gonna take it. Then there were an MIT girl and a girl from Dartmouth. One of them - I don't remember which one, but I want to say a girl from MIT - just charged forward, and we got 4 double touches in the first 15 seconds or so, until I thought "ok, it's getting ridiculuos"; I didn't even notice where my last touch landed, I think it may have been her grip or socket because I'm almost sure it wasn't her hand, but who cares - it's valid target :) I have no memories about the second of the two, other than that I won 5-4. So I did ok-ish in pools, I just wish more of my double touches were one-lights.
Then I had the dumbest seeding out of pools. I seeded 32nd and had to fence #33 and then the winner was to fence #1. The first DE was a breeze, it was some girl from Sacred Heart who got, I think, one one-light on me (when I was up 11-2 or something and tried to score on the foot after doing 11 feint-six-ripostes in a row), the rest were doubles. I won 15-4. Then I had Kozel from Brandeis, who seeded 1st. She was better, but you could tell she was afraid of losing, and we were never more than 2, maybe 3 touches apart. At 12-13 I think I really made her nervous. But then I missed the most obvious direct attack to the chest. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It was then 12-14 and I had no idea how much time was left. I attacked, she countered; one light and I was out. It was a good bout though, I could actually put to use some of the things we drilled at practice. We are fencing Brandeis next week too; we'll see how it goes in a five-touch bout. She later went out in a round of 8 and finished 5th. Sarah Abraham from Wellesley got the gold. I finished 27th of 62. I suppose it's not a bad result, considering that only a year ago I was there straight out of novice program, watching, not knowing what was going on, and just dreaming that someday I'd get to wear Umass socks in competition and have people scream my name :)
We then cheered on our teammates, which is a great and essential part of the whole team competition experience; although other weapons still somewhat confuze me, especially sabre. It's funny how there are always two rolls of "yeah" from spectators - one immediately after the action (from those who understand what's going on), the other one after a director awards a touch (from the rest of people). There was also a hilariously stupid incident involving some female epeeist who lost a bout, got angry, unplugged her weapon and threw it on the ground. The weapon bounced back and hit her in the eye, and they took her to the hospital. How dumb is that.
Ok this post is getting very long. More to come soon. First NFC on November 18th.
So... There were 62 fencers in women's epee - 9 pools. I was in a pool of 7 and went 3-3. First there was some new girl from UNH (5-4). Then Salvatore from Brown, who swept our pool; she was a lot better, so after she got 3 touches on me I just focused on not getting hit any more (0-3). Then that girl Kapura who was the BC C-strip last year; I was up 3-1 but she caught up and then scored in extra time. Whatever. I got a nice toe touch on her. Then there was some girl from Tufts who held her blade too high and I couldn't find a way around it. She was also tall, blond and pretty, and it was distracting. We doubled and then she got one in the last 20 seconds or so, then another double, then I scored, but the director called halt a split second earlier, so it ended at 2-3. I was pissed. I gave her a fuck-you-very-much salute and crushed her fingers when shaking hands. I know it was petty of me and I'm still kind of embarrassed about it, but only kind of, and no one really saw it anyway. We are fencing Tufts next weekend, and she owes me a touch. In fact, she probably owes me a bout, and I'm gonna take it. Then there were an MIT girl and a girl from Dartmouth. One of them - I don't remember which one, but I want to say a girl from MIT - just charged forward, and we got 4 double touches in the first 15 seconds or so, until I thought "ok, it's getting ridiculuos"; I didn't even notice where my last touch landed, I think it may have been her grip or socket because I'm almost sure it wasn't her hand, but who cares - it's valid target :) I have no memories about the second of the two, other than that I won 5-4. So I did ok-ish in pools, I just wish more of my double touches were one-lights.
Then I had the dumbest seeding out of pools. I seeded 32nd and had to fence #33 and then the winner was to fence #1. The first DE was a breeze, it was some girl from Sacred Heart who got, I think, one one-light on me (when I was up 11-2 or something and tried to score on the foot after doing 11 feint-six-ripostes in a row), the rest were doubles. I won 15-4. Then I had Kozel from Brandeis, who seeded 1st. She was better, but you could tell she was afraid of losing, and we were never more than 2, maybe 3 touches apart. At 12-13 I think I really made her nervous. But then I missed the most obvious direct attack to the chest. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It was then 12-14 and I had no idea how much time was left. I attacked, she countered; one light and I was out. It was a good bout though, I could actually put to use some of the things we drilled at practice. We are fencing Brandeis next week too; we'll see how it goes in a five-touch bout. She later went out in a round of 8 and finished 5th. Sarah Abraham from Wellesley got the gold. I finished 27th of 62. I suppose it's not a bad result, considering that only a year ago I was there straight out of novice program, watching, not knowing what was going on, and just dreaming that someday I'd get to wear Umass socks in competition and have people scream my name :)
We then cheered on our teammates, which is a great and essential part of the whole team competition experience; although other weapons still somewhat confuze me, especially sabre. It's funny how there are always two rolls of "yeah" from spectators - one immediately after the action (from those who understand what's going on), the other one after a director awards a touch (from the rest of people). There was also a hilariously stupid incident involving some female epeeist who lost a bout, got angry, unplugged her weapon and threw it on the ground. The weapon bounced back and hit her in the eye, and they took her to the hospital. How dumb is that.
Ok this post is getting very long. More to come soon. First NFC on November 18th.