RFC Coaching Staff

 

 

  Coach Scott O'Neal

 

E-mail Coach Scott 

 

Scott started fencing at Purdue University in 1995 in a beginner class taught by his friend Dennis Djou. After completing his first class, Scott became an assistant instructor and avid fencer, eventually assuming the role of instructor when Dennis graduated and left the University. During his years at Purdue, Scott was an active competitor, taught fencing classes, served as President of the Purdue Fencing Club and was an active member of the Club Sports Council at Purdue. In 2002, Scott moved to Richmond, VA in order to continue graduate school. There he became a member of the Richmond Fencing Club and an active member of the Virginia Division of the USFA. In addition to training and instructing at RFC, Scott travels weekly to the DC area to train with his coach Allen Evans, serves on the VA Division Executive Committee and competes at tournaments both locally and nationally.

 

- Coached by Allen Evans of Dominion Fencing .

- Instructor for Purdue Fencing Club, Collegiate Team Captain: 1997-2002

- Purdue Fencing Club President: 1997-2001

- Purdue Fencing Club Graduate Advisor: 2001-2002

- Virginia Division Secretary: 2004 to 2008

- Virginia Division Vice Chair: 2008 to present

- Coach for Richmond Fencing Club: 2003 to present

- Has attended coaching clinics run by Michael Marx.

 

Fencing Achievements:

- VA Division Championships, Men's Epée 1st Place: 2009

- VA Division Championships, Men's Epée 2nd Place: 2006 and 2008

- VA Division Championships, Men's Epée 3rd Place: 2005 and 2007

- VA Division Men's Epée Points Champion: 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons

- VA Division Men's Three-Weapon Points Champion: 2007-08 season

- Big 10 Championships: Men's Epée 1st Place 2000

- 3 Top 32 finishes in Division I NAC Epée events, 2005-2006

- Highest national ranking: 27th on the National Rolling Points List, and 16th on the Team Points list

 

- Earned Classification of A09 in Epée, C08 in Foil and E08 in Sabre

 

- Referee Ratings: Nationally Rated Referee in Foil (7), Epée (7) and Sabre (8)

 

   Coach Dee Hayes

 

Dee Hayes, a native of Cuba, started fencing at 9 years old at Barbados Heroes, a national sports school in Havana, Cuba.  Her beginning was in foil but after 4 years, started epee.  She studied under Coaches Ichi, Margarita Rodriguez, Jorge Valdez, Orlando Durruty and Manuel Ortiz.  All of them world renowned and recognized ranking icons.

 

After graduating the University of Sports "Manuel Fajardo" in Havana, she taught at the National Academy in Havana.  During her 5 year tenure, Dee monitored 72 athletes between the ages of 7 and 21 and promoted an innumerable amount of students to higher techniques schools and the Cuban National Team of Fencing.

 

Fencing Achievements: 

- Virginia Division Championships, Women's Foil 1st Place: 2009

- Virginia Division Championships, Women's Epée 3rd Place: 2009

- VA Division Women's Epée Team Championships: 2009 - Silver medallist

- Captain of the Women's' team of Havana

- Champion of the Cuban National Tournament in the categories 13-14 and 15-16 for three years

- Champion of the Tournament Games of the Youth

- Gold Medalist in the National Tournament of Teams

- Silver Medalist in the Tournament Holy Cross of the North

- Bronze Medalist in the National Games Tournament

- Bronze Medalist in the Games of Peace Tournament

 

 

  Coach Cyndi Lucente

E-mail Coach Cyndi

 

Cyndi started fencing in 1993 at Virginia Tech. She has studied under Matt Stone, Jamie Met, Pat Gray, 

Curtis Huey, Daniel Calder, Carl Przystawik, and Allen Evans (of Dominion Fencing).


- Assisted with the beginners classes at VT, from 1995-1998

- Assistant coach of the women's team VT 1997

- Women's foil coach at VT 1998

- Has attended coaching clinics run by Michael Marx.

 

Fencing Achievements:

- Captain of the Women's Team at Tech 1995-1997

- Chair of the Virginia Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association 1997

- 2001 1st  Place Team Foil  - Virginia Commonwealth Games.

- 2002 1st  Place Team Sabre – Virginia Divisional

- Virginia Division Women’s Foil Points Champion in 2003, 2004, 2005

- Virginia Division Women’s 3-Weapon Points Champion in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

- Division 2/3 Qualifiers: 2002, 2003 - champion; 2004: finalist 

- Division Championships: 2003-2004 - finalist; 2002-3rd place

- VA Division Women's Foil Team Championships: 2002,2003,2004, 2005 - Silver medallists

- Division Championships: 3rd place women's epee, 2004

 

- Has earned ratings of C09 in Foil and C06 in Epée

 

- Nationally rated referee in Foil (7), Epée (7) and Sabre (7)

 

 

  Assistant Coach Chris Bush

Chris began fencing with the Richmond Fencing Club in 2006. Chris is responsible for starting our supervised youth fencing program, and assists with the instruction of beginner classes at RFC. She is currently coached by Cyndi Lucente and Jill Feldman (of Dominion Fencing).

 

- Has earned a rating of D09 in Foil.

 

 

  Assistant Coach Dave Daley

Dave also began fencing with the Richmond Fencing Club. Dave teaches, or helps teach, several of our beginner classes, in addition to being the Club's unofficial Armorer. He has been responsible for keeping much of the Club's equipment in working order.

 

  Assistant Coach Mike Turpie

Mike started fencing in 1994 at Georgia Tech, quickly becoming a locally and regionally competitive foilist, and eventually becoming Team Captain of the Yellow Jacket Fencer's Society. Mike has trained under Gene Gettler, Walid Mahran, Ben Price, and Jeff Snider. After a 5 year post-college fencing hiatus, Mike joined the Baton Rouge Fencing Club when it re-started in 2004, and soon became an Assistant Coach teaching Beginners Foil. In 2006 he moved to Richmond and joined the Richmond Fencing Club, where he continues to train and compete in local and regional competitions, in addition to teaching or assisting with several of our foil classes.

- Earned the classification of D09 in Foil.