Tournament news · Region 5

Region 5 Tournament Watch: Austin Challenge Raised Its Caps, and Its Youth 12 Foil and Saber Fields Have Room Again

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 · Bout-Buddy Editorial

Region 5 has 3 tournaments with 47 events at 80% or higher, and 28 of them full, down from 38 a week ago. Fields didn't empty out. Austin Challenge SYC & RCC in Round Rock (Dec 18–20) raised its caps in most fields, so it has 11 full events today instead of 19. Youth 12 Men's Saber, for example, went from 29 spots to 62, and 56 fencers have entered it.

Battle in Space City ROC/RJCC in Houston (Oct 17–18) is in late registration, at USA Fencing's late fee, and that ends today, October 14.

Sold out: wait-list only

Closing soon: last spots

Regular registration is open for all of these.

Late registration only (USA Fencing late fees, about 4×)

Battle in Space City ROC/RJCC (Houston, Oct 17–18): the regular deadline passed on October 5, and late registration at USA Fencing's late fee ends today, October 14. Division II Men's Foil and Youth 14 Men's Epee reopened with 1 spot each, Division IA Men's Epee has 2, and Junior Men's Foil, Junior Women's Epee, Cadet Men's Foil, Cadet Women's Saber and Division II Women's Saber have 2 each.

The November NAC in Columbus (Nov 20–23) is in late registration until November 19, also at the late fee. Junior Men's Saber is at 314 of 336.

New opportunities: room in the region right now

Austin Challenge SYC & RCC: Round Rock, TX · Dec 18–20 · closes Dec 1

The new caps opened room in the Youth 12 foil and saber fields that were full last week. Y12 Men's Foil (82 of 98), Y12 Women's Foil (73 of 91) and Y12 Women's Saber (51 of 63) all have space again, and Y10 Men's Foil and Y14 Men's and Women's Saber dropped below 80%. Fields that fill once can fill again, so register this week if it's on your list.

The Crescent City Open: New Orleans, LA · Nov 14–15 · closes Nov 1

205 fencers across 36 events. USA Fencing hasn't published caps.

Coming later: mark the date

New on AskFRED: just posted in the region

Three Junior Olympic qualifiers for the 2027 Junior Olympics (Oklahoma City, Jan 8–11, 2027) went up this week:

• Gulf Coast Division JO Qualifiers (Houston, TX, Oct 31; closes Oct 31): 12 events.
• Ark-La-Miss Junior Olympic Qualifiers (Shreveport, LA, Oct 31–Nov 1; closes Oct 30): 12 events.
• 2026 North Texas Division JO Qualifiers (Carrollton, TX, Nov 7; closes Nov 1): 12 events.

Also new:

• Hockaday Open #2 (Carrollton, TX, Oct 25; closes Oct 23): 3 events.
• November Ballad of the Blades SHS Epee (El Paso, TX, Nov 14; closes Nov 14): 3 events.

Austin is this week's good news. The organizer added spots in most fields, and the Youth 12 foil and saber fields that were wait-list only a week ago have room again. That doesn't happen often. If Austin is on your list, register now. Houston's late registration, at USA Fencing's late fee, ends today. For JO season, three division qualifiers just opened, and the Crescent City Open in New Orleans closes November 1.

National Tournaments

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)
6 (4 nearly full · 2 full / wait-list)

Region 5 Tournaments

Battle in Space City ROC/RJCC

Oct 17, 2026 – Oct 18, 2026 · Houston, TX · USAF
Deadline: Oct 5, 2026 (passed) · late registration until Oct 14, 2026 (USA Fencing late fees apply)
27 (12 nearly full · 15 full / wait-list)

Cavaliers & Rogues

Dec 5, 2026 · Deer Park, TX · ASKFRED
Deadline: Dec 3, 2026
2 (0 nearly full · 2 full / wait-list)

Austin Challenge SYC and RCC

Dec 18, 2026 – Dec 20, 2026 · Round Rock, TX · USAF
Deadline: Dec 1, 2026
18 (7 nearly full · 11 full / wait-list)

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