On the eve of New Year’s Eve in Westminster, California, we witnessed a dynamic mix of seasoned fencers and fresh talents eager to make their mark. Cang Snow, hailing from the Knight Club in Irvine, entered the arena with a solid B rating, showcasing his expertise in Lightspeed Saber fencing. Joining him from the same club was the determined Patricia Bauler, armed with an E rating and on a mission to reclaim her D after it dropped last year. John Mullins, carrying a C rating, brought his experience to the competition, while Preston Pomeroy, rated U, aimed to secure his first grade, injecting a sense of anticipation into the tournament.

Josh Isom, also representing the Knight Club in Irvine with a U rating, brought an explosive style to the ring, promising an exciting display of skill. And Phoebe Camilletti, boasting a C rating, graced the event with her presence, offering a refreshing perspective from the Olympic fencing world. Shayan Doroudi, in only his second competition ever, showed remarkable courage and enthusiasm, adding an element of surprise to the proceedings. Rounding out Knight Club’s competitors was Dinah Kolasa, holding a D rating and aiming to re-earn her standing before it drops.

From Krait Base in Los Angeles, was Jose Ortiz-Miranda, who saw this as his prime opportunity to earn his long strived-for A—especially with the absence of other top contenders—and William Alonzo, carrying a C rating, who fought relentlessly to ascend to a B rating.

A notable debutant in the Lightspeed Saber arena was Casey Lloyd, injecting a fresh energy into the tournament in his inaugural competition. The stage was set, and the competitors were ready to showcase their skills, making the New Year’s Eve Eve Tournament a memorable event in the world of Lightspeed Saber fencing.

WOMEN

The tournament opened with the Women’s event, starting off with a shock as last minute competitor Becca Moore of Knight Club entered the tournament and rounded the number up to 4 competitors. The pools and brackets alike moved quickly, until a charged fight for gold.

The gold medal match unfolded between Phoebe Camilletti and Patricia Bauler. This is not the first this this month that the women competed for gold against each other, as the two fought at the Lightspeed Saber Academy Inaugural Tournament on the 16th, where Camilletti secured gold. This would be an opportunity for Bauler to take that gold back, or for Camilletti to secure her spot.

The 1st period saw a match muddied with simultaneous contacts, but Camilletti showcased her strategic prowess by breaking past Bauler's stellar defenses with sneaky feints and target switches. Camilletti won the round decisively with a score of 10-2.

But the 2nd period brought a surge of determination from Bauler, who changed her rhythm and picked up speed, closing the gap with a series of first contacts and intercepts that Camilletti wasn’t prepared for. With two clean contacts, Bauler took the lead at 17-16. The points climbed slowly on each side, making the match a nail-biter. In the end, Patricia Bauler secured the victory with a final score of 21-18, claiming the gold medal in a closely contested battle against Phoebe Camilletti.

OPEN POOLS

Cang Snow, sporting a distinctive top-hat and bowtie, showcased his expertise by securing victory in 3 matches. Preston Pomeroy, who orchestrated a surprise switch to his Rey Saber, proved effective in picking off Supreme Leader Snow. His agility and mobility earned him triumph in four matches, making a significant impact on the competition. Then Dinah Kolasa, who was fencing in her prom dress, delivered Snow’s only other defeat; a memorable moment done by scoring a headshot to Snow’s top hat, which ultimately secured her two wins.

Shayan Doroudi, in only his second competition, secured 1 win, showing promising potential for future competitions. Patricia Bauler, with an impressive display, secured victory in one match, proving her resilience on the Lightspeed Saber stage.

William Alonzo, dressed as a toy soldier, stood out as he triumphed in 4 matches, showcasing both skill and flair. John Mullins, with a solid performance, won three matches, contributing to the overall intensity of the tournament. And bringing her expertise from the Olympic fencing world was Phoebe Camilletti who secured 2 wins, contributing to the competitive atmosphere. Unfortunately, Josh Isom faced tough challenges in the Open Pool, ending with 0 wins, but his explosive style hinted at potential for future success. Jose Ortiz-Miranda, seizing his best chance to earn an 'A,' triumphed in three matches, positioning himself strongly for the single elimination phase. Then was Casey Lloyd, here competing in his first Lightspeed tournament, who secured two wins, making a commendable debut in the Lightspeed Saber arena.

While all pool competitors were moving into the bracket, performances were not superfluous, with pool ranking being used to award favorable seeding in the bracket portion.William Alonzo took top seed in the brackets, securing himself a bye past the first round of brackets. This was Alonzo’s first time topping the pool portion of a tournament. Preston Pomeroy, also with a bye, similarly dominated the pools in what was his best performance in his Lightspeed career to date.

BRACKET

The Open Bracket section of the Tournament delivered intense matchups, determining the fencers who would advance to the final rounds. First was the round of 16. Needing to prove that they had the skills necessary to continue on, tensions were high as these 6 fencers fought for coveted spaces in the later rounds of the brackets.

First up was Shayan Doroudi facing Dinah Kolasa. Doroudi cleverly leveraged his height advantage, scoring points against Kolasa, who retaliated by targeting his legs. In the end, Doroudi secured the victory in a hard-fought match. Shayan Doroudi faced William Alonzo in a closely contested match. Doroudi's height and reach clashed with Alonzo's experience and aggression, resulting in a hard-fought battle. In the end, Alonzo secured the victory.

Phoebe Camilletti engaged in a dynamic battle with Josh Isom in the Round of 16. Isom, known for his aggressive style, couldn't match the hyper-efficiency of the former foilist Camilletti, leading to her victory. Following was Patricia Bauler and Casey Lloyd. Despite Bauler's Lightspeed Saber experience, Lloyd's years in traditional fencing allowed him to outmatch her in speed and agility, earning him the win.

Moving onto the Round of 8 matches was John Mullins with uncharacteristic aggression, against Supreme Leader Cang Snow. Despite backing Snow into the end of the box repeatedly, Snow's patience and strategic waiting paid off, earning him the win. Phoebe Camilletti and Jose Ortiz-Miranda faced off next, recalling their past encounter at the LA Halloween tournament where Camilletti earned her C grade. Ortiz-Miranda, determined not to take any chances, emerged victorious in this encounter. And rounding off the bracket was a battle between Preston Pomeroy and Casey Lloyd. Pomeroy defended against Lloyd's withering attacks, but Lloyd gained a slight edge, securing the win when the match ran to time.

Advancing to the Semifinals, Cang Snow faced William Alonzo. Snow's impressive 4 counterattacks quickly accumulated points, leaving Alonzo unable to catch up. Snow claimed victory and secured a spot in the final rounds.

In the other Semifinal match, Casey Lloyd took on Jose Ortiz-Miranda. Ortiz-Miranda overcame Lloyd's years of sword experience, securing the win and earning his place in the final rounds.

BRONZE

The battle for the bronze medal in the Open Bracket section unfolded between Casey Lloyd and William Alonzo. In the 1st period, Alonzo displayed dominance, dazzling Lloyd with a flurry of unique Lightspeed Saber attacks that left Lloyd searching for a solution. Alonzo won the period convincingly with a score of 10-2.

In the 2nd period, Lloyd partially found his answer, scoring two defenses and showing resilience against the higher-ranked Alonzo. However, Alonzo, with his large sweeping attacks, systematically picked off Lloyd piece by piece. In the end, William Alonzo secured the victory with a final score of 21-14, earning the bronze medal in a well-fought match against Casey Lloyd.

FINALS

The fight for gold came down to Cang Snow, Lightspeed founder, and Jose Ortiz-Miranda, who was fighting with a determination not just for gold, but for his long-coveted A rank. In the 1st period Ortiz-Miranda dominated, using skillful skyhooks and handsnipes that Snow struggled to fight against. Ortiz-Miranda seemed to effortlessly find the gaps in Snow's defense. Finally, Snow landed one beat attack, his only score of the period. The period was won by Ortiz-Miranda with a score of 10-2 .

In the 2nd period Snow began to close the gap with a series of one-pointers. A clean hit and two counterattacks quickly brought the match to 15-14, with Snow nearly overtaking the lead. However, Ortiz-Miranda read the change in Snow's strategy and placed several well timed feints to the leg. In the final encounter at 19-14, and with time running out, Snow pursued Ortiz-Miranda cautiously, but was ultimately felled by a well timed invitation followed by skyhook. Jose Ortiz-Miranda won the match with a score of 21-14, earning both gold and his A rank.

Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate the new year with us at the Lightspeed Saber Academy! We wish everyone a happy new year, and we are exciting to share another great year of Lightspeed with everyone.

ORTIZ-MIRANDA ENTERS THE NEW YEAR WITH 'A' NEW RANK

OPEN RESULTS

WINNER

PROMOTIONS & RE-GRADES

WOMEN’S RESULTS