Just in case his consecutive collegiate top-five finishes and 1996 national championship left anyone unconvinced, Jeremy Kahn proved again last weekend that he deserves a spot among the nation's top epee fencers.
Kahn spent the weekend in Colorado Springs, Colo., where nearly a month earlier he finished fifth in the epee competition at the NCAA Championships. This time, Kahn participated in the similarly-named National Championships, a non-collegiate tournament of the nation's best fencers. Once again, he placed fifth.
"I was very happy with fifth," Kahn said. "This isn't collegiate stuff anymore, so fifth was very exciting. The competition was a lot more difficult than the NCAAs."
Because of his top-five finish, Kahn gained points toward his national ranking and is now rated 25th in the country. Kahn also improved his fencing classification, part of a performance-based system that is used to group fencers. Kahn raised his classification from B to A, the highest placement a fencer can attain.
Kahn blew away his initial opponents, starting the tournament with an impressive 5-0 first-round record. As the only person to complete his round-robin pool undefeated, he earned the first seed going into the next round. His top seeding granted Kahn a bye into the round of 32, giving him a chance to rest and to observe the competition for a few rounds.
In the double-elimination round of 32, Kahn won his first bout but was then defeated by Jon Normile, this year's eventual champion and a six-time national champ.
Kahn gave Normile a run for his money, leading the perennial champion for most of the match. Kahn clung to a 14-13 edge near the end, but Normile recorded the last two touches to escape with the victory. Kahn regrouped after his close bout and won his next two to reach the eight-person, single-elimination finals. In the finals, however, he had to face a familiar foe-Normile-and lost.
The end of the tournament does not signal the end of Kahn's fencing career. His season is finished, but the senior will continue to compete when the national circuit resumes next year.
"I definitely plan to continue fencing," Kahn said. "This was my first open final. This tournament showed that I could compete at this level, so it gives me a reason to keep up with it. I was planning on keeping up with it, anyway, because fencing is something I love to do, but this gives me some added incentive."
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