Socorro High School hosted its first fencing tournament of the spring on Jan. 27 in the school’s auxiliary gym. The Socorro Bulldogs competed against fencers from Montwood and Parkland high schools and Salle De Long Fencing School in El Paso. This was the third tournament organized by the school since it started the fencing program in 2023.
Physics teacher and fencing coach, Charles Wolcott, introduced the sport at the high school to provide an opportunity for students who were looking to participate in an individual sport while still being part of a team.
"Anyone can do it regardless of their physical abilities and athleticism," Wolcott said. "A good number of our fencers are not athletes. They don't have an athletic background, and they didn't have any other activity that they enjoyed either, so when they learned (we) had fencing here, they tried it out and fell in love with it."
Twenty fencers competed in the tournament, which consisted of a pool round followed by a direct elimination round. The fencers used epee swords that have a button at the tip to register a point when a fencer strikes or touches an opponent.
The chance to wield a sword sparked Ethaniel Pacheco’s interest in the fencing program.
Although he has learned it is not easy to handle a sword while trying to hit a moving target, Pacheco, a sophomore at Socorro High School, said the competition allowed him to learn new techniques from his opponents and learn from his mistakes.
“They’re really tough opponents to be honest but, overall, I think they're really good kids,” said Pacheco, who placed sixth in the tournament. “Sometimes you may get a little aggravated because things happen, but overall, they're really good sports. (Fencing is) a gentleman's sport. After each round, you actually have to bow your sword and shake their hand.”
Wearing protective body armor and headgear, Socorro High School junior Alejandra Santacruz scored a point by lunging at her opponent and touching him with her sword during her first match.
“If you can see where your opponents leave themselves open, you can definitely get the hit,” Santacruz said. “This is all strategized because you also have to know when to be defensive and when to be offensive.”
Socorro’s fledgling fencing program has eleven fencers, many of whom have not participated in any other high school sports.
Although Socorro did not place in the tournament's top five, Wolcott said the Bulldogs have shown a lot of improvement over the past year.
For some fencers like Santacruz, the program is not so much about winning as it is about meeting new people, learning new skills and having fun.
“It’s a really awesome sport,” Santacruz said. “If you haven’t done a sport and you want to try something out, fencing is awesome.”