Athlete of the Week

"Fencing is a lot like ballet," Zane Selkirk, PC '04, said. It seems like a strange comparison, but both activities require grace and balance, and ballet led Selkirk to fencing. While in middle school, she was forced to make a decision between devoting herself to ballet or leading a normal eighth grade life. She chose the latter. Selkirk randomly decided to attend a fencing class with a friend and was hooked immediately. Her years of ballet training gave her an advantage over other beginners, and thus her fencing career began. Selkirk fenced throughout high school at a fencing club in New York City and for her high school team, which she eventually coached.

REBECCA ROSENTHAL/YH Zane Selkirk, PC '04 Fencing Major: Undeclared Favorite class: Philosophy Favorite movies: Clueless and The Matrix Favorite type of food: Japanese Favorite Koffee? drink: Hot chocolate Role models: Her parents Pre-competition fencing ritual: Listens to Gladiator soundtrack before a match.

Selkirk has quickly established herself as a key member of the Yale fencing team. Captain Helen Liu, MC '01, said, "Despite being a freshman, she has already had a huge impact. She has great confidence, supports others, performs extremely well in competition, and her positive attitude really contributes to team cohesiveness." Selkirk's impact was especially noticeable in the match against the University of Pennsylvania. After the first round the Yale team was down 8-10, with the Elis' undefeated record in the Ivy League seriously in jeopardy. Liu gave the women a rousing pep talk that Selkirk says really inspired them. Selkirk fenced in the deciding match—she sparred to perfection and emerged victorious.

With terms such as sparring, fencing may seem quite confusing. However, Selkirk describes the differences between the types of sparring and the weapons used. The three weapons are the foil, the epée, and the sabre, each of which has a different target area on the body. Selkirk uses the foil, for which the target area is the torso. In addition, the foil and epée both hit with the tip of the sword, whereas the sabre hits with the side of a blade. In a traditional match, the sabre will fence first, while epée and foil compete at the same time. Mental and physical conditioning are required in fencing—one must maintain constant focus, because a momentary lapse in concentration allows an opponent to move in for the kill.

Outside of fencing, Selkirk carries a full course load with Directed Studies and participates in IM water polo. She would also like to become involved in community service at local schools, as she was in high school.

Selkirk is looking ahead to the Junior Olympics right now. To qualify, she must earn points on the national circuit, where she competed prior to Yale. She no longer competes on the circuit for lack of time, but she still has points remaining from previous competitions. The qualifying matches will also enable her to see friends from high school, as well as to face some of the best fencers in the United States. Until then, Selkirk will continue adjusting to her busy schedule at Yale, making new friends, and preparing for the pivotal meet against Columbia this weekend. Photo by Rebecca Rosenthal.

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