Fencers and coaches from other schools

The Academy

Gavriella Simons – 5’ 3”, 120 lbs., trim and muscular, straight black hair that flows down to her waist. Fencing coach at the Academy, Gavvy is an irrepressibly enthusiastic woman in her mid-30s. She was an accomplished fencer at Stanford who began coaching immediately after graduating; within five years, she became the youngest head fencing coach in the Academy’s history. The Bark Bay fencers admire Coach Gavvy’s expertise and appreciate her genuine concern for their program, but find her enthusiasm overbearing.

Francis Pine – the undisputed best fencer in the region, in all three weapons. Nobody at Bark Bay, not even the legendary Myles, has been able to defeat him. 6’ 2” and 160 lbs., Francis Pine has an air of quiet confidence at all times.

Jane Harris – 5’ 7” and 145 lbs., Jane is a distant second to Francis Pine at the Academy in both epee and foil. Naturally outgoing, she is good friends with both Annie and Sierra.

Sierra Hutchinson – 5’ 8” and 170 lbs., Annie’s brother Sierra is a senior at the Academy. He was on the Academy team his freshman and sophomore years, but dropped the sport at the beginning of his junior year.

Hector Santiago – 5’ 9” and 160 lbs., Hector is a junior at the Academy, and second only to Francis Pine at saber. He defeated Double-J at the state tournament the previous spring, winning the final touch on a controversial call.

Wanda Jensen – 5’ 3” and 145 lbs., Wanda is a sophomore who began fencing foil last year.

Jenny Wagner – 5’ 6” and 130 lbs., Jenny is a junior who currently fences both foil and sabre.

Jamie Yoder – 5’ 8” and 155 lbs., Jamie is a senior and close friend of Francis. He fences all three weapons, and is best at saber.

Penny Williams – 5’ 4” and 140 lbs., Penny is a sophomore who fences foil and epee.

Leslie Owen – 5’ 2” and 115 lbs., Leslie is a sophomore saber fencer.

Midland High School

Pat Williams – 53, 6’ 1”, 180 lbs., his bald head and dark deep-set eyes make him look older than he is. The fencing coach at Midland, Pat had been state epee champion as a student at the Academy nearly thirty years ago. Nearly ten years later he became coach at Midland (paid at first, but after many budget cuts now simply a volunteer), and immediately continued the school’s success. Yet in recent years the team’s performance has degraded, and Pat has become increasingly cynical.

Mike Paris – 5’ 9” and 165 lbs., Mike is a powerful, quick fencer with a friendly, easygoing disposition. A senior, he competes in all three weapons, with foil being his best.

Anatol Kruczek – 5’ 5” and 145 lbs., Anatol is a senior and one of the best saber fencers in the region

George Sven – 5’ 6” and 150 lbs., George is a sophomore who began fencing foil last year

Alan Bronson – 5’ 8” and 170 lbs., Alan is a junior who only fences epee

En Garde! Fencing School

Hermann Schmidt – 58, 5’ 10”, 160 lbs., short gray hair and sharp facial features. Owner and head coach of the En Garde! fencing school, he is known by every fencer and coach in the region as Dr. Schmidt. His unorthodox coaching style made it difficult for him to find work in his native Germany, and he emigrated to the United States a decade ago with the hope that the country’s limited knowledge of fencing would make it more receptive to his philosophy. He has earned a decent living at En Garde!, but has been disappointed at the lack of championships won by his students.

Donna DeSantis – 5’ 4” and 140 lbs., Donna has been a student at En Garde! for six years. A junior at Wolford High School, Donna fences both foil and epee, and occasionally practices with the other Wolford fencers.

Ed Szurek – 6’ 1” and 150 lbs., Ed has been a student at En Garde! for eight years. A senior at Midland, Ed does not practice with the team, per the command of Dr. Schmidt and the pleasure of Coach Pat. He is one of the best epee fencers in the region.

Hillcrest High School

Henry Jackson – 5’ 7” and 145 lbs., Henry is a senior and the de facto captain and coach of what remains of the Hillcrest High School fencing team. A former student at En Garde!, Henry had fenced all three weapons for several years.

Geri Masters – 5’ 6” and 160 lbs., Geri is a senior and the only other competitive fencer at Hillcrest. She has fenced foil and epee for two years.

Wolford High School

Kristof Bednarik – 5’ 8” and 150 lbs., Kristof is a senior and the only fencer at Wolford. A former student at En Garde!, Kristof fences both foil and epee.

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