Tournament news · Region 2
Region 2 Tournament Watch: The December SJCC in Milwaukee Closes October 7, and Motor City Just Opened
Wednesday, September 30, 2026 · Bout-Buddy Editorial
This is our first Region 2 report. It's short, because the Midwest's caps aren't tight yet: 3 tournaments with 5 events at 80% or higher, and 1 of them full. That makes it a good week to plan ahead.
The date to know is national. Regular registration for the December SJCC in Milwaukee (Dec 4–6) closes next Wednesday, October 7, and 923 fencers have already entered. USA Fencing hasn't published caps for it, so the only safe plan is to register before the deadline. Closer to home, Motor City RJCC/RYC in Waterford, MI opened since our last report with every field empty, and Junior Olympic qualifiers in Illinois and Saint Louis have just posted.
Filling up: last spots
| Tournament | Dates | Registration Closes | Heads-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Ohio State University Open (Columbus, OH) | Oct 3 | Oct 1 (tomorrow) | Senior Men's Epee 60 of 63 (3 left), Senior Men's Foil 56 of 63 (7 left) |
| The Spooky Badger 2026 (Madison, WI) | Oct 4 | Oct 4 | Mixed Epee 20 of 21, 1 left |
| MARS Fencing Unrated Three Weapon Tournament (Kenosha, WI) | Oct 10 | Oct 10 | E & Under Mixed Saber is full (7); Unrated Mixed Foil 1 left |
On the national side, the October and November NACs are past their regular deadlines. Late registration runs until October 8 and November 19, at USA Fencing's late fee of about four times the normal entry.
New opportunities: open now, with room
December SJCC: Milwaukee, WI · Dec 4–6 · closes Oct 7
A national junior and cadet event in Region 2's backyard. 923 fencers have entered across 12 events. Caps aren't published, so you can't see how close a field is to full. Register before October 7.
Motor City RJCC/RYC: Waterford, MI · Feb 20–21, 2027 · closes Feb 1, 2027
Opened since our last report, with 959 spots across 32 events and nobody registered yet. Cadet Men's Epee and Junior Men's Epee each have 42 spots.
Fencing Center of Chicago RYC & RJC: Lake Barrington, IL · Dec 12–13 · closes Dec 7
Open since mid-September, with 60 fencers across 30 events so far. Caps aren't published yet.
Queen City Cup Y8/RYC/RJCC: Liberty Township, OH · Feb 5–7, 2027 · closes Jan 22, 2027
Open since early September, with 20 fencers across 36 events. Caps aren't published yet.
Junior Olympic qualifiers just posted
- Illinois Junior Olympic Qualifiers (Evanston, IL, Oct 25; closes Oct 18): 12 events.
- 2027 Saint Louis Division Junior Olympic Qualifier (Wentzville, MO, Nov 7–8; closes Oct 23): 12 events.
Coming later: mark the date
USA Fencing has announced these regionals, but registration isn't open yet and the opening dates haven't been published.
| Tournament | Dates | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Wildcat SYC/RCC | Jan 30–31, 2027 | Libertyville, IL |
| GRAFA RYC/RJCC/ROC – Third Coast Cup | Mar 12–14, 2027 | Grand Rapids, MI |
| Fencing Center of Chicago ROC & RJC | Mar 26–28, 2027 | Libertyville, IL |
| RedStar Fencing RYC/RJCC/Y8 | Apr 3–4, 2027 | Libertyville, IL |
| North Star RYC/RJCC/ADLTC | May 1–2, 2027 | Saint Paul, MN |
New on AskFRED: just posted in the region
- Family Wellness Fencing Expo, Team Event (Fargo, ND, Oct 3; closes Oct 3).
- Badger Fencing Club Open (Madison, WI, Oct 17; closes Oct 17): 7 of 112.
- 3DFC Earn Your E, Saber (Fargo, ND, Oct 18; closes Oct 18).
- WashU AFA November 2026 Tournament (Clayton, MO, Nov 21–22; closes Nov 21).
- Winter FCC Open & Youth Tournament (Park Ridge, IL, Jan 16–17, 2027; closes Jan 15, 2027): 12 events.
- Skyward Fencing monthly series (South Barrington, IL): January 22–24, February 5–7, March 19–21, April 23–25, May 14–16 and June 11–13, 2027. Each has room: between 5 and 14 fencers so far.
- RMSA/RYF All You Can Fence (Rochester, MN, Mar 13, 2027; closes Mar 12, 2027).
Region 2 is the calmest region we track, and that's an advantage. Most of what's on the calendar is still wide open, so you can plan a whole season without racing a wait-list. Two things shouldn't wait: the December SJCC closes October 7, and Ohio State's senior epee field closes tomorrow with 3 spots left. After that, register for Motor City, Fencing Center of Chicago and Queen City early, while every field has room.
National Tournaments
October NAC
Oct 9, 2026 – Oct 12, 2026 · Orlando, FL · USAF
Deadline: Sep 2, 2026 (passed) · late registration until Oct 8, 2026 (USA Fencing late fees apply)
3 (2 nearly full · 1 full / wait-list)
| Event | Rtg | Signed | Left | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division I Men’s Epee (DV1ME) | — | 392 (100%) | WL | 392 |
| Cadet Men’s Epee (CDTME) | — | 280 (83%) | 56 | 336 |
| Division I Men’s Foil (DV1MF) | — | 273 (81%) | 63 | 336 |
November NAC
Nov 20, 2026 – Nov 23, 2026 · Columbus, OH · USAF
Deadline: Sep 23, 2026 (passed) · late registration until Nov 19, 2026 (USA Fencing late fees apply)
4 (2 nearly full · 2 full / wait-list)
| Event | Rtg | Signed | Left | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division I Men’s Epee (DV1ME) | — | 336 (100%) | WL | 336 |
| Junior Men’s Epee (JNRME) | — | 336 (100%) | WL | 336 |
| Junior Men’s Saber (JNRMS) | — | 299 (89%) | 37 | 336 |
| Junior Men’s Foil (JNRMF) | — | 281 (84%) | 55 | 336 |
Region 2 Tournaments
The Ohio State University Open
Oct 3, 2026 · Columbus, OH · ASKFRED
Deadline: Oct 1, 2026
2 (2 nearly full · 0 full / wait-list)
| Event | Rtg | Signed | Left | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Men's Epee | A2 | 60 (95%) | 3 | 63 |
| Senior Men's Foil | A2 | 56 (89%) | 7 | 63 |
The Spooky Badger 2026
Oct 4, 2026 · Madison, WI · ASKFRED
Deadline: Oct 4, 2026
1 (1 nearly full · 0 full / wait-list)
| Event | Rtg | Signed | Left | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixed Epee | B1 | 20 (95%) | 1 | 21 |
MARS Fencing Unrated Three Weapon Tournament
Oct 10, 2026 · Kenosha, WI · ASKFRED
Deadline: Oct 10, 2026
2 (1 nearly full · 1 full / wait-list)
| Event | Rtg | Signed | Left | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E & Under Mixed Saber | E1 | 7 (100%) | WL | 7 |
| Unrated Mixed Foil | E1 | 6 (86%) | 1 | 7 |