Maplewood fencer Jack Woods shines at major tournaments

MAPLEWOOD – Maplewood’s international foil fencing champion Jack Woods continues to shine in major tournaments, despite competing in much older divisions.

Most recently, Woods, 15, placed sixth in the senior men’s foil event at the New England Division of the USFA 2016 Pomme De Terre Individual tournament, held at the Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. This event at the 28th annual Pomme De Terre was an A4 rated event with 116 20 years and under fencers from various states competing.

Woods won the Bronze medal in the Junior Men’s Foil event at the New Jersey Fencing Association Rescheduled Regional Junior/Cadet Circuit Tournament. This event with 74 competitors was an A3 rated event and attracted a record number of highly-rated foil fencers from numerous states.

Woods’ coach, Serge Vashkevich, said, “This season I have mainly had Jack competing in the Division 1, Senior, and Junior events so that he could keep being challenged and continue moving his fencing to a higher level. This has pushed him physically given his age and size, but I am really thrilled by his success.”