FEBRUARY 2023 MONTHLY CLUB EPEE COMPETITION
The last day in February, the 28th, saw the second monthly club Epee competition of 2023. With almost as many entrants as the January competition, it was looking to be a busy night again. Henry, January’s victor, was unable to make the February event; many claimed he had merely hit a lucky streak the previous month, but the reigning champ had decided to bow out, claiming that you should always leave the audience wanting more! So, the coveted trophy was up for grabs. To make this month’s event all the more unpredictable, the knockout stage of first to five, then first to ten at the semi-final and the first to fifteen for the victory match, had been replaced, at each stage, with a one hit knockout; this could be anybody’s night.
By chance, the poules were a much more evenly matched affair, with most fencers managing to win at least one of their matches. Paul and Stuart were the stand out fencers, with both managing to win all four of their respective matches. The girls seemed to struggle the most, but with illness and school exams blighting the previous week’s practice for them all, it wasn’t entirely surprising. Phil and Peter managed to avoid a family bout, however, Andy and Jack didn’t manage to avoid each other, with Jack, the young pretender, managing to take the family crown on this occasion.
With a computer at hand, the poule results were input and the knockout stage was decided within a matter of minutes and, with enough time to complete the whole event in one evening. Stuart, having come out on top of the poules, saw himself straight through to the quarter-finals, having secured a bye. Some of the remaining matches saw some tense scenes, while the audience awaited for that elusive single hit. Sofia, Jaina and Claudia were all seen off by the older competitors, whilst Andy beat Peter, perhaps showing that the one hit knockout definitely appeals to the wisdom of the older rival, whilst the youngsters prefer the stamina required for a longer bout! The exception to the rule and perhaps the upset of the night, was Jack overcoming Will to secure his place as the Top Junior on the night and, reach the quarter-finals.
Here, Stuart came back into play, beating Phil and proving that the short rest between rounds, thanks to the bye, had benefitted him. Dave overcame Andy, and Paul put an end to Jack’s run at the same time. The shock of the quarter-finals was Richard beating Sandy – not a nice thing to do to the man who knocked out his fencing nemesis, Sofia, in the earlier round of the tableau. However, proving that this was all skill and not just a lucky night, Richard went on to beat Paul in the semi-final and secure a showdown with Stuart, who had seen off Dave. This was going to be either man’s trophy. With plenty of time to spare before the end of the session, the two men decided to play straight on and, with a captive audience their final, one-hit fence off for the title of February 2023 Epee Champion, began. After a cautious start, it was Stuart who triumphed on this occasion. It was probably written on the cards though, because if the competition had been carried over, he would have been away the following week…just don’t tell Richard! Well done everyone and we look forward to seeing you all on the last Tuesday in March for that month’s competition.
