FORT MILL -- 

The sounds of swords clashing filled the air in the Leroy Springs Recreation Complex gym Saturday afternoon, as fencers of all skill levels competed in the first annual “Fight at Fort Mill” tournament.

Nearly 70 combatants from around the Carolinas dueled in two separate brackets: the first, beginning at 9 a.m., encouraged inexperienced and unranked fencers to participate, while the second, which started at noon, was a more competitive affair featuring the higher ranks.

Eight fencers in all received an upgraded ranking by the end of the day, ultimately the goal of competitive fencing.

The host of the tournament, head coach of the Fort Mill Fencing Academy, Justin Mann, who has 20 years of experience in the sport, was elated with Saturday’s turnout and said he hopes the positive exposure will spur future tournaments to be held in the Fort Mill area.

“It’s a big deal that we drew so many people on our first go round,” said Mann, whose academy will celebrate its one year anniversary on April 1. “We’re a new club to the United States Fencing Association and by running a successful tournament, it could allow us to go from one event a year to two, which is my goal. It might also attract coaches and players to our organization as well.”

The matches themselves consisted of three rounds lasting three minutes each. A victor is declared by either obtaining 15 touches (points) on their opponent, or by having the higher score at the end of regulation. Competitors dueled in the ‘epee’ discipline, which is one of three weapons used in a regulation fencing tournament. By utilizing the epee, or “combat sword,” fencers obtain points by landing touches on any part of the body, allowing for a more free-form contest that presents an array of different strategies for competitors to employ.

Not only were fencers of all rankings welcome to compete (from top-ranked A to unranked), but age and gender were also not discriminating factors. Greg Spahr is the head coach of the Cape Fear Fencing Association based out of Wilmington, N.C. He has been an avid fencer for 34 years. Spahr, himself having achieved a “D” ranking, discussed the thrill of competing in the tournament while also expressing his optimism regarding the current youth movement surrounding the sport itself.

Spahr finished 10th out of 34 competitors in the second bracket of the day. Mann came in second to notch the best showing by a local competitor.

“Over half of the fencers in the United States are under the age of 16, so that has me excited about the future of fencing,” Spahr said. “But on a personal note, I’m usually the one scrambling to organize these events, so it feels great to actually get to compete in the sport I’ve loved for most of my life.”

Bethany Iversen, who was unranked, finished 12th out of 33 participants in the first of the two brackets. Iversen picked up the sport over a year and-a-half ago, and is currently a member of the Dueling Society of Charleston fencing academy helmed by William Rowland (who finished eighth in the second bracket).

Iversen says this is definitely a thinking person’s sport. She not only believes fencing to be a sport favoring tactics over physicality, but that an over-emphasis on athleticism can place opponents at a disadvantage.

“Depending on the person, your opponent will usually tend to be aggressive or have a more conservative, finesse style,” Iversen said. “If they are stronger or bigger than me, than it’s just a bigger target area for me to hit. Let them be super aggressive while I pick my spots.”

Fellow east of the Cooper River fencing academy members Lucas Padgett and Roman Shtompil finished both brackets near the bottom of the heap. But for the two 15 year-old Charleston natives, Saturday was about enjoying a sport that has helped them find their social and athletic niche. Padgett and Shtompil established a friendship through the sport of fencing six months ago when they both began training.

“You have to put your full heart and focus into the sport,” Shtompil said. “But when you feel yourself improving and getting better in your technique, it just gives you a good feeling inside.”

“I see fencing as something that I will do for the rest of my life,” Padgett added. “It’s an individual sport unlike basketball or football, and you rely on yourself whether you succeed or fail.”

The Fort Mill Fencing Academy offers three different classes for those interested in pursuing fencing: introduction to fencing, continuing fencing and competitive fencing. Ages 8 and up are encouraged to enroll, and classes begin April 1 at the Leroy Springs Complex. Call 547-4575.

FORT MILL -- 

Just six months ago, Fort Mill High sophomore Hawthorne Cox, 16, dreamed of doing great things in the sport of fencing.

Today, that dream is a reality.

Cox recently qualified for the Jr. Olympics in fencing next month in Dallas. His third-place finish at the state divisional qualifiers has earned him a place in the U-17 Men’s Epée competition. The Junior Olympics are the Youth National Championships.

However, six months ago, Cox picked up a sword for the first time and started learning a new sport after playing more traditional sports like baseball and soccer, both of which he admitted he grew tired of.

“I seen it on TV and always wanted to do it,” Cox said.

A transplant from Arizona, Cox saw on a flier that the Leroy Springs Recreation Complex was going to start offering classes, and he let his curiosity get the best of him.

“I always liked sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat like karate,” he said.

There are three types of fencing styles today – foil, epée and saber. Cox is an epée fencer.

Epée, as the sporting weapon is known today, was invented in the second half of the 19th century by a group of French students who felt that the conventions of foil were too restrictive, and the weapon itself too light; they wanted an experience closer to that of an actual duel. At the point of its conception, the epée was, essentially, an exact copy of a small sword, but without the needle-sharp point.

Like the foil, the epée is a thrusting weapon. To score a valid hit, the fencer must fix the point of his weapon on his opponent’s target. However, the target area covers the entire body, and there are no rules regarding who can hit when, which differs from foil and saber, where there are priority rules.

When Cox first picked up the sport, he said he found it more difficult than it looked.

“It was pretty tough,” he said. “I had to face my teammates and their strategy was different than mine.”

Cox said he didn’t play sports for years after giving up baseball and soccer. However, once he saw fencing, he knew it was something he would want to try.

“It’s quick and it doesn’t take too much stamina,” he said.

Due to a busy school schedule, Cox only gets to practice about two and-a-half hours a week. Although he doesn’t practice often, his practice has made him perfect. Well, almost perfect.

In his first qualifying tournament for the Jr. Olympics, he placed third, qualifying on his first try. He also finished seventh in his second tournament out of 15 people and placed just two spots behind his coach Justin Mann, a more advanced fencer, in the tournament.

Mann himself is a two-time state fencing champion in the two different classes and a three time Jr. Olympian.

To offset the cost of the trip to Dallas, Cox needs to raise in excess of $1,000 for him, Mann and his mother to make the trip.

“Hawthorne’s performance was a very important step in the development of our very young program, and we would like to support him, as well as the club any way that we can,” Mann said, in an e-mail.

To contribute, call 704-661-7709.