Alex Brown, Alex Zimmerman, Tyler Weyandt
“ We are incredibly proud of our athletes,” says Coach Ioultchieva.“ This season was a true testament to their discipline, teamwork and sportsmanship. Many of them train beyond our weekly practices and their dedication shows.”
Fencing practices are held every Wednesday after school, with additional training available through the nearby Tiger Fencing Club. While fencing is often considered an individual sport, Peters Township’ s program thrives on collaboration.“ Our older students really take the time to mentor the younger ones,” says Coach Yultchiev.“ They share strategies and help each other grow— on and off the strip.”
The program’ s structure encourages this sense of team unity. Competitions follow
a team format modeled after U. S. Fencing Association rules, which allows multiple teams from each school to participate and promotes broader engagement. With full-body target zones and simultaneous scoring, the epee discipline brings an extra level of intensity to the sport.
Behind the scenes, the fencing club benefits from a strong support network. Booster Club President Heather King coordinates communication between the team, parents and the athletic department, and also helps drive fundraising efforts that make the sport more accessible.
The club’ s history of success is matched by its continued growth. Over the years, Peters fencers have graduated, gone on to college and returned as referees or mentors in the local fencing community. And now, middle school students can even train alongside the team— an initiative that helps build talent and interest from an early age.
With five electric fencing strips, competitive training equipment and a dedicated coaching staff, Peters Township’ s fencing program continues to raise the bar.“ We’ re not just building athletes— we’ re building leaders,” says Ioultchieva.
Looking ahead, the club hopes to involve more schools in the PIFA league and keep spreading the sport’ s appeal across the region. But for now, the team is relishing the results of a hard-fought season— and getting ready for the next! n
Kelcie Amos, Josie Myers, Elle Gensler, Emily King
Wyatt Vance, Peter Seidling, Owen Neuberger
PETERS TOWNSHIP | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 37