Peter Westbrook Foundation (PWF) Teams Unite for 2010 U.S. National Fencing Championships

/PRNewswire/ -- The Peter Westbrook Foundation's athletes joined 6,500 others from around the country to compete for the distinction of being crowned the nation's best at the 2010 Summer National Championships. Held in Atlanta's Georgia World Congress Center, the annual event showcased some of the best fencers the United States has to offer competing for various titles. With a new generation of PWF athletes claiming four national championships, three silver medals, and five bronzes, the Peter Westbrook Foundation continued to further its tradition of distinct excellence.

This years National Champions include:
Junior Women's Foil; Nzingha Prescod
Junior Men's Sabre; Adrian Bak

Senior Men's Sabre Team; Adrian Bak, Dan Bak, Luther Clement & Konate Primus

Senior Women's Foil Team; Epiphany Georges, Demeca Homer, Kylie McGill & Nzingha Prescod

Highlighting the championships was the PWF Men's Sabre team capturing its 10th national team title. The team last won in 2008 with the help of 2000 Olympian, and long-time PWF pupil and mentor, Akhi Spencer-el. Now, as the Peter Westbrook Foundations head sabre coach, Ahki would help a new and younger PWF team recapture a title that he had been so crucial in attaining as a fencer. Composed of Daniel Bak (individual bronze medalist) and Adrian Bak (junior gold medalist), the team entered the field of 30 teams with modest ambitions but quickly found their collective stride and proved to be a formidable force as they eliminated some of the nations top teams.

Most notable of all, however, was the come-from-behind victory against defending champions Manhattan Fencing Center. Facing a team starting one Olympic medalist and one World Team member, the PWF was pitted as relative underdogs and was forced to fight back from an early deficit for the entirety of the match. In heroic fashion, displaying poise, composure and a will to win, Dan Bak would step up in the final bout to take the match by defeating Darryl Homer in a thrilling one touche finale, 45-44. The win would spur on victories in other events that had yet to compete. The PWF Senior Women's foil team would go on to claim the championship with landslide victories over their competitors. The Senior Men's Epee team and the Peter Westbrook Junior Sabre Team would go on to earn silver medals in their events as well.

"In all 19 years of the foundation, this national championships is the most exciting I've ever seen," exclaimed Peter Westbrook, founder of the Peter Westbrook Foundation. "Now, with our Olympians and Olympic medalists retired, we have unveiled a new generation of foundation champions. With their outstanding performances in Atlanta, this new crop has proven that they are capable of achieving and even surpassing the success of their predecessors."

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Ward And Team USA Win Bronze Medal In Team Sabre Competition

Incoming Duke freshman Rebecca Ward and USA teammates Sada Jacobson and Mariel Zagunis defeated France 45-38 to win the bronze medal in the team sabre competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics on Thursday in the Fencing Hall at the National Convention Centre.

Ward, who will enroll at Duke in the fall, earned her second bronze medal at the 2008 summer games after claiming the bronze in the individual sabre competition behind teammates Jacobson and Zagunis on Saturday, August 9. Ward won six of her nine bouts in the team competition, including two of three in the bronze medal round. Fifth-seeded Ukraine took home the gold, while third-seeded China claimed the silver medal.

Ward won the opening bout in Thursday’s medal round 5-2 over France’s Mary Solenn and followed with an 8-2 triumph over Carole Vergne that erased a 20-17 deficit and put the US squad ahead 25-22. The American trio did not trail for the remainder of the round and led by as much as eight points at 40-32 before Ward locked up the bronze medal by holding off Leonore Perrus 5-6 in the final bout. Ward’s 8-2 victory over Vergne was the most lopsided victory in the round.

Ward, Jacobson and Zagunis – who collectively drew the number one seed in the team competition – opened their medal run with a commanding 45-8 win over eighth-seeded South Africa in the quarterfinals before falling 45-39 to Ukraine in the semifinals. Ward won each of her first three bouts against South Africa and gave up just two touches in the quarterfinals, defeating Adele Du Plooy 5-1 and Elvira Wood 5-1 before shutting out Joyti Chetty 5-0.

The Ukrainians handed Ward and team USA their first loss in the semifinals and advanced to the gold medal round where they edged China 45-44 to clinch the gold medal. Ward managed to pull out a 6-5 win over Olena Khomrova in the semis after falling 6-4 to Halyna Pundyk and 6-2 to Olga Kharlan.

The bronze medal finish concludes Ward’s stay in Beijing. She will join the Duke women’s fencing team this fall as a member of the sabre team.

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