The fight ends in a draw.  Freshman Morgan Jones now has the harder task of winning from a tie.  The referee flips a coin, which comes out in her opponent’s favor and gives the opponent priority.  If the minute runs out without Jones hitting her opponent, her opponent automatically wins.  All Jones needs is a single touch.

The referee yells, “Fence.”  Jones cautiously moves forward with her épée held out in front of her.  She is trying to provoke her opponent to begin the attack.

Her opponent gives in and moves towards her.  With her opponent advancing towards her, she races forward.  In a split second, she flicks out her épée and hits her opponent’s lower arm.

Success in encounters like this qualified Jones and sophomore James Mews to compete in the Junior Olympics for the épée style of fencing.  The competition will take place in Memphis, Tennessee from February 11 to February 16.  Both Mews and Jones will compete against fencers from all over the country.

In the Junior Olympic Qualifiers at the Baltimore Fencing Club in Columbia, Maryland, Jones placed in third in women’s epee twenty and under competition and Mews placed in fifth for men’s épée seventeen and under.

Freshman Marina Farrugia from C. Milton Wright placed third in women’s épée seventeen and under, also qualifying her for the Junior Olympics.

Jones first experiences in fencing were in the physical education program at Havre de Grace Middle School.  “I would fence against my teacher,” said Jones.  “When I started to beat him regularly, he suggested that I start fencing for a club.”

Mews became interested in fencing when he “found it in a college [South Oregon University] magazine” at the age of twelve.

He immediately started fencing in Oregon and continued when Mews moved to Maryland later in the year.  He joined the Maryland Fencing Club early in 2007, while Jones joined the Maryland Fencing Club in August of 2008.

Fencing as practiced in the Olympics includes three different varieties: sabre, foil, and épée.  Jones and Mews both compete in épée.  Épée is the most lenient of the three varieties.  A fencer can earn a point by hitting any part of a person’s body.  The épée consists of a blade with a point on the end.  The sword-like weapon is heavier in épée than in foil.

“When I started fencing in middle school I learned foil.  But when I went to the fencing club, I learned épée and immediately loved it,” said Jones.

Foil is similar to épée, but the foil’s blade is lighter.  In foil, the fencer can only earn points by hitting his/her opponent’s torso, front or back.

Both the foil and the sabre are considerably more flexible than the épée.  In sabre, the valid point areas are limited to anything above the waist.  The sabre is lighter than an épée but heavier than a foil.

Not only are the weapons unique but the interaction between the fencers is different.  The key difference between sabre and épée is right of way.

Right of way limits who can earn points.  If a fencer hits his opponent without right of way, the fencer does not get the point.  Right of way is established by turning the bellguard, which protects the hand from stray hits, inward.  If the fencer becomes careless and changes the position of his wrist, his opponent can gain the right of way.

“With épée it’s more of setting up an attack, while in sabre you rush in to establish right of way,” said Jones.

Jones started learning how to compete in sabre within the last month.  “I like sabre because it offers different techniques than épée.  It becomes a lot faster and more aggressive,” said Jones.

Competitions, in épée and sabre, are not on a regular schedule.  “I compete whenever competitions arise.  It can be as many as three times a month or once,” said Mews.

Jones joined the work study program to help afford her fencing lessons and competitions.  She assists a teacher in a class of kids age seven through nine.  “I enjoy working with children,” said Jones.

Jones and Mews put in many hours a week to get themselves to this place in the sport.  “I practice all day Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” said Jones.

Mews likewise practices for “two to three hours at a time, four times a week.”

Both are dreaming big for upcoming years.  “The Olympics would be awesome,” said Mews.  At the very least, both would like to compete in college.

Rachel Kokoska can be reached for comment at jcpatriot.com.