DOUGLAS ASHBY of St Benedict's School in Ealing bagged a silver medal at the IAPS (Independent Association of Preparatory Schools) Fencing Championships at Millfield School in Kent last weekend.

The best fencers from around the country were there and competition was fierce, so Ashby, who took part in the U9s event, can feel proud of his efforts.

During the first round of direct elimination, he beat fellow pupil Patrick Edis in a thrilling bout in the semi-finals on his route to medal glory.

Michael Vangelatos and David Cuss also represented St Benedict's with pride. They competed in the foil and the épée events, which was an impressive feat because they had returned from a week in France only the day before.

St Benedict's fencers had already enjoyed considerable success in fencing fixtures against other schools.

Last week, two other teams from St Benedict's took on Uxbridge's best in a foil match. Aodhan Joseph-Buckley, Rupert Belsham and Chris Dean claimed a magnificent 45-23 victory, while Charlie Worthington, Sebastian Strug and Peter Vangelatos recorded an equally satisfying 25-19 success in their match.