Fencing: Dumas looks to gain experience in elite international competition

On a team chock-full of returning stars, it's a freshman that has made the most waves early in the 2011-2012 season.

Freshman épéeist Courtney Dumas has finished in the top 20 at every event she has competed in this season, including a first-place finish in the epée competition at the USFA Burton Open in October. This past weekend, Dumas placed 19th at the USFA 2011 December North American Cup, in which she faced several of the top fencers in the nation, including three medalists from the 2008 Olympic Games and 2011 Senior World Championships.

While the fall season is over for many of her teammates, Dumas will aim to continue that success this weekend when she represents not only NU but also the United States at the December Junior World Cup.

The event, which is also known as the Uhlmann-Cup, will be held in Laupheim, Germany, consists of 112 top international junior fencers. Since the event is not sponsored by NU, Dumas is voluntarily participating and paying her own way to attend.

"I am really excited to represent the United States and to be traveling again," said Dumas, who traveled two years ago to a Junior World Cup in Sweden where she participated in both cadet- and junior-level events.

For Dumas, this will be the toughest event she has competed in so far this year, given that the competition will be occurring on an international level. On top of the difficult competition, Dumas will also have to deal with a little bit of a lower draw in the tournament, since she has not had many chances to prove herself on the international level this year. As a result, she will have to face more experienced fencers within her pool bouts.

However, Dumas said she was confident that she could continue her success, and said she was not really concerned about where she is ranked entering the event.

"I feel regardless of where I am ranked in the competition, I still have to fence the person on the opposite side of the strip," Dumas said. "Whether or not the person is nationally ranked or unknown, I still have to fence them and beat them at the end of the day."

She said that the event will also help her prepare for future competition she will face during the remainder of her freshman campaign at NU. The Cats have yet to begin the all-important dual meet section of their schedule.

"Anything that I learn will allow me to forward my game and prepare myself for the upcoming season," said Dumas.

Dumas' teammates said they are pleased that she is competing in the prestigious international event. 

"It is awesome," said Dayana Sarkisova, a junior foilist on the team, who competed in several international tournaments and junior world cups during her high school fencing career. "It will make her a better fencer, which is good for the team."

The Uhlmann-Cup will take place at the Rottumhalle in Laupheim, Germany. The women's epée competition, which Dumas is participating in, takes place on Saturday, Dec. 17.  

benjamintaylor2015@u.northwestern.edu

The Daily Northwestern will continue its coverage of this event in the upcoming week, as we report how Dumas did in the December Junior World Cup.