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D'Artagnan1673 · 03-22-2002, 08:42 AM

Catal,

I did go to Lamar State College in Port Arthur, Texas, that is the junior college for Lamar Universtiy in Beaumont Texas. I graduated last year with an AAS in Computer Information Systems. I am thinking about going back to the main campus for a B.A. Still, in the computer field, certifications and experience still hold a great deal of sway.

And you?

D'Artagnan1673 · 03-22-2002, 08:45 AM

Here's a question for all you experienced fencers:

Just what do you have to do to go to Nationals. What does Div. I, II & III really mean? My division is poorly organized and nobody at my club competes.

I know that our division's qualifier tournament is being help Apr. 13&14, even if I haven't gone to a single tournament all year long, can I go and compete at this one? Generally speaking, how high do you have to be ranked (or should I say how well must you compete) to go to nationals?

Catal · 03-22-2002, 08:50 AM

I was over at Southwest Texas State U. for a little while. Just got curious when I saw your location. I'm always wondering if I've fenced any of the people on this board (and, indeed I have, but they don't know who I am. Muh ha ha ha.)

Catal · 03-22-2002, 09:08 AM

You're gonna need that edge you gain from competition before you try for a NAC, let alone a sectional. My club was more or less limited to our fencers for practice; when we went up against the experienced area teams, we got annhilated. It's not so bad now, but that was after a year of constant competition. I'd save up and practice for next year, that way, you don't eliminated in the 80% cut off after the intitial pool phase. I can't imagine spending all that money just for a few bouts.

AndrewH · 03-22-2002, 10:58 AM

[quote]Originally posted by D'Artagnan1673:

Just what do you have to do to go to Nationals. What does Div. I, II & III really mean? My division is poorly organized and nobody at my club competes.
<hr></blockquote>

Well I'm fairly new to the whole qualifying thing, but here's how I understand it:

Div III is for all fencers classified D, E, or U. To qualify, you need to have one of the aforementioned ratings (not terribly hard

) and just show up to your Div II/III qualifier. Anyone who shows up is in.

Div II requires C, D, E or U. To qualify, you must place in the top 30% of your Div II/III qualifier (which should earn you the needed rating as well). You're definetly not Junior division anymore, but for anyone else reading, if you qualify for U16's, you are automatically qualified for Div II.

Div I (which isnt included in Nats anymore) requires A, B, C, or D. To qualify, you need to either be on the National Senior points standings by a certain date or be a T8 finisher in Div I-A nationals/T4 at Div II nationals from the previous year.

There's also Div I-A, which requires any rating, but you need to either be in top 30% of your Senior Sectionals, or be T8 at Div I-A Nats/T4 at Div II Nats from the previous year.

And that's the basic stuff you need to know. You can also qualify by petition or by various other arcane methods, like being in the T4 of the age group standings ahead of you, etc etc.

Good luck qualifying!

oiuyt · 03-22-2002, 11:51 AM

I'll repeat what Andrew just said in a slightly different form.

Exclusive of age-group events (which, given that you're older than 20 and not yet 40 don't apply to you) there are 4 levels of competition.

Elite (aka Div I): sometimes held with summer nationals, this year it's held seperately in April. In order to participate you must either be on the national points list or be one of a few qualifiers from a couple of other methods (top 8 in previous year's div IA, top 4 in previous year's div II, etc.). This doesn't apply for you, you can't fence in this this year.

Div IA: You need to place top 30% (or top 10 whichever is greater) in your sectional championships (which you probably need to qualify to through your division's sectional qualifiers). A few other people qualify (same exceptions above, junior sectional champions, etc).

Div II: Limited to people rated C or less at the time of qualification. The primary method to qualify is by placing top 30% of your division's div II/III qualifiers. There are other methods based on things such as your placement in the sectional championships (top 6 eligible people not already qualified).

Div III: Limited to people rated D or less at the time of qualification. To qualify you must fence in your division's div II/III qualifiers or your sectional championships. You can finish DFL, you just need to compete in order to qualify.

People can and do compete in multiple levels. It is possible (although very rare) to be eligible and compete at all four levels in the same season.

Go compete in your sectional qualifiers and div II/III qualifiers and then your sectional championships. Go to Greenville and compete in everything you've qualified for.

-B

Purple Fencer · 03-22-2002, 01:04 PM

[quote]

Go compete in your sectional qualifiers and div II/III qualifiers and then your sectional championships. Go to Greenville and compete in everything you've qualified for.

-B

[/QB]<hr></blockquote>

...and then watch Oiuyt sit for 4 hours between his foil pool and the beginning of DE....remember, dude?

p.s. I don't think he moved a muscle the entire time

AndrewH · 03-22-2002, 01:34 PM

Lol, sounds like Freshman-Sophomores here in NJ. Last year I spent 9 hours waiting, 3 hours fencing. This year they moved the girl's events to a different day so it was a little shorter, maybe down to 7 and 3. But waiting for fencing is the worst cuz the whole time you have your jacket/lame/other stuff on and your hot and uncomfortable, but you dont want to take it off cuz then when your DE gets called you have to put on sweaty gear, and that's one of the worst parts of fencing ever.

Here's to poorly-organized tournaments!

Purple Fencer · 03-22-2002, 02:05 PM

It wasn't that it was poorly organizes. Even with 50 strips, there's a limit to how fast the tourney can run. In the case of Div III men's foil, there were around 200 + entrants. They had to flight the pools. Oiuyt was in the fist flight...i was in the 2nd.

keep in mind that there were close to 1000 individual fencers on any given day in the middle of the tournament. I personally thought it went rather well.

Zelda · 03-22-2002, 02:27 PM

fist flight Sam???? I assume you mean first... otherwise oyuit partner would have been slightly hurt!

Purple Fencer · 03-22-2002, 09:04 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Zelda:
fist flight Sam???? I assume you mean first... otherwise oyuit partner would have been slightly hurt!<hr></blockquote>

OK...so I can't type! Explains my fencing, too.

For those who know him...I'm not sure which gave me a more fun time last weekend at out Div I & II/III sabre quals...the fact that I was actually able to compete for the first time since November, or giving Mike D'Asaro Jr. an ulcer from havinh to direct my sabre bouts!

oiuyt · 03-23-2002, 12:45 AM

Ah the joys of having all of the following: A first flight pool, a bye in the 256, being almost at the bottom of one's portion of the DE for the 128 bout......

I finished my pool at 11:15 and started my first DE (typed fist there Sam, so you're not the only one....) at a couple of minutes after 3. Sam was 2 strips over, first time we'd met.

-B

Purple Fencer · 03-23-2002, 03:52 AM

[quote]Originally posted by oiuyt:
Ah the joys of having all of the following: A first flight pool, a bye in the 256, being almost at the bottom of one's portion of the DE for the 128 bout......

I finished my pool at 11:15 and started my first DE (typed fist there Sam, so you're not the only one....) at a couple of minutes after 3. Sam was 2 strips over, first time we'd met.

-B

<hr></blockquote>

And -- as with Peach later in the day -- it was the purple socks that led him to me. He he he.

***Craig*** · 03-23-2002, 04:44 AM

Yeah. I remember the flights. For those that don't know what a "flight" is, here's the story: When the tournament has too many fencers and not enough referees, they split up the competition into the 'first flight' of pools and then the 'second flight'. That means that you could get your pool first, or you could be waiting around for the first set of pools to finish for them to call your pool up to fence.

Either way, it means more down-time for you and more work on the officials.

Someone should bring cots and rent them out to those who don't want to nap on the floor...

I think for an entire fencing day, at least 50% is spent waiting for the next round of pools/DEs to get posted and officials assigned.

Cheers,
Craig

sallearmourer · 03-23-2002, 05:00 AM

Hi Craig, Good Idea I bring my Air beds and rent them out by the hour or day.

What you think?

YE OLDE BED RENTAL.

Tim

D'Artagnan1673 · 03-23-2002, 07:18 AM

Wow,

Sounds fairly convoluted, but if I can understand cell phone rules without having them repeated me, I think I've got this.

I think that Catal is right, for me, I had better put in some serious training and plenty of Tourneys before heading for Nationals.

Two years ago, we had Nationals in Austin, TX. Its a shame we don't have them there everyear. Think about it, it is somewhat an equal distance between the East and the West. Perhaps we could pick a city a little more north, but it would cut down On some people's traveling

.

D'Artagnan1673 · 03-23-2002, 11:31 AM

Here's another question,

I notice on sites that show results for fencing tournaments that they will occasionaly show that someone renewed their "#" ranking.

How when will you loose a ranking by not placing high enough at tournaments?

Also, other people's rankings say stuff like C01 or B99. What does that mean?

damianip · 03-23-2002, 11:49 AM

[quote]Originally posted by D'Artagnan1673:
Here's another question,

I notice on sites that show results for fencing tournaments that they will occasionaly show that someone renewed their "#" ranking.

How when will you loose a ranking by not placing high enough at tournaments?

Also, other people's rankings say stuff like C01 or B99. What does that mean?<hr></blockquote>

The number is the year you earned that rating.

You lose ratings by not winning in the following years:

From the OPs Manual:

[quote]
A fencer drops one level of major classification if that fencer fails, during a period of
four years, to re-achieve the results necessary to earn that major classification. All such
reclassifications will take effect at the beginning of the fencing season.
<hr></blockquote>

Paolo

oiuyt · 03-23-2002, 12:59 PM

re: Austin as a site.... you've had it 2 of the past 4 years already and you're complaining? It's likely to go back to Texas again next year. Last I heard the USFA was trying to work out a rotation that would move Summer Nationals through the Southeast (the Carolinas), Texas, and CA every three years. With the possibility of adding the Midwest to the rotation.

This "makes everyone happy." Except of course the people in the Northeast that never get anything. And of course that's where more fencers are than anywhere else.... K, I get it, it's a money thing and venues in the Northeast are expensive. But still....

I'd have NO complaints about having nationals in my state every thrid year. K, yeah, Texas is a bit bigger than Massachusetts (although they have roughly the same number of fencers....). I would have no complaints if nationals came as close as Pennsylvania. There's GOT to be SOMEWHERE in NY state or PA that is available costwise....

-B

D'Artagnan1673 · 03-23-2002, 01:19 PM

not complaining, just thought making a central location would be good. If you look back at my post you will see that actually I suggested someting north of Austin, that wouldn't be fair to the North.