Royal Arts Earns National Titles

Columbus, Ohio -- Several local fencers were finalists in the 2013 Summer National Championship held by USA Fencing in Columbus June 28 through July 8. The event was co-hosted by the Columbus Sports Commission at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The finalists included:

Joseph T. Streb, Upper Arlington, won gold in the Division II Men’s Sabre.
Joseph S. Streb, father of Joseph T., won silver in the Veteran Men’s Foil and fifth in the Veteran Men’s Sabre
Julia Richey, New Albany, owner and head coach of Royal Arts, won gold in the Veteran Women’s Sabre and bronze in Veteran Women’s Foil.
Tim Mills, New Albany, placed sixth in Veteran Men’s Foil.
Tierna Oxenreider, Gahanna, placed seventh in the Y10 Women’s Epee.

“Royal Arts is the best,” said Ms. Richey. “In addition to our coaches who fence at a high level, we have Joseph Streb senior and junior attending our club.” Royal Arts was founded in 2001 by Richey, a former 13-year member of the Russian National Team. National medals are presented to the top eight in each event. Fencers also earn points throughout the fencing season; the top four point holders at the conclusion of the National Championship qualify for world championships in the U17, U20, Open, and Veteran events. Joseph S. Streb qualified for the 2013 U. S. Veteran National Team and will fence in the Veteran World Championships held this year in Varna, Bulgaria during the first week of October. Streb qualified in both foil and saber, and is a multiple time world medalist and nine-time member of U.S. National Teams, participating in past World Championships in Austria, Australia, France, Russia, and the United States. “It was fun to win a gold medal at the National Championships,” said Joseph T. Streb, a top-16 placer in past national championships, three-time Arnold Fencing Classic champion, and Ohio’s only four-time high school champion in both foil and saber, who also finished 15th in this year’s Division IA men’s foil championship. The U. S. National Fencing Championships featured competitions in age categories from Youth 10 to Veteran 70. Approximately 4,500 fencers and their families came to Columbus to showcase the sport of fencing and to compete for national standing during the 10-day Summer National Championships that concluded on Sunday. For Columbus to be the site of such a large and prestigious tournament was exciting for all those involved in the sport in Ohio. Royal Arts Fencing Academy claimed the most medals for the region and had a total of thirty-two fencers participating. The school is the largest fencing school in the region and provides group and private lesson in all three Olympic fencing disciplines as well as historical weapons.