Coaching Staff

email: coachcyndi@richmondfencing.com

Head Coach Cyndi Lucente

Cyndi began fencing in 1993 at Virginia Tech. She went on to serve as Captain of the women's team from 1995 to 1997, Chair of the Virginia Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association in 1997, and women's foil coach in 1998. Cyndi has studied under many coaches, including Carl Przystawik, and is currently coached by Allen Evans of Dominion Fencing. She has also attended coaching clinics by Michael Marx. She and her husband Tom have been instrumental in making Richmond Fencing Club the success that it is today. Cyndi has been actively coaching at RFC since 2000 with a focus on competitive foil. She is also a nationally rated referee in all three weapons and has served on the VA Division board as a member-at-large from 2002 to 2005 and Treasurer from 2006 to 2008.

Cyndi is a four-time Virginia Division Women’s Foil Champion (2005-2007, 2010) and a finalist in 2003-2004, and 2008. Cyndi was the Southeast Section Women's Foil Champion in 2010. She was the VA Division Women's Foil Points Champion from 2003 to 2011. She has also been a two-time Kickoff Women’s Foil Champion in 2006, 2008, Hangover Classic finalist in 2007 and 2009, semi-finalist in 2010 and 2012 and a Charm City finalist in 2008. Cyndi has had top 8 results in the mixed events as well. She was also a member of the Women’s Epee and Foil Championship teams in 2006 and 2010, both a first for Richmond Fencing Club. She is still an active competitor and consistently places in the top 8 of Virginia tournaments. Cyndi has earned a B14 in Foil, and is a Nationally rated Referee.

Currently, Cyndi teaches intermediate and advanced level foil classes, and also provides private lessons in foil.

email:
mstone@allegroconsultants.com

email: mayshv@vcu.edu

email: info@richmondfencing.com

mikeowen00@gmail.com

Coach Matt Stone

Matt began fencing in 1985 learning foil under Coach Van Wolosin at Newfield HS in NY. His high school was well known for fencing having sent a foilist from Newfield to the ’76 Olympics (under coach Wolosin). In his senior year Matt fenced Varsity for the undefeated League and County championships (Suffolk County had 11 high schools with Varsity fencing programs).

Going on to Virginia Tech Matt was soon Captain of the Sabre team leading them to victories in the 90, 91 and 92 seasons of the Mid Atlantic Fencing College Associations. While there he won the Virginia cup for Sabre. Virginia Tech’s Sabre team took first place in State Divisional championships three years running and in 1993 Matt was on the divisional championship team for Sabre, Epee and Foil that year. Matt was a competitive fencer (mostly Sabre) from 85-95 fencing in Division 1 nationals and various division 1 circuit events.

In the early 90s when the US had their first Women's Sabre team championships three of the four members of the winning team were Sabre students of Matt’s.

In 1993 Matt was selected to get his Foil Certification at the coaches college in Colorado Springs by Maestro Marx and Maestro Beguinet.

A founding member of the Richmond Fencing Club Coach Stone taught foil classes at RFC from 2000 to 2003. Coach Stone brought Sabre classes back to RFC in 2015 and we have already started seeing ratings come out of the seeds we planted.

Coach Helen Mays

Helen started fencing when she was twelve years old in Jackson, Mississippi. During her first few years as a fencer, she won several state championships and continued to be an active fencer when she moved to northern Virginia. Once there she fenced with Greg Kaidanov at Ronin Fencing Club for 3 years. where she competed in both local and national tournaments. In 2010 she moved to Richmond to attend Virginia Commonwealth University, where she graduated in 2014 with degrees in Psychology and Sociology. Helen earned a B14 in Epee at the 2014 Hangover Open.

Helen teaches or assists with beginner and intermediate level Foil and Epee classes, and is available for both Foil and Epee lessons.

Coach/Office Manager Wayne Miller

Wayne started fencing with the Richmond Fencing Club in 2008. He has trained under coaches Scott O'Neal, Tom and Cyndi Lucente, Dee Hayes and Jeff Snider. He finished 3rd at the 2008 Virginia Novice and 2010 May Mayhem tournaments and earned his E rating in 2009 at the Champions of Chivalry Veterans tournament. Wayne's focus continues to be, providing fun, easy to follow classes in an energetic environment for beginner fencers, both young and old.

Coach, Mike Owen

Mike began fencing in 2000 at Richmond Fencing Club. He is a B rated Epee fencer and has studied under coaches Dan Calder, Matt Stone, Jeff Snider, Scott O’Neal, Allen Evans, and Dee Hayes. In addition to first place finishes at the Richmond Tune-Up Open in 2013 and the Manassas Veterans Open in 2011, Mike has had numerous top 4 and top 8 finishes throughout his fencing career. Mike teaches the Intermediate and Competitive Epee classes.

Coach, Damien Lehfeldt

Damien is an epee coach at Richmond Fencing Club. An A-Rated epeeist, a previously A-Rated foilist, and a D-Rated sabrist, Damien was also the coach of a London 2012 Olympian in Modern Pentathlon, where he attended the games as a coach. As a competitor, Damien was a 2013 World Maccabi Games silver medalist and voted squad MVP. He was a member of the DC Fencers Club epee squad that took gold in the 2012 North American Cup. In college, Damien was a four-year starter and co-captain at Brandeis University, where he was an intercollegiate fencing association (IFA) gold medalist and a selection to the All-UAA Conference Team.

Damien is currently a syndicated columnist for Fencing.net and the editor in chief of The Fencing Coach. For private lesson inquiries, Damien can be contacted at damien.lehfeldt@gmail.com

Coach, Joe Owecke

Joe began fencing foil at Richmond Fencing Club in 2009. He started with Coach Dee Hayes, and then later trained with coach Cyndi Lucente.

Joe has competed and placed in the top eight of many tournaments around the state, recently winning the 2016 Tech Open where he earned his B2016 in Foil. Joe's main focus is in the joy of the sport, and the joy of competing. He coaches beginner and intermediate Foil and is available for Foil private lessons.

Coach, Matt Robb

Coach Matt has been fencing for 15 years, beginning at the Virginia Academy of Fencing when he was ten years old. He trained with Alexi Sintchinov, coach for Egyptian and Belorussian Olympic teams, along with a variety of other coaches, and has earned a B rating in foil. Matt has been coaching for seven years, and focuses on the technique and fundamentals nessessary for foil fencers to archive their fencing goals, whether that be fencing for fun or for high level competitions. He has run programs for children as well as for senior citizens, and is available for Foil private lessons.

Coach, Tim Patrick

Tim has been fencing for 16 years beginning with foil in 2001 at the Virginia Academy of Fencing. In 2009 he switched to his primary blade of Saber and has never gone back.

His love for the sport continued when he went to college, taking an active role in the James Madison University Fencing Club. His senior year he became the Vice President of the club. Representing the Dukes 21 times in his college career, he most notably finished in 3rd place his senior year individually at the Virginia Cup. He also helped lead men's Saber to a first place finish in the team event. The same year at the SAC Championships, Tim finished 6th individually and helped lead men's Saber to a 2nd overall finish.

Tim continues to be actively involved in USFA even after graduating. He updated his national rating to a D2017 at the River City Rumble. Teaching and conversing about fencing is truly a passion of Tim's and he is very excited to be part of the budding Saber program at Richmond Fencing Club. Tim is available to give private lessons for Saber. Please contact the club for further inquiries.

President of the Board of Directors/Club Manager, Tom Lucente

Tom has served as President of Richmond Fencing Club's Board of Directors and 501(c)(3) since its inception, and also serves as the Club Manager, responsible for setting Club policy, oversight of day-to-day operations, and strategic decisions.

Tom has also been a C-rated Epee fencer, having previously taken lessons from Jeff Snider and Allen Evans, and is a Nationally rated Foil Referee (F5)

Tom can be contacted at tlucenteva@verizon.net

All Richmond Fencing Club Coaches, Assistants, and Board Members are committed to providing a safe environment for all of our students and members, and have completed SafeSport training to help them recognize abuse and bullying in Sport.

Richmond Fencing Club, 3411 1/2 Carlton Street, Richmond, Virginia 23230
(804) 622-3655 info@richmondfencing.com