sectional qualifiers

[fencingfoolfour]

heres the deal:
i am pretty new to the sport of fencing. Qualifiers for where i live (Long Island, NY) are next saturday. How hard is it to qualify for sectionals??.....i know most of the people at the board are very good, but for a novice like me.

[Purple Fencer]

Don't know what it's like back east, but in the Pacific Coast Section, I thnk we use the same formula for sending people to the Summer Nationals. I think it's ther top 30% finishers out of the overall field, not counting any auto qualifiers.

Example: 22 competitors = 7 quaifiers

Just 'cause you're a novice doesn't mean you can't qualify. I've seen it happen in Division I quals when some guy who used to get slaughtered had it all come together and place in the top 8.

Sadly, it wasn't me.

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Sam Signorelli -- I'll be mellow when I'm
DEAD!

[azfencer]

I'm not sure if I understand your question correctly. Anyone can go to sectionals no qualification necessary, do you mean qualify for nationals at sectionals? That mostly depends on the strength of your section. Everyone qualifies for div III nationals just by going to division or sectional qualifiers. Div II and IA are a little harder (probably especially in New York!) but you never know!

In sectionals I think the top 10 people qualify for div IA, not just 30% but I could be wrong and I don't remember how many make div II at all.

[darius]

To qualify for DivII, you must do one of the following:
1. Place top 30% at the divisional qualifying tournament.
2. Qualify for the U16 or U19 national champs.
3. Place top 4 in the 2000 DivIII national champs.
4. The top 6 fencers in the Sectional qualifier who haven't gotten there through any other path.

Sectionals attendance is set by the section, I think -- I know in North Atlantic this year, it's 100%, so if you go to the divisional tournament, you can go to the sectional tournament.

darius

[Clean Touch]

I'm in the Pacific Coast Section as well. The qualifying paths for my division (Mountain Valley) go something like this:

Divisional qualifiers -> Sectional Champiionships -> National Championships.

The easiest way to go to the sectionals is to show up for the divisional qualifiers: any fencer who competes in the divisional qualifiers for the sectional championships is automatically qualified for Div III. Only the top 30% (as per the post by the infamous Purple Fencer) qualify for Div II competition.

In the mountain valley division there's a second tournament to qualify fencers for Div I (although the scheduling could be different for your section and/or division).

So to qualify for the sectional championships is easy. No sweat!

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Est-ce que l'attaque etait bon? Mais Oui!!

[saberkid]

yeah, thas all right purp and clean... kinda nice in sac though we get 66% up because were hosting it (yay!!!) and so they are double qualifyed plus alot of our fencers have cadet and or junior points, wich makes us an automatic for the event (yay!!! again)

Chris

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Fence with the best die like the rest!

[Lordy]

For the northeast section, 100% of the participants qualify for the sectionals. I know it sounds silly, but the only reason they hold the qualifiers is so that they can raise a little cash for the divisions. So basically, if you show up, pay your entry fee, and fence you qualify for sectionals. End of story.

[Lumberg]

I'm confused as to whether you mean "qualify for the divisional qualifier", "qualify for the North Atlantic Sectional championship", "qualify for the Summer Nationals". My guess since you are talking about Saturday, March 10, 2001, you are referring to the Long Island Division Qualifier. Here's the base answer to that question. Anyone can compete in the Divisional Qualifier, unclassified to A. 100% of fencers who compete in the divisional qualifier get to compete in the North Atlantic Sectional Championship.
Go to this link regarding qualifying. http://www.prisedefer.com/nasusfa/

Competing in the division qualifier and/or the North Atlantic Sectional Championship will qualify you to compete in the Summer Nationals. That's right, you can come in dead last at the qualifiers and be able to compete in the Summer Nationals in Division III.

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Lumberg.
"...ahhh, we have sort of a problem here... yeah, you apparently didn't put one of the new cover sheets on your TPS report"

[This message has been edited by Lumberg (edited 03-06-2001).]

[azfencer]

Ok Lumberg, now I'm confused again. Division qualifiers is only qualifying for div II and III, why would an A or B be fencing in it? I think I've seen some divisions that have them compete and some that don't. Are both ways legal? Can you ignore the A's and B's for the top 30% advancing but count them in the total number of fencers to make 30% a larger number of fencers? Otherwise wouldn't you be cheating people who are eligible for div II?

Also, I've never heard that you have to fence at division qualifiers to go to sectionals. Is this a usfa rule? Again why would an A/B fencer fence at division qualifiers and they must go to sectional qualifiers to qualify for summer nationals div Ia. I'm in the rocky mountain section and barely anyone goes to sectionals so maybe we just do it differently or maybe I just don't know (but I do know fencers who have missed division quals and gone to section quals and fenced at nationals).

[Lumberg]

I made a mistake. There is a separate Summer Nationals qualifier (most likely in April). I do believe you can compete in the Summer Nationals even if you come in last place at the Summer Nationals qualifier.
To azfencer,
I wasn't referring to top fencers since the original post was made by a novice fencer so those rules wouldn't apply to him. The info in your message and the stuff everyone else wrote concerning Div II and III are correct and I didn't mean to add any confusion.

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Lumberg.
"...ahhh, we have sort of a problem here... yeah, you apparently didn't put one of the new cover sheets on your TPS report"

[edew]

Sam,
read the Section by-laws on how to qualify. The first ten fencers qualify then one for each additional 12. (I personally would prefer to see it the other way around, where we allow MORE people to qualify when there are more fencers.) Also, add 4 if it's a Group A1, add 2 if it's a Group B1 event (the qualifier that is).

The qualifying method is different from section to section. So I would suggest the original poster from Lon-Guyland read up on his section's website, if it exists.

[Purple Fencer]

Eric,

Actually, I was primaroly looking at the formula at the bottom of the qualifying report form, which, as Div Secretary, I need to start filling out.

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Sam Signorelli -- I'll be mellow when I'm
DEAD!

[edew]

The formula at the bottom of the qualifying report form is for the Div II/III/etc. events at the Summer Nationals. They have nothing to do with the Sectional Championships. The sectionals (at least ours in the PCS) don't have qualifying report forms, although I think it would be nice to make one up.

And to sabrekid, you don't get 66%. You get six extra. Depending on the number of entries, that could be more than 66%, but sabre in Sac., the six extra would amount to less than 66%, I'm guessing.

As for all Summer Nationals qualifying info, rather than posting what you think, just tell people to check the usfencing.org website and look at the qualifying paths document. It's written there in black and white.

[Zelda]

Now this whole thread is just confusing to little ol' me in Oz!!!!

[Mergs]

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger, Zelda. As you can see from the length of the discussion, so are a lot of other people!

[Crash55]

I believe the North Atlantic Section changed how you get to Sectionals this year. Last year it was teh first 10 automatic and then one more spot for every two fencers. This year everyone who goes to the qualifier qualifies for Sectionals.

For Nationals, everyone who fences at the National Qualifier, qualifies for Div III. Top 30% (minimum of two qualify) qualify for Div II.

The Sectionals also give additional ways to qualify for Nationals. Top 10 qualify for Div I-A, next 6 (who have not already qualified) qualify for Div II, everyone qualifies for Div III.

Check out the Operations Manual starting on pg 28

[fencingfoolfour]

thanks a lot guys.... but i think im still very - very confused...i guess i wasn't clear...anyways im on my way down to the fencing club now where hopwefully my coach will explain this whole process to me

thanks for trying--

[Lumberg]

To fencingfoolfour,
Are you planning on going to the Summer Nationals?
I'm totally confused. I, myself, will be competition in the Sectionals and Summer Nationals qualifiers but I don't plan on going to Sacramento.

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Lumberg.
"...ahhh, we have sort of a problem here... yeah, you apparently didn't put one of the new cover sheets on your TPS report"

[Foil Girl]

I've heard it's fairly easy to qualify in Mountain Valley for Nationals. And also that your placement donesn't matter in some qualifiers.

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-Foil Girl
"If you don't have fun, you've already lost"

[Lumberg]

You know what would be funny if this topic kept on dragging on beyond July... or maybe not.

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Lumberg.
"...ahhh, we have sort of a problem here... yeah, you apparently didn't put one of the new cover sheets on your TPS report"