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Mike Carter Sports Editor During my regular correspondence with the SCC fencing club, Advisor Scott Duston had mentioned on several occasions a high-level SCC fencer he had previously worked with, Hannah Sutton, who was overseas. So when he informed me that she was returning to SCC to co-advise the club, I couldn't resist the temptation to challenge her to a duel. After chatting with Sutton and Duston, I watched them train for 20 minutes, during which my appetite for a match was swiftly quelled as I watched lighting quick exchanges between the two fencers. Their weapons clashed with such impact that a tooth-rattling "Ring!" resonated throughout the room. I became more nervous when Duston told me she had broken one of his ribs with a thrust during a training session some time ago. But, I'm no paper tiger and soon I suited up, prepared to fight. Recalling the 15 minutes of fencing lesson I'd received during a similar challenge match the previous quarter, I went after Sutton with everything I had. The duel lasted a grueling 20 minutes, and when it was over I felt like a frog in science class: thoroughly dissected. Her movements were fluid and calculated, and her shots were deadly accurate. My ribs ached the next day from the numerous hard thrusts I had received. Here are some of the thoughts Sutton shared with the Ebbtide.
Sutton: I went to school here in '99, my junior year in high school. I graduated from here in the spring of 2002. Ebbtide: How did you get into fencing? Sutton: I went to the fencing club that was offered at SCC. I saw some fliers and decided to check it out with my sister, and then I started attending the evening classes. I just fell in love with it right away. Soon I was fencing up to three times a week. Ebbtide: What about the sport appealed to you? Sutton: I love the strategy behind it, the technique and everything about it. I like individual sports, so this was a great one. I enjoy the fact that it is both physical and mental. That definitely appealed to me. Ebbtide: Do you compete in foil (a type of fencing which uses a long rectangular shaped blade)? Sutton: Foil and epee. I did saber also, but I won't compete in that. Ebbtide: What experience do you have in competitive fencing? Sutton: (Sighs) At this point, none. (Club advisor Scott Duston spoke up.) Duston: She's very good! Sutton: I wasn't able to make any of the tournaments before I left for Europe. Duston: In Europe, she wouldn't have been able to compete because she would have had to choose between fencing federations and declare a club. Ebbtide: What makes you a good fencer? Sutton: I'm on the taller side and I have long legs so I can lunge further. (Sutton hesitates.) Duston: The very first time I worked with her, she had good feet and moved perfectly ... She's quite coordinated and sees things quickly. The only thing I've really had to work on with her is aggression. She's passive. Ebbtide: What ambitions do you currently have? Sutton: Right now, to qualify in nationals. I want to give fencing the best shot I have and see how far I can go. Ebbtide: Are you going to set school aside for a bit? Sutton: Yes. Now that I have an associate's degree I have to figure out what I want to major in. Ebbtide: What were you studying in Europe? Sutton: I was at Bible school in Europe. It was kind of a year off since I'd done Running Start at SCC, and I had been in college since I was 16. Ebbtide: How old are you? Sutton: 19. Duston: She is the most talented fencer I've ever worked with. She's amazing. She has an 11-foot lunge. Ebbtide: In six months where do you see her? Duston: Colorado Springs, in a training camp. She wants to go there. If she hadn't gone to Europe she would already be there because we had an offer, but that was only several days before she left for Europe. There is some fencing video of her floating around, and based only on that, not on any sort of competition, she got offers. © 2003 Shoreline Community College™ |
