Club News Week of March 1: Mission Accomplished at Rocky Point, Plus Upcoming Camps and Tournaments

Tim Morehouse Fencing Club’s Y10 Saber girls pose on the podium at Rocky Point RYC. The 4 fencers earned the top 4 spots in the event: Anika Von Marie Kabiling (Gold), Alaia Varah (Silver), Chloe Chen (Bronze), Katherine Ong (5th)

February 25, 2025— Tim Morehouse Fencing Club’s fencers delivered another slew of commanding performances at Mission RYC in Rocky Point, Long Island, this past weekend in both saber and foil. After an incredibly successful Junior Olympics, we were delighted to end February on a strong note. Even though Mission was not a designated event for TMFC—which meant our fencers had to compete without any strip coaching—they showed up in big numbers nonetheless.

The tournament results, which included 15+ medalists and more than a dozen top 16 finishes, proved the growing self-sufficiency of our fencers as the season has progressed. They have taken what they’ve learned from our elite coaching staff this year and applied it to become not just great students but great athletes in their own right. who have mastered the fundamentals of fencing and added their own styles to resounding success.

The success we had this month at Junior Olympics and Mission RYC starts young. While students get the bug for fencing at all different points in their life and everyone’s path is different, the value of fencing consistently at a young age in both group classes and private lessons cannot be understated if you want to eventually attain competitive success. The students who achieve the greatest results in competition (from our in-house Youth Cups to regional tournaments to the international circuits) stand apart for their commitment and dedication to the sport. This typically means taking at least 2 classes and 2 lessons a week. For example, Ella Calise (TMFC- Port Chester), who won Junior Women’s Foil at Junior Olympics this month, has the highest average for sessions/week among all TMFC fencers at 10 and more than 1,200 total!

But even if you’re not interested in one day competing at the Olympics, fencing is as good a sport as any to build essential athletic and life skills. What may seem like a purely individual sport can be so much more at a club like TMFC where we put great emphasis on building camaraderie and a sense of teamwork in our classes and camps, and we welcome all fencers regardless of their end goals.

We thought JOs were big for our Cadet and Junior fencers, but Mission RYC proved that the kids are alright and the future is bright! Take a look below at some of the biggest stories of this past weekend at Mission RYC. We are proud of everyone who competed, regardless of result. All of you have put in the work in your training and are building what we hope can become fruitful lifelong careers with fencing.

⭐ Royce Zhao's FIRST EVER gold medal, earned in Y14MS
⭐ TMFC girls DOMINATE Y10WS- Anika Von Marie Kabiling 1st, Alaia Varah 2nd, Chloe Chen 3rd, and Katherine Ong 5th. This marks Anika's first gold medal in Y10 AND all four girls are ranked in the top 50 Y10 women's saber fencers in the country
⭐ Three medalists in Y12MS- William Lucas gold, Aidan Song + Leo Shapiro top 8
⭐ Kai De Castro's 6th regional medal of the season- silver in Y12WF
⭐ Sienna Young's first regional medal this season- 5th place in Y14WS
⭐ Sibling Slayers- Lucas and Katherine Lin both medal (3rd in Y10MF and 7th in Y14WF) and Katherine renews her E rating
⭐ A total of 15+ medalists and 13+ top 16 results- notable ones include Will Qian (pictured in slide 3, top 8 in Y10MF) Bennett Sabino (6th in Y10MS) Leo Constantine (11th in Y10MS, his best regional result this season) and Luna Hagn (12th in Y12WS, her best regional result)
⭐Walker Passman's first regional of the season and Olivia Upbin's first regional with TMFC

TMFC YOUTH CUP MARCH 15/16

The next in-house tournament at TMFC will take place March 15th and 16th. Day 1 is at Port Chester and Day 2 is at Manhattan-West! Sign up for both days or just one. Great for beginners and intermediate fencers!

Registration fee: $65 until March 8 + Event fee: $20/event

Registration fee $85 after March 8

Event times are listed for each day. All fencers must have their own equipment.

Port Chester Tournament Sign Up

Manhattan Tournament Sign Up

SPRING BREAK CAMP IS COMING + SUMMER CAMP EARLY DEADLINE #2 ENDS MARCH 18TH!

Join us for a transformative experience full of fun and fencing with Olympians and Olympic Coaches! Our camps are designed for youth fencers to learn and practice their fundamentals in an engaging and exciting group environment. We encourage beginners aged 7-11 to sign up for any and all of our camps, but Spring Break Camp will also be a great opportunity for our competitive youth students to gain an edge on the competition with extra training.

For Spring 2025, we are offering 2 sessions of Spring Break Camp.

Session 1: March 17-21 Time: 9:30-3 PM Locations: ALL

Session 2: April 14-18 Time: 9:30-3 PM Locations: Both Manhattan locations (great for NYC Public Schools spring break!)

All you need to bring is a packed lunch. See you there!

Additionally, you still have a few weeks until prices raise for Summer Day Camp! A week of camp costs $899 until March 18th, after which the price will rise to $999. Full details and discounts can be found on the camps dropdown of our site.

TMFC’s Brynnley McKee and Keira Lauri Top the List of USA Fencing’s Latest Rankings

After their incredible performances at the Junior Olympics, both Brynnley McKee and Keira Lauri have risen in the US rankings to massive heights. As per USA Fencing’s latest published national points rankings (02/16/2025), Lauri has risen to 5th and McKee to first in the country among all Cadet Women's Saber fencers. Brynnley has also been selected as 1 of the 3 fencers to represent Team USA in CDTWS at the 2025 Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships in Wuxi, China that are taking place in April. We could not have more pride for their dedication and achievements, and we know this is just the beginning of both Keira and Brynnley's bright futures.

TMFC Rings in the Holidays with Big Wins at Morris Cup RYC/RJCC

December 17, 2024— TMFC had a great weekend at the 2024 Morris Cup, with strong performances and several podium finishes across multiple events.

A standout moment was Grace Feng’s gold-medal win in Junior Women’s Foil, earning her A24 rating—a huge milestone in her fencing career and a great end to the weekend that saw her bring home 2 separate medals. We were also delighted to have former TMFC coach Daniel Bass (now an assistant coach at Cornell University) join us in strip coaching again as well as to have some of our student coaches get the chance to hone their skills mentoring our younger group. Congratulations to all of our medalists and competitors for their hard work and determination throughout the tournament!

We’re proud of every TMFC fencer who competed, regardless of results. Many of our athletes have made big strides this season, showing improvements in skill, strategy, and confidence. These efforts are just as important as medals, and we’re excited to see their continued progress. Thank you for representing TMFC so well, and let’s keep up the momentum as we head into the new year and tackle the full slate of tournaments ahead.

Grace Feng with Coach Mohamed Essameldin after earning her gold medal in Junior Women’s Foil.

TMFC Morris Cup Medalists:

Y12 Women’s Foil
3T - Ella Zhu

Y8 Women’s Saber
1st Place - Akari Tomonari
3T - Isadora Blair

Cadet Men’s Saber
5th Place - Ryan Waxler
6th Place - Lucas Henderson

Y8 Men’s Saber
3T - Ethan Zhang
5th Place - Conrad Silverzweig
7th Place - Christian Eng

Y10 Men’s Foil
8th Place - Ziyue Lin

Cadet Women’s Foil
6th Place - Grace Feng
7th Place - Iris Yang

Y14 Men’s Foil
6th Place - Declan Hart-Syed
7th Place - Kai Toomre

Y12 Men’s Saber
1st Place - Miles Chambers
3T - William Lucas
5th Place - Marcus Avery

Y14 Women’s Foil
6th Place - Anastasia Roberts

Junior Women’s Saber
1st Place - Varvara Mankova
7th Place - Charlotte Choi

Y10 Women’s Saber
3T - Alaia Varah
5th Place - Nia Maluki

Cadet Men’s Foil
6th Place - Jonah Lee

Junior Men’s Saber
7th Place - Jonas Broening-Chai

Junior Women’s Foil
1st Place - Grace Feng (Earned A24 rating)
6th Place - Amabel Wang

Y14 Men’s Saber
3T - Zihou Dai
5T - Miles Chambers
8th Place - Jacob Levin

Mission and Goals: The Vision for Tim Morehouse Fencing Club

OUR MISSION

At Tim Morehouse Fencing Club, our mission is to be the "Champion" of fencing clubs, embodying excellence and leadership in the sport.

We strive not only to cultivate top-tier athletes but also to contribute to the overall growth and development of fencing both nationally and internationally. By setting high standards, fostering a supportive and competitive environment, and promoting the sport's values, we aim to inspire and elevate the entire fencing community, driving its evolution and expanding its reach.

OUR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT GOALS

• College Recruitment Leader: We aim to be the leading club for college recruitment, with the highest number of students on NCAA varsity teams.

• Best Youth Development Club: We strive to always be the best youth development club in the country, nurturing the highest number of new students each season and taking youth students from their first day of fencing to excelling in youth tournaments, achieving top results in Y10, Y12, and Y14, as evidenced by SYC and national medals, while preparing them for Cadet, Junior, and long-term competitive success.

• Lead in Elite Athlete Development: We aim to have the leading center for developing and supporting future and current Olympians, with the largest number of cadet, junior, and senior national team members and champions, as well as Olympic team members.

OUR SPORT DEVELOPMENT GOALS

• Scale and Grow The Sports Coaching Talent : Our goal is to scale excellence by increasing the number of active fencers across the country. We aim to achieve this by expanding the number of active fencers at TMFC into the thousands, establishing centers of excellence, creating new fencing clubs and facilities, and recruiting and developing the next generation of coaches, administrators, club owners, and leaders through our Fencing Corps initiative.

• Leading Provider and Supporter of School Programs: Our ambition is to be the foremost provider of resources for developing and expanding fencing programs, from introductory levels in elementary schools to varsity teams in high schools. This initiative is part of our broader vision to make fencing a more enduring and widely participated sport both nationally and globally.

• Innovate and Lead the Sport's Future: We aim to lead the sport of fencing into the future as a leading innovator in technology, equipment, coaching techniques, and resources. Our goal is to create an enduring impact through innovations that transcend traditional boundaries and make fencing more accessible to a wider audience.
  

ABOUT

Tim Morehouse Fencing Club currently operates four state-of-the-art facilities: two in Manhattan on the east and west sides, one in Port Chester, NY, and another in Stamford, CT. Our team consists of approximately 50 dedicated staff members, including around 25 highly skilled coaches. This team supports approximately 500 fencers across the TMFC network, catering to a wide range of ages from 6 to adults, and encompassing recreational, developmental, and competitive members. In addition to our coaching staff, we have a robust support team that includes member services, managers, human resources, marketing, sales, equipment and gear specialists, and a technology research and development department. This comprehensive team works together to ensure that our club runs smoothly and continues to provide exceptional training and service to our members.