samples

NEWS RELEASE
July 10, 2005
For immediate release

CONTACT:Mary Griffith (916) 555-0000

or

Paul Sears (916) 555-0000

Local fencers qualify for national fencing championships

Thirty members of the Sacramento Fencing Club (SFC), ranging in age from 10 to 64, have qualified to compete at the 2005 U.S. Fencing National Championships July 1–10 at the Sacramento Convention Center.

Over 6,000 entries are expected for this year’s championships. The U.S. Fencing National Championships are the largest fencing tournament in the world, with 13 individual events and 3 team events in each of six weapons (men’s epee, men’s foil, men’s sabre, women’s epee, women’s foil, women’s sabre).

Competitors qualify on the basis of performance at national tournaments over the past year and through regional qualifying tournaments held throughout the spring.

Among the SFC qualifiers are:

• Anika Davis, 18, Elk Grove, currently ranked #9 nationally in Women’s Sabre.

• Anders Eiremo, 18, Carmichael, ranked #11 in Junior (under 19) Men’s Sabre.

• David Lee, El Dorado Hills, who will compete in Veteran-60 Men’s Sabre and has already earned a spot on the American team for the Veteran World Championships this fall.

• Jeanette Strumillo, El Dorado Hills, who will fence in the Veteran-50 Women’s Saber, trying for a place on the team for the first-ever Women’s Sabre event at the Veteran World Championships.

The Sacramento Fencing Club, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, is the local host organization for this year’s Nationals. The club, located in Rancho Cordova, offers classes and individual fencing instruction for children and adults, beginners to elite competitive fencers.

Complete List: Sacramento Fencing Club Qualifiers to 2005 US Fencing Nationals

Austin Anchor, 14, Sacramento, Junior Men’s Sabre, Cadet Men’s Sabre, Youth-14 Men’s Sabre, Division 2 Men’s Sabre, Division III Men’s Sabre

Alexis Baran, 17, El Dorado Hills, Junior Women’s Sabre, Division I-A Women’s Sabre

Mary Bessell, 19, Roseville, Divison II Women’s Sabre, Division III Women’s Sabre

Emily Cheng, 15, Gold River, Youth-14 Women’s Sabre, Cadet Women’s Sabre, Junior Women’s Sabre, Division II Women’s Sabre, Division III Women’s Sabre

Jennifer Chun, 18, El Dorado Hills, Junior Women’s Foil, Division II Women’s Foil

Ben Conley, 12, Carmichael, Youth-12 Men’s Sabre, Youth-14 Men’s Sabre, Cadet Men’s Sabre, Division II Men’s Sabre, Division III Men’s Sabre

Anika Davis, 18, Elk Grove, Junior Women’s Sabre, Division I Women’s Sabre, Division I-A Women’s Sabre

Devin de Silva, 11, Natomas, Youth-10 Men’s Sabre, Youth-12 Men’s Sabre

Tara de Silva, 15, Natomas, Cadet Women’s Sabre, Division II Women’s Sabre, Division III Women’s Sabre

Drew Dickinson, 11, El Dorado Hills, Youth-10 Men’s Sabre

Anders Eiremo, 17, Carmichael, Junior Men’s Sabre, Division I Men’s Sabre

Malin Eiremo, 10, Carmichael, Youth-10 Women’s Sabre, Youth-12 Women’s Sabre

Christine Griffith, 17, Roseville, Junior Women’s Sabre

Greg Hampton, 16, Orangevale, Division II Men’s Sabre, Division III Men’s Sabre

Zach Jones, 15, Carmichael, Youth-14 Men’s Sabre, Cadet Men’s Sabre, Division I-A Men’s Sabre

Christina Juliana, 22, Fair Oaks, Division II Women’s Sabre, Division III Women’s Sabre

Sarah Kelly, 16, Sacramento, Division III Women’s Sabre

Bryan Kim, 17, Shingle Springs, Junior Men’s Sabre, Division II Men’s Sabre

Jai Kim, Shingle Springs, Veteran-50 Men’s Sabre, Division II Men’s Sabre, Division III Men’s Sabre

David Lee, El Dorado Hills, Veteran-60 Men’s Sabre

Ali McCreary, 14, Folsom, Youth-14 Women’s Sabre, Cadet Women’s Sabre, Division II Women’s Sabre, Division III Women’s Sabre

Doug Mize, 16, Shingle Springs, Cadet Men’s Sabre, Division II Men’s Sabre, Division III Men’s Sabre

Chris Pirotto, 17, El Dorado Hills, Junior Men’s Sabre, Division II Men’s Sabre

Leonon Reid, 15, Rancho Cordova, Youth-14 Men’s Sabre, Cadet Men’s Sabre, Junior Men’s Sabre

Chaz Smith, Diamond Springs, Veteran-40 Women’s Foil

James Smith, Sacramento, Veteran-40 Men’s Foil

Ted Smith, Diamond Springs, Veteran-40 Men’s Sabre

Jeanette Strumillo, El Dorado Hills, Veteran-50 Women’s Sabre

Alec Taylor, 11, Carmichael, Youth-12 Men’s Sabre

Paul Wendelboe, 11, Granite Bay, Youth-12 Men’s Sabre

# # #

En Garde! Olympic Champions Demonstrate the Thrill of Swordplay
at Maplewood's First Community Fencing Event, Sept. 7

Maplewood, NJ— With the success of the US fencing team at the Beijing Olympics— six medals, the best in US history— there's a groundswell of interest in the sport of swordplay. The public will have a chance to experience world-class fencing firsthand at Memorial Park Tennis Courts, in Maplewood, NJ, on Sunday, September 7, from 9 am to 1 pm.

During the event, the public can learn about the mental and physical skills involved in foil, epee and sabre, and even touch blades with an Olympian and members of the championship girls' and boys' teams at Columbia High School, part of the South-Orange-Maplewood school district. The teams have won a combined 12 state fencing championships since 1997.

The event organizers, Maplewood-based New Jersey Fencing Alliance (NJFA) and the Maplewood Department of Recreation and Cultural Affairs, hope to convince more area residents to try fencing as part of a national campaign to recruit 10,000 newcomers to the sport.

Aptly called "Ten Thousand Fencers" (www.tenthousandfencers.com), the movement is the brainchild of Tim Morehouse, NY-based silver medalist in the 2008 Olympic men's sabre team competition. Morehouse will be on hand at Memorial Park to talk about the benefits of fencing and demonstrate his skills, along with Jeff Bukantz, team captain in Beijing, and Akhnaten Spencer-El, a 2000 Olympic fencer who currently coaches at the NJFA in Maplewood.

"Fencing is an exciting sport for people of all ages and athletic abilities. Beyond the physical benefits, fencers develop strategic thinking and self-confidence," says George Janto, president of the NJFA.

Proceeds from a raffle, bake sale, and T-shirts will help support Columbia High School's fencing program, which includes 100 students, and the 2012 US Olympic fencing team. Additional support for the event is provided by Colavita USA and J. Supor & Son Trucking & Rigging Co.

Maplewood Memorial Park is located on Valley Street between Oakland Road and Baker Street. The NJFA club (www.njfencingalliance.com) is located at 50-58 Burnett Avenue in Maplewood, and offers group and private lessons for all skill levels.

For more information about the Sept. 7 fencing event please contact Xxxxx Xxxxx at: xxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx

Appendix 2

Sample News Releases

•Print news release from Sacramento Fencing Club announcing their selection as LOC for 2005 Summer Nationals.
•Email news release from Sacramento Fencing Club announcing the club’s qualifiers for the 2005 Summer Nationals.
•Email news release from New Jersey Fencing Academy announcing a fencing demo in conjunction with 10,000 Fencers following the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

If you’ve examples of news releases your club or division has used that you’d like to share, please send them along.

[PREVIOUS]