ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, June 25, 1996 TAG: 9606250054
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
As Ann Marsh drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Shenandoah Valley toward Roanoke, fencing took on new meaning.
No, not the chestnut-rail fencing that lines the parkway. Fencing as in the swordplay Marsh and her teammates on the U.S. Women's Foil Team will be exhibiting in the Roanoke Valley this week.
Normally an indoor sport, fencing will be taken to the great outdoors as the foil team embarks on a week of training, sightseeing and exercises designed to promote team unity.
Driving to Roanoke from Richmond, where she carried the Olympic torch for a brief time Sunday, Marsh ``got a sense that this is a really pretty area. I'm looking forward to doing some outdoorsy things.''
The team arrived Sunday and is staying at Hollins College through Saturday, where it will train and hold practices open to the public. Rather than hold a week of regular practices, team coach Buckie Leach wanted the members to have a week of fun in a relaxed atmosphere before heading into the final weeks before the Atlanta Summer Olympics.
Roanoke-based Virginia Amateur Sports and other local officials put together a schedule of hiking, canoeing and city tours for the team.
``They requested white-water rafting,'' said Stuart Israel, marketing director for VAS. ``We told them we could substitute canoeing.''
The team has a full schedule this week, beginning today when it tackles the Hollins rope course, tours the City Market and holds an open practice at Hollins at 6 p.m.
Other public practices will be held on Wednesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. both days. The team will perform an exhibition at Tanglewood Mall on Saturday at noon.
``I like structure,'' said Leach, who noted that Monday's news conference at Hollins was a first for his team. ``It's nice to be treated a little different, to be a little special.''
The foil team has a chance to win the first U.S. medal in women's fencing in 40 years. Among the team members are Marsh (ranked 10th in the world), Felicia Zimmerman (the current U.S. Fencing Association national champion), Suzie Paxton (ranked eighth in the world) and alternates Iris Zimmerman and Sara Walsh.
``We're probably the underdogs with the strongest chance [to win a medal],'' said Leach. ``People are worried about us. If all our athletes are performing well, we have a chance. Beating the Italians or Romanians might be like me fighting Mike Tyson, but we'll give it a shot.''
LENGTH: Medium: 55 linesby CNB