2010-2011 Regional Open Circuit Schedule

ROC Amarillo Open (D1A/Vet)

Amarillo Texas 10/02/10

ROC Remenyik Open (D1A)

Evanston Illinois 10/30/10

ROC Columbia International (D1A)

Beaverton Oregon 11/06/10

ROC BladeRunner (D1A)

San Diego California 11/13/10

ROC Michel Alaux Cup (Vet)

New York New York 11/21/10

ROC Alice B. Memorial (DV2)

Houston Texas 12/04/10

ROC Charm City Classic (D1A)

Maryland 12/04/10

ROC Battle in Seattle (D1A)

Seattle Washington 01/28/11

ROC in Rochester (D1A/DV2)

Rochester New York 02/25/11

ROC Queen City Open (D1A/Vet)

Fort Mill South Carolina 03/19/11

ROC Dean Alexander Memorial (D1A)

Chandler Arizona 03/26/11

ROC Wang Memorial (D1A/DV2)

Fort Worth Texas 04/02/11

ROC Jeff Wolfe Long Island Challenge (D1A)

Rocky Point New York 04/09/11

ROC Stro Memorial (D1A/Vet)

Pasadena California 04/30/11

Point Standings & Qualification Path

Regional Open Circuit tournaments are open to current USFA competitive members eligible to fence in Open competitions and to foreign fencers with current FIE licenses. The top 10% (with a minimum of 4) finishers in each Regional Open Circuit event earn qualification to the Division I-A Championship at Summer Nationals. However, since foreign fencers are not eligible to compete in USFA national championship events, they will not be counted as part of the field in calculating the 10%. For qualification purposes, any foreign fencer who finishes within the qualifying group will be skipped over, and the next highest-finishing eligible domestic fencer will qualify.

An ROC points list is maintained in the ROC section of askfred.net. Points are awarded using Table H (Division I without repechage) of the Domestic Points Table, for the two best ROC results. The ROC point standings are entirely separate from the National Rolling Points and Team Standings and are not used for any qualification purposes at this time.

2009-2010 Regional Open Circuit Schedule Set

The Regional Open Circuit Advisory Group has announced eight events for the 2009-2010 ROC season:

Rose Condon Memorial

September 26-27, 2009 · Shreveport, LA

Steve Sobel ROC Tournament

October 3-4, 2009 · Wayne, NJ

Remenyik Open

October 17-18, 2009 · Evanston, IL

Duel in the Desert

January 8-10, 2010 · Las Vegas, NV

Battle in Seattle

January 29-31, 2010 · Seattle, WA

Alice B. Memorial

February 6-7, 2010 · Houston, TX

Jeff Wolfe Long Island Challenge

April 10-11, 2010 · Rocky Point, NY

Danny Bukantz Open

May 15-16, 2010 · Maplewood, NJ

The Regional Open Circuit is intended to increase competitive opportunities for Division I-A and developing recreational fencers by recognizing and promoting strong regional tournaments. The top 10% (with a minimum of 4) of finishers in each event qualify for the Division I-A Championship at Summer Nationals.

Regional Open Circuit FAQ

-What is the Regional Open Circuit?

The Regional Open Circuit is a series of strong locally-run tournaments intended to provide competitive opportunities for Division I-A level and strong recreational fencers. Those who finish in the top 10% (with a minimum of 4) at an ROC event qualify for the Division I-A Championships at Summer Nationals.

-Who can participate in ROC events?
ROC events are open to any fencer aged 13 and up or on the Junior National Rolling Points List. Foreign fencers are also welcome to participate in ROC events, provided they have appropriate USFA or FIE membership. (Foreign fencers will not be counted as part of the field for the purpose of calculating the 10% who qualify for the Division I-A Championships, since they are not eligible to compete at Summer Nationals.)

-How do I earn points at ROC events?
Points are awarded to the top 32 places at ROC events using Column H (Division I without repechage) of the Domestic Points Table; however, a fencer must advance into Table B of the direct elimination tableau in order to earn points.

-Do ROC events earn points on the National Rolling Points List or Team Selection List?
No. The ROC points list is separate from the National Rolling Points List.

-Are names printed on uniforms required for ROC events?
Yes, names on uniforms are required for the 2009–2010 ROC season. See Section 2.6 of the USFA Athlete Handbook, Equipment Requirements for Domestic Tournaments, for specifics.

-Who is in charge of the ROC?
The Board of Directors established the National Open Circuit Task Group at its Annual Meeting in, September, 2008. The original group consisted of Aaron Clements, David Sierra, and Alan Kuver. Four National Open Circuit events were designated for the 2008-2009 season.

For the 2009-2010 season, the circuit's name was changed to "Regional Open Circuit" (ROC) to better reflect the nature of the series, and eight tournaments have been designated. For the 2010-2011 season, up to 12 Open and 4 to 6 C-and-under tournaments will be designated, and veteran events will be added. In addition, the Circuit will move to a continuous bid process, to allow organizers to use venues that require booking two to three years in advance.

ROC Advisory Group (as of July 2009): Mary Griffith (chair), Aaron Clements, Matt Cox, and Brenda Waddoups.

-How do I contact the ROC Advisory Group?
The ROC Advisory Group may be contacted at:

ROC@usfencing.org

New Email for ROC Advisory Group

We've got a new email address for contacting the ROC Advisory Group:

roc@usfencing.org

Bid Packets Now Available for 2009-2010 Season

Bid packets are now available for the 2009-2010 Regional Open Circuit (downloadable from the lefthand FRED menu). To be eligible, tournaments must be held between September 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010. Four to six tournaments will be designated as ROC events for the upcoming competitive season. Bids must be submitted to the USFA national office by Friday, May 29, with the ROC selections to be announced in late June.

This is the same circuit as this season's National Open Circuit. The name is changed for next season to better describe the nature of the circuit.

Informal information sessions about the ROC and the bid process will be held at the Portland NAC in April; specific details will be available at the NAC registration desk at the venue.

Jeff Wolfe Long Island Challenge Designated as 4th NOC Tournament

The Jeff Wolfe Long Island Challenge, to be held May 2 & 3 at Mission Fencing Center in Rocky Point, New York, will be the fourth tournament of the 2008-2009 National Open Circuit.

This season's final NOC tournament is dedicated to Jeff Wolfe, longtime coach at Long Island's Brentwood High School, with 18 undefeated seasons. He was the first high school coach selected to coach the U.S. Cadet Team; eight of his fencers became collegiate All-Americans and four represented the United States in world championships. Nominated for the USFA Hall of Fame in 2006, Wolfe continues to work at Mission and as an assistant at Ward Melville High School.

Fees are $15 for registration and $45 per event until April 17, with double fees until April 29, and triple fees thereafter. Mission Fencing Center is a 30,000 square foot facility with dorms for camps and a full-service cafe for food and refreshments. All scoring machines will have time and score, and software is being written to make this the first paperless fencing tournament in the U.S.

The top four finishers in each weapon qualify for the Division I-A event at the 2009 Summer Nationals.