The School District #22 fencing team and the Vernon Freestyle Fencing Club sent their best fencers to the Western Canadian Championships earlier this month at the Olympic Oval in Richmond.
Landrey Bickel of Beairsto missed the medal round for the mixed U14 mixed boys and girls mixed épée event ending up fifth.
Unfortunately, her sister, Carlie Bickel of Seaton, had to bow out of the U17 girls épée category after re-injuring an overextended elbow on what would have been a fine performance.
In the senior men’s category, the coaches from both clubs fared better than their athletes. Matt Clarke of the Freestyle club placed eighth and Brendan Robertson of the school team was 13th out of 50 strong competitors.
In the Veteran Men’s épée event, Robertson bagged the bronze medal.
The following week, Beairsto hosted the annual Jeux de Pomme Okanagan Fencing Championships.
In the Grade 7 and under girls event, Kim Lord of Beairsto defeated teammate Landrey Bickel for the gold medal, and Erik Nenzen, also of Beairsto, defeated teammate Ian Oliphant in the boys event.
In the Grade 12 and under girls event, Landrey Bickel defeated Lord before bowing out to Ally Golt of Kamloops.
Will McDuff of the Freestyle club triumphed over a strong field in the Grade 12 and under boys division.
In the Senior events, Tina Hebner of Kamloops defeated Eileen Pelliccia of Vernon for gold, and Matt Clarke of the Freestyle club defeated Alex Jelinek of the same club to capture the men’s event.
Both club are now preparing for the provincial championships at BCIT in Burnaby in mid-June.
