We sank their battleships and destroyed their tanks
[long entry about Nationals will be posted here, some time between now and May graduation]
EDIT:
(3 months later)
Well, that update never happened, and probably never will, as the details are slowly fading in my memory... Don't get me wrong, that sort of experience was one-of-a-kind and by definition unforgettable, but with graduating and all I had quite a few one-of-a-kind experiences in the last couple of months... but I'll write down what I remember.
So... Indiana. First days of April. It was warm. Flowers everywhere (it was still cold in Amherst). Bloomington is a nice little town. Indiana University looks like an old castle, and their squirrels are gray with brown bellies. They also have a fountain with a woman holding a fish between her legs, very weird.
We made an entrance to the main theme of Mission Impossible (Ben's ipod + speakers) and other teams turned heads as we were walking by, it was fun :) I have mixed feelings about the new format, it's difficult to compare it to last year's, but I'm glad that I got to try both. We (women's epee) didn't do so well on the first day - I don't even remember who we had in our pool...we had 6 other teams, I believe... University of Chicago, Michigan State, Smith and... damn... 3 more - and I could write many excuses about why *I* didn't do well on that day (like lack of team spirit, support, and working weapons, or being triple-stripped(!) at one point so I fenced 3 bouts in a row without a break) but it doesn't matter now... I could have done better, but I just didn't fence well on that particular day. We seeded somewhere in the middle if I remember correctly. We also had to fence our 1/32 round, but the other team didn't show because they had only 1 fencer and against a full squad it's a sure loss anyway. Then we watched the guys, then went to Steak&Shake - kind of an upscale fast-food place with disgusting steaks, but great milkshakes. I wish we had them in Massachusetts.
On the second day we - again, only speaking about women's epee, as the team spirit just wasn't there this year... or maybe it was just me... or because of the format... either way - we were ready to kick some ass. Actually, not quite so, because our first round was Michigan State (who we already lost to in pools the day before - *badly* - and who ended up getting gold). So we lost to them, and we knew our bracket was going to be 16 through 9, which sucked no matter where we would end up; but it was then when we suddenly felt like kicking some major butt, and try and get "a one-digit place". First was Navy. We won, and it felt good. Okay, so they didn't have a C-strip, but still... :) We thought that was it, but as it turned out we had to fence for every place. At that point I began to think the new format wasn't that bad. When every bout matters, it brings the squad closer, makes advice and cheering very important and emotional, and sincere. So next was Dartmouth. We decided it was dumb to come all the way to Indiana to fence Dartmouth and not win, so we won. Easily. Then we thought we were done and started taking pictures and undressing when we got called to the strip to fence...Army! Holy shit. But we were on the roll. What a tough fight it was, so much tension and adrenaline! Every touch mattered. We made it to 4-4, so it was up to me and their B-strip. I knew I would most likely win it, but I suddenly remembered the first NFC where in the same situation I lost to UNH and our squad lost the round, and I wasn't so sure anymore - such a sports movie cliche, never thought I'd ever face it in real life - but I won it anyway. And we beat Army! We beat Army AND Navy!!! It was awesome! And we got our "one-digit place". As a team we were fourth. Our men's sabre were first and men's foil were third. Also men's team was in top 3, I think... Then we soaked our sore muscles in the hotel pool and hot tub. On the way to the airport the next day we stopped at White Castle - another local miracle - which tiny burgers that cost 59 cents were forever immortalized in a certain movie about Harold and Kumar. Elaine and I named one of those little burgers Wilbur and smuggled him to Boston inside Alex's stomach, but it's a whole different story...
EDIT:
(3 months later)
Well, that update never happened, and probably never will, as the details are slowly fading in my memory... Don't get me wrong, that sort of experience was one-of-a-kind and by definition unforgettable, but with graduating and all I had quite a few one-of-a-kind experiences in the last couple of months... but I'll write down what I remember.
So... Indiana. First days of April. It was warm. Flowers everywhere (it was still cold in Amherst). Bloomington is a nice little town. Indiana University looks like an old castle, and their squirrels are gray with brown bellies. They also have a fountain with a woman holding a fish between her legs, very weird.
We made an entrance to the main theme of Mission Impossible (Ben's ipod + speakers) and other teams turned heads as we were walking by, it was fun :) I have mixed feelings about the new format, it's difficult to compare it to last year's, but I'm glad that I got to try both. We (women's epee) didn't do so well on the first day - I don't even remember who we had in our pool...we had 6 other teams, I believe... University of Chicago, Michigan State, Smith and... damn... 3 more - and I could write many excuses about why *I* didn't do well on that day (like lack of team spirit, support, and working weapons, or being triple-stripped(!) at one point so I fenced 3 bouts in a row without a break) but it doesn't matter now... I could have done better, but I just didn't fence well on that particular day. We seeded somewhere in the middle if I remember correctly. We also had to fence our 1/32 round, but the other team didn't show because they had only 1 fencer and against a full squad it's a sure loss anyway. Then we watched the guys, then went to Steak&Shake - kind of an upscale fast-food place with disgusting steaks, but great milkshakes. I wish we had them in Massachusetts.
On the second day we - again, only speaking about women's epee, as the team spirit just wasn't there this year... or maybe it was just me... or because of the format... either way - we were ready to kick some ass. Actually, not quite so, because our first round was Michigan State (who we already lost to in pools the day before - *badly* - and who ended up getting gold). So we lost to them, and we knew our bracket was going to be 16 through 9, which sucked no matter where we would end up; but it was then when we suddenly felt like kicking some major butt, and try and get "a one-digit place". First was Navy. We won, and it felt good. Okay, so they didn't have a C-strip, but still... :) We thought that was it, but as it turned out we had to fence for every place. At that point I began to think the new format wasn't that bad. When every bout matters, it brings the squad closer, makes advice and cheering very important and emotional, and sincere. So next was Dartmouth. We decided it was dumb to come all the way to Indiana to fence Dartmouth and not win, so we won. Easily. Then we thought we were done and started taking pictures and undressing when we got called to the strip to fence...Army! Holy shit. But we were on the roll. What a tough fight it was, so much tension and adrenaline! Every touch mattered. We made it to 4-4, so it was up to me and their B-strip. I knew I would most likely win it, but I suddenly remembered the first NFC where in the same situation I lost to UNH and our squad lost the round, and I wasn't so sure anymore - such a sports movie cliche, never thought I'd ever face it in real life - but I won it anyway. And we beat Army! We beat Army AND Navy!!! It was awesome! And we got our "one-digit place". As a team we were fourth. Our men's sabre were first and men's foil were third. Also men's team was in top 3, I think... Then we soaked our sore muscles in the hotel pool and hot tub. On the way to the airport the next day we stopped at White Castle - another local miracle - which tiny burgers that cost 59 cents were forever immortalized in a certain movie about Harold and Kumar. Elaine and I named one of those little burgers Wilbur and smuggled him to Boston inside Alex's stomach, but it's a whole different story...