Serenity Barron
Staff Writer
Three people from St. Louis fenced in Junior Olympics, and two were from Webster Groves High School.
Junior Olympics was in Dallas, TX this year from Feb. 18, to Feb. 21, and it costs $50 per participant and $70 per event.
Letitia Grogg, junior, and sophomore, Anthony Lorino participated in Junior Olympics.
“To be in Junior Olympics you have to go to the qualifiers and get first, second or third,” said Grogg.
“Coaches from some of the biggest schools like Ohio State and Noterdame, usually show up to big events, so if you want to be seen you need to get into national tournaments,” said Lorino.
Grogg said before the competition when she was preparing, “There is still a month and a half left, and I am training a lot.”
Grogg placed 86th and 85th is qualifying. She is training for nationals in the summer.
Lorino placed 84th out of 167 fencers. He participated in two junior events, which have participants in the age group of 20 and under. The others were Cadette events which are 17 and under.
“The only difference is the age group, and there are a couple higher rater fencers in the Junior events,” said Lorino.
Lorino also participated in the competition in Detroit along with sophomore Spenser Newcomb. Lorino placed 42nd out of about 127 fencers.
Lorino said, “I did pretty well in my pools.” Pools are where a number of fencers are put together in one strip to see where one places among the other fencers. The better fencers advance into the Ds, direct elimination, where a single loss puts one out of the competition.
Newcomb described fencing as “tactical, strategical and fast paced.”
Fencing is “exciting and challenging,” said Lorino.
During practice to prepare for tournaments such as Junior Olympics Lorino said he works on, “leg work and foot work.”
Newcomb does “drills and muscle memory stuff.”
Grogg, Lorino and Newcomb all practice multiple times a week. Lorino has been fencing sense sixth grade, and Newcomb started about a year ago.
Lorino and Newcomb encourage other students to try out fencing.
“You get to wear tight stretchy white pants,” said Lorino.
Lorino said he “hopefully wants to get a scholarship to a college out East because a lot of them have fencing programs.”
