They Know How to Get a Point Across
If any pirates get lost in the Caribbean and somehow end up shipwrecked in San Pedro Harbor, 15-year-olds Cooper Gegan and Harry Mahaffey are ready to do battle.
Gegan, a sophomore at Culver City High, is the top-ranked epee fencer in the nation for his age group. Mahaffey, a junior at Los Angeles Le Lycee, is ranked third in sabre.
Both will spend their spring break, April 9-17, in South Korea competing at the Junior and Cadet World Fencing Championships.
They have to explain what they do to classmates.
“A lot of friends joke, ‘Could you beat a pirate?’ ” Gegan said. “It’s not like I could sword-fight in real life.”
Added Mahaffey: “I think the best question I ever got was, ‘Have you ever killed anybody?’ I’m constantly killing people.”
In epee, Gegan uses a long, straight sword, with a button at the tip that must be depressed into his opponent to register a hit electronically. The entire body is the target area. The first competitor to reach 15 points wins.
“It takes more physical activity than you think,” the 6-foot, 150-pound Gegan said. “You’re constantly moving. It’s you against another person. You have to figure out how to beat him.”
Parry is the term in fencing used to describe blocking an opponent with the blade. Quick reflexes are required, along with quick thinking.
“It’s not like some sports with pure physical activity,” Gegan said.” You have to think what you’re about to do. You have to figure out what the other person is going to do.”
In sabre, everything from the waist up is the target area. The sabre is a cutting weapon with a triangular blade.
“It’s an activity that requires a physical and mental understanding of the sport,” said the 5-11, 155-pound Mahaffey.
Mahaffey used to compete in ice hockey and roller hockey before discovering fencing when he was 8. Gegan was no athlete until his mother enrolled him in a fencing class when he was 8. Both have become top students at the Los Angeles International Fencing Center.
Mahaffey has faced the additional burden of competing despite Type 1 diabetes that requires him to seek insulin injections and test his blood sugar.
Gegan has traveled to Canada, Hungary and Ukraine for competitions. Mahaffey has been to Spain, Italy and Germany.
Each would one day like to make the U.S. Olympic team. First up, though, is competing against the best in the world in the cadet age group (under 16).
“I’m going to do my best,” Gegan said.
Added Mahaffey: “I don’t know what to expect. It’s my first world championships.”
Whatever happens, the two Southern California teenagers should have plenty of stories to tell about a spring break that will be anything but typical.
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Anaheim Canyon’s baseball team picked up a promising transfer student Monday.
Christian Colon, a junior infielder who was a member of the U.S. Youth National team last summer, moved from Taylorsville, Utah. In his second at-bat Wednesday, he hit a home run against Placentia El Dorado.
“He’s the real deal,” El Dorado Coach Steve Gullotti said. “He’s probably the best player in our league.”
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Four starting baseball players at Simi Valley were suspended for the season for a violation of school rules. However, that didn’t stop the Pioneers from upsetting top-ranked Agoura, 5-4, Thursday in a Marmonte League game.
Coach Matt LaBelle, who guided the Pioneers to the 2004 Southern Section Division II title, once again showed he knows how to get his players to perform in big games.
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Encino Crespi has been lacking a standout baseball player since Trevor Plouffe was a first-round draft choice of the Minnesota Twins in 2004.
Now the Celts have an improving sophomore catcher in Jeremy Rodriguez, who entered this week with 10 hits in 16 at-bats. Coach Scott Muckey said Rodriguez is on his way to becoming a top college prospect.
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Tommy Grillo of Westlake Village Oaks Christian put together consecutive games of 14 strikeouts in victories over Malibu and Oxnard Santa Clara.
Wilmington Banning (10-0) is the only unbeaten team left in the City Section.
Los Angeles Manual Arts senior pitcher David Hernandez struck out 15 in a game against Los Angeles Jefferson.
Indio senior right-hander Ismael Gutierrez has 43 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings and a 1.05 earned-run average.
Los Angeles Roosevelt defeated Palm Harbor (Fla.), 10-4, Thursday in the third-place game of the Dunedin (Fla.) tournament.
In a rematch of last year’s Division I championship game, Riverside Poly will play Santa Ana Mater Dei Tuesday in a doubleheader that begins at 4 p.m. at UC Riverside.
Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
