The Mizzou Fencing Club hosted its first Mizzou Tiger Showdown since before the COVID-19 pandemic on Sunday, Nov. 2, drawing more than 45 competitors to the Armory Sports & Recreation Center in Columbia. Fencers from across the nation competed in foil and epee events during the all-day tournament, which ran from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“I mean, it is pretty good that we’re having our first rate determined since before Covid,” club treasurer Jannis Buecking said. “I think it’s very important for the club, big milestone pushing now that we have our USA fencing membership.”
The tournament began with the foil competition, featuring three pools fencing simultaneously. In pool one, vice president Dylan Moulder and risk manager Miranda Edlin represented Mizzou. Both earned two victories.
“I was worried going into it, and then in my first pool bout, I won,” Edlin said. “I think that helped to give me a little bit more confidence going into the rest of it.”
In pool two, club fencers Minna Arthurs and Daniel Hellman competed for Mizzou. Arthurs recorded three victories, while Hellman could not secure a win. In pool three, Buecking notched one victory in his fourth match against Anthony Edwards of Buccaneer Blades Fencing.
“The last (practice) where I actually fenced was on Wednesday, and we were doing a lot of March attacks and counters to that,” Buecking said. “I think that’s where a lot of my counter attacks, like epee style fencing that I had today, came from.”
Seventeen fencers advanced to the direct elimination round after pool play. All Mizzou fencers were eliminated in that stage, with the exception of Edlin. She advanced to the table of eight, where she fell 15-9 to Mesa Ehren, who is unaffiliated.
The winner for the foil portion of the tournament was Lucas Brown of Buccaneer Blades Fencing, who earned a D25. Alongside Brown, Edlin placed No. 8 and Arthurs placed No. 9 overall.
Mizzou’s epee squad competed in a six-pool event, with strong showings from freshman club member Jason Fu and coach Paul Vaughan in club fencing.
“There’s a very interesting thing that happens when you get ahead in fencing,” Fu said. “You start to relax more because you feel that you have the advantage and you’re not because of the way that epee is designed.”
In pool one, Vaughan earned four victories for the club, while Rebecca Winters could not secure a win. Pool two saw James Winkeler represent Mizzou and Buccaneer Blades Fencing, earning two victories in his final two matches. Dylan Smith recorded three victories in pool three, and Fu went undefeated in pool four with four straight wins. In pool five, coach Emma Buckingham finished 3-0, while Tony Najjar claimed two victories in pool six.
“Paul’s very good, but as a person, he’s very nice on the strip,” Fu said. “He’s very calm. He’s a good sports teacher which I value a lot.”
Following pool play, Fu and Vaughan advanced through the tables of 16 and 8, ultimately reaching the semifinals. Buckingham and Winkeler also reached the round of 16, where they were eliminated. Fu and Vaughan both won their semifinal matches, setting up a finals showdown against each other. Vaughan defeated Fu 15-10 to capture first place.
“I like fencing (with) Paul, and every tournament that always seems to be where it ends up. Me and Paul, me and Josh, and me and Emma,” Fu said.
Vaughan’s victory earned him a B25 ranking, while Fu placed second with a C25 ranking. Their notable performances leave the club well positioned for its next tournament at Washington University, scheduled for Nov. 15-16 in the South Campus Gym.
