Pope John fencer wins silver in state tournament

Two students at Pope John XXIII Regional High School qualified for the second year to compete in the individual state fencing tournament.

Senior Allen Trudnos qualified in saber and junior Roman Concha qualified in foil for the 2023 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Individual Fencing Championship at Bernards High School.

They were among 228 of the best New Jersey high school fencers from six districts. The tournament featured competitions with three weapons - saber, foil and epee - in three preliminary rounds.

The eight top fencers qualified for the final round.

In the first round, Roman won one match and lost five, finishing 38th overall.

Allen won all five matches in the first round and four of five in the second round. He was ranked seventh after those two rounds and qualified to fence in the final.

In that round, Allen and Gilson Lucas of Montclair both won five matches and lost two. NJSIAA rules required additional barrage for a championship title.

Gilson won 5:4, taking the gold medal.

Allen won the silver, advancing from a year earlier, when he finished fourth overall.

Allen start fencing when he was 7 years old. He is a member of two private fencing clubs: National Fencing Alliance in Sparta (under Mark Trudnos, head coach and NFA co-owner) and Advanced Fencing & Fitness Academy in Garwood (under Aleks Ochocki, head coach and AFFA co-owner).

In February, Allen qualified for Junior Olympics Championship in Denver and the USA Fencing National Championship in Phoenix.

Starting this month, the National Fencing Alliance will offer group fencing sessions with three weapons, saber, foil and epee, at the PAL gym, 38 Station Road, Sparta.

To register or for information, go online to www.nationalfencing.com or call 973-910-3774.