Area teen excels at fencing
Posted on Sunday, July 20, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/brog/Sports/62242/
SPRINGDALE — For a few hours on Saturday morning, 17-year old Josh Soldate of Bentonville was an aristocrat. He didn’t boss anyone around or say “ let them eat soup, ” but he did possess the sword skill on fallen knights.
Soldate participated in the Arkansas Fencing Academy’s annual celebration picnic called “ Bastille Day” at Randal Tyson Park. Appropriately, the members of the club were split into two teams — aristocrat and peasants.
Soldate is a rising junior a Bentonville High School and fencing is not his only athletic endeavor. Soldate is a member of the Tigers track team and competes in the high jump, long jump, 4 x 100 relay team, 200 meter run and 100 meter run.
Soldate also plays on the local club lacrosse team. His busiest time of year is the spring when all three sports are in season at one time.
Even with a busy schedule Soldate has found time to pursue fantasy writing. He just completed a novel called “ Flames of War ” inspired by a Dungeon and Dragons game he played when he was 14-years old. His novel is under review by a publisher. While he waits to hear on an answer, Soldate enjoys his time with the lance. Soldate picked up the sword from his father David who fenced in junior college. David Soldate used to dominate in father-son competitios, Josh says, but that was awhile ago. “ I can’t come close any more, ” David Soldate says. Josh Soldate’s fencing is based on counterattacking. Instead of being the aggressor, Soldate lets his opponents expose themselves by making the first move. He tends to capitalize when he sees an opening in the invisible armor. He doesn’t seem to mind when his opponent tries to be a bully.
“ I work better when they attack me, ” Soldate says.
One of his opponents on Saturday, 67-year old Neal Picken, knows Soldate’s style well. Still, Soldate beat Picken 4-3 in a dual that ended due to time.
“ He is quick, so he can wait for the aggressor to come to him, ” Picken says.
When he has the lead Soldate is not in any rush to end the dual early. Unlike movie sword fights that last for an eternity, fencing has time limits.
“ It is only three minutes long but it feels like forever, ” he says.
Soldate takes fencing seriously and has traveled around the country to compete. The highlight of his career took place last October in Tucson, Ariz., when he took home a silver medal at the North America Cup in the foil individual category of fencing.
The appeal of fencing for Soldate is the thrill of one-onone competition that involved metal objects.
“ I like the adrenaline, ” Soldate says.
Soldate finished with a 8-1 record Saturday to lead the aristocrats to a 22-20 win for bragging rights at the Arkansas Fencing Academy.
The Academy recently produced Olympic-bound Margaux Isaksen of Fayetteville who will compete in the modern pentathlon in Beijing.