Two Barrington sisters placed in the top-five in their respective divisions at the USA Fencing National Championships in Minneapolis, Minn. earlier this month. 

Alexandra Smuk and her older sister Dasha battled through pool rounds and then direct elimination bouts to capture second and fifth place finishes, respectively. The USA Fencing National Championships is the largest fencing tournament in the world, featuring more than 4,500 competitors. The competition was held at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Alexandra, competing in Y-12 Women’s Epee (for ages 12 and under), performed well in the pool round. She defeated every competitor she faced, and based on her pool indicator (touches she scored versus touches received), she was seeded 11th out of 120 fencers heading into the direct elimination bouts. Alexandra enjoyed a first round bye and then won her first five direct elimination bouts, earning a spot in the Y-12 Women’s Epee finals. She ultimately earned a second place silver medal. 

Dasha competed in the Division II Women’s Epee division and lost only one of her six bouts in pool competition. She was ranked 17th out of 127 fencers after the pool round. Dasha received a first round bye and then powered past the competition in a series of direct elimination bouts, eventually reaching the quarterfinals. Dasha just missed reaching the semifinals, losing her quarterfinal bout by only two points. She finished fifth.

The Smuk sisters are members of the Rhode Island Fencing Academy & Club in East Providence.