Nov. 14, 2001

By Carey Cox

Student Assistant

UNC Athletic Communications

In the movie The Fight Club, Brad Pitt's character says, "If you wanna make omelets you gotta crack some eggs." Wesley Newkirk, Carolina's freshman fencer, has been doing just that in his first few competitions as a Tar Heel. He compares one of the aspects in the sport of fencing to the phenomenon explored in The Fight Club. "You've got to be able to focus from your pain to what you're doing and just do it." Winning is exactly what he has been doing in preseason bouts with his teammates and local competitors.

Newkirk lived in Charlotte his junior and senior years in high school, and since North Carolina high schools did not allow an avenue for fencers, he regularly competed in individual tournaments against some of Carolina's top fencers. So, as a freshman in August, he was no stranger to the well-conditioned ways of the Carolina fencing team. However, he was new to the aspect of constant training. Though never a stranger to the world of fitness, Wes admits to being in the best shape of his life since stepping foot on campus in August. "It's the male bravado thing that keeps me going. I don't want the other guys to show up me up, so I suck it up and keep going", Newkirk says when asked about the transition to constant athletic conditioning.

The 5-10, 155 pound fencer is no stranger to the fencing world, unlike many other freshmen competing in the sport. Newkirk grew up in Pennsylvania right outside of State College, Pa., home of Penn State, which has one of the nation's top fencing programs annually. He began competing in the sixth grade when his brother became interested in the sport on a recreational basis. The 12-year-old Wesley knew it was more than recreation for him. The collegiate coach at Penn State became his coach, and that was one of the many things that helped develop his technique. By the time he was a senior in high school his skills equaled many of the nation's top fencers.

Wes has a special mentality that equips him for the type of competition he finds in fencing. Technique is of utmost importance in sabre, the area of fencing in which Newkirk specializes. When asked why he likes sabre the best, he simply shrugs his shoulders and answers, "Because it is brutal." A sabre bout lasts an estimated 75 seconds, while foil and epee can go on four total minutes. A sabre competitor must be able to think outside of the box and utilize his speed to succeed.

That's why Newkirk loves the sport. He says that strategy becomes increasingly important in one's defense as he develops as a fencer. The mental aspect of the sport has the ability to outweigh the physical component. "The neat thing about fencing is that it is not like your major sports, because it is just as much mentally oriented as it is physically. If you are physically talented you are able to use the mental aspect less, and vice versa."

Each fencer has a different tactic and it takes time to perceive what each is planning. "There is a scheme to the sport with a series of actions, counter actions. You have to already be thinking what your opponent is going to do and prepare for it. You plot out what is going on in your opponent's head, sort of like guess and check, but after a while you become more aware of what people are likely to be thinking based on your actions," he explains.

His experience has given him the upper hand in many of his early competitions this season. His patience and his ability to attack and counter attack have led him to several early victories in the fencing season. Although fencing is primarily a winter sport, look forward to seeing Wesley Newkirk crack some eggs in regular season.