By Lauren Hauser
In April, sophomore Adrian Dale competed in the Iowa Division Summer Nationals Qualifier fencing tournament to qualify for the National Championships. Dale placed in the top 6 at the qualifier and will head to St. Louis, Missouri in July to compete in two events, team foil and Men’s foil.
Dale began fencing after he received a gift certificate to the Iowa City Fencing Center for his thirteenth birthday in the summer of 2015. At the center, Dale belongs to the Junior Team and takes lessons and practices three times a week. Because fencing is mainly an individual sport, Dale said that he gets to set his own schedule which he appreciates. “No matter how my day is going, I always feel better after fencing,” said Dale.
In modern fencing, there are three forms that each use a different kind of weapon, have a different set of rules, and use different strategies. The fencer’s goal is to press the tip of their blade into the target area to score a point. Dale specializes in foil, where the target area is the torso. “My favorite thing about fencing is the challenge. It is a great workout, but you have to use your mind just as much as your body, as there is a lot of strategy involved. You have to outthink your opponent to win,” said Dale. Traditionally, fencers wear all white uniforms but Dale is known for his bright green socks and shoes.
After having already achieved two of his goals, to become ranked and qualify for nationals, Dale isn’t quite sure what his future holds in fencing. “For now, my goal is to simply continue improving and move up in ranking,” said Dale, “Over the Summer, I plan on putting in a lot of hours training, and working a lot on my agility. Maybe I will eventually fence on a college team as well.”
Mount Vernon does not offer fencing as an extra-curricular, but Dale recommends joining the sport “I would recommend fencing to anyone looking to try something new,” said Dale. “My club is always looking for new members and it is an extremely fun sport. Even if you aren’t very competitive, a lot of people just fence for fun.
